The Parlor PI's discussion

Just 100 years ago, Agatha Christie's very first published novel appeared: The Mysterious Affair at Styles. We meet Poirot for the very first time in this book. He is describes as:

"Poirot was an extraordinary looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet, four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire caused nim more pain than a bullet wound."

A bit changed over the years, in the description of the moustache as well as the absence of the limp reported just after the above description. I am always impressed by the consistency of Christie's subsequent books, in that this initial effort blends so well into the rest. No first time author uncertainty here!

Anyway, Hastings has been invalided from WWI (this seems to take place about 1916) and is spending some time with his friend John Cavendish, who lives with his stepmother, in Styles Court, with his wife, his brother, and some other people. His stepmother is poisoned and Poirot is called in to this intricate mystery.

Thanks for taking it on. Run it any way you like, Pghfan.

The fabulous Hugh Fraser does such a great job narrating this book. This’ll be the second time this year I’ve listened to it! I’ll love rereads because I try and discover clues I’d previously missed. 🕵🏻‍♀️

Clever "howdunit" to this mystery. Loved the film adaptation and hope I still have the DVD. Will download the book and read along.

I am actually reading the book as opposed to listening to the audio by Hugh Fraser. And I watched the Suchet version last night. Ah, those were the days, when they kept to the book and produced an excellent adaptation. And it is hard to believe that the TV version is 30 years old!

Observation - I’ve always thought it interesting that Evie asked Hastings look after Emily and watch Alfred since they (Evie and Hastings) barely knew each other. As they (Evie and Alfred) probably hadn’t known ahead of time that he’d be visiting, was this part of the plan?

I doubt Hastings was part of the plan, but Evie, who I think was the brain behind this, saw an opportunity to once again
throw suspicion onto Alfred.

Started the book last night. The film's casting person nailed it w/Alfred's character. Love the earlier film adaptations over the more recent productions!

Tina wrote: "Started the book last night. The film's casting person nailed it w/Alfred's character. Love the earlier film adaptations over the more recent productions!"

I agree! Still think it's a crime that "Murder On The Orient Express" wasn't filmed in the early years of the Suchet canon. The recent adaptation was awful!!!

Mark Pghfan wrote: "I am always impressed by the consistency of Christie's subsequent books, in that this initial effort blends so well into the rest. No first time author uncertainty here!"

Even Christie's strikes gold during the solution, the denouement in her first mystery novel. It's perfect, quite cunning, and very clever! That's quite a rarity for a writer's first-ever mystery book. And to think that she continued this brilliant trend throughout her career for 5 decades!

Hi, L-M. Glad you could join us!

An Orient Express adaptation would have been great, in the days when such liberties were taken with the book as were done later on. I guess I'm thankful we have the wonderful ones we have.

I'm glad you agree with me on the cleverness and perfection of Christie's very first book. A wonder, for sure!

Agatha Christie used a great plot device of altering an incriminating letter and hiding it in plain sight; I love the idea of using the letter as “spills”, as a prop to achieve this. Very, very clever! It's there in the reader's face but he/she doesn't suspect anything of it. And in a mystery, you should ALWAYS look at EVERYTHING, no matter how minuscule it looks.

If you are at all familiar with Christie, you certainly must never let even the smallest detail pass. That is really her forte!

(Early on in story). Farmer Raikes' pretty, young wife. lol Was Alfred really spending time there or was it a made up story to achieve an outcome?

lol Hastings and some of the stuff he gets pulled into.

Mark Pghfan wrote: "I am actually reading the book as opposed to listening to the audio by Hugh Fraser. And I watched the Suchet version last night. Ah, those were the days, when they kept to the book and produced an ..."

Hear, hear, Pghfan. Watching the new Agatha Raisin (season 3) and wow what they did to the Haunted House installment. Anyone see it? Don't want to spoil so I won't tell anything here. Still a good mystery but again, AR is nothing like the more lovable frump in the book series. Toni was a shocker.

Mark Pghfan wrote: "I doubt Hastings was part of the plan, but Evie, who I think was the brain behind this, saw an opportunity to once again
throw suspicion onto Alfred."

And as most everyone thought Hastings somewhat dim, he was an easy mark to throw blue herrings at.

Mark Pghfan wrote: "I doubt Hastings was part of the plan, but Evie, who I think was the brain behind this, saw an opportunity to once again
throw suspicion onto Alfred."

Convenient, Hastings being there. ;-)

LovesMysteries wrote: "Tina wrote: "Started the book last night. The film's casting person nailed it w/Alfred's character. Love the earlier film adaptations over the more recent productions!"

I agree! Still think it's a..."

Indeed, LM. I think it would've had a much different feel about it.

Tina wrote: "LovesMysteries wrote: "Tina wrote: "Started the book last night. The film's casting person nailed it w/Alfred's character. Love the earlier film adaptations over the more recent productions!"

I ag..."

Favorite MOtOE, adaptation, LM? I think I like one of the earlier adaptations best then Suchet's.

I’ve only ever seen Suchet’s! Are you all disappointed in me? 🤣 Whose should I watch first?

As far as MoTOE goes, the Finney version is by far my favorite. The Suchet version seemed anticlimactic after that one, and frankly I was not impressed by how they changed Poirot's reaction at the end--it seemed like it was put in just to allow Suchet to overact. In the book, Poirot was not at all troubled by the solution.

I'm almost done with the Styles re-read and am even more impressed that ever with it. All the pieces are falling in place and Poirot is just like he is throughout his canon. And poor Hastings. A faithful narrator but hopelessly lost!

Nicole wrote: "I’ve only ever seen Suchet’s! Are you all disappointed in me? 🤣 Whose should I watch first?"

Finney. LOL Hairnet on 'staches. Was there a MOtOE with Peter Ustinov? I also liked him as Poirot. Least favorite are w/Alfred Molina and Kenneth B.

No Ustinov MOTOE. I liked Molina. Over the top but enjoyable and such a fab cast!

Ustinov's first was Death on the Nile. While I really don't think of him as Poirot, the movies were entertaining. He made six of them, some of them TV movies.

I'll try any Christie adaptation just in attempts to connect to AC and the good ol' days.

Sorry I'm so late! I finished the book and was looking for the film version but don't have access to BritBox any longer. I will have to watch it another time.

I fortunately have all the DVDs and can watch at any time!

Mark Pghfan wrote: "I fortunately have all the DVDs and can watch at any time!"

Fun to start series from beginning to end, Pghfan.