The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The tale unfolds at Styles Court, a quiet country estate in England, where an apparent tranquil life is disrupted by a shocking murder. Emily Inglethorp, the wealthy matriarch, is found dead in her locked bedroom. The cause? Poison. There are no lack of suspects, with family members, friends, and staff all under suspicion.  Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, living in the village thanks to the hospitality of Mrs. Inglethorp. With his distinctive egg-shaped head and glorious mustache, Poirot’s appearance belies his razor-sharp intellect and exceptional sleuthing skills. Poirot’s trusted companion, Arthur Hastings, provides the listener’s perspective on the events, his admiration and slight bewilderment at Poirot’s methods lending a certain charm to the narrative. Here we encounter an array of characters, each with their own secrets and motives. There’s John Cavendish, Emily’s elder stepson, facing financial difficulties; Mary, his aloof wife with a fondness for strychnine; and Lawrence, the younger, more sensitive stepson. Then there’s Evelyn Howard, Emily’s companion, with her suspiciously anti-Emily sentiments; Cynthia Murdoch, a young protegee of Emily’s, employed in a pharmacy, and finally, Alfred Inglethorp, Emily’s much younger husband, whose suspicious behavior immediately casts him under suspicion. Drawing on his “little grey cells,” Poirot meticulously sifts through the complex web of relationships, alibis, and secrets. In the middle of the narrative, the soothing voice of Jeff Woodman ensnares listeners, his nuanced portrayal of characters and masterful timing amplifying the suspense. The story climaxes with Poirot revealing the cunning culprit in a dramatic confrontation, a characteristic Christie denouement that leaves readers marveling at the brilliance of her plotting. The author showed her full potential in The Murder at the Vicarage and ‘Crooked House’ & ‘Endless Night’ but here Jeff Woodman’s narration takes it one step ahead.