This premium quality large print edition contains the complete and unabridged original classic version of The Mysterious Affair at Styles , Agatha Christie's first mystery novel, printed on heavyweight, bright white paper in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, with a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. First published in 1920, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is both the first of Agatha Christie's many mystery novels and the first appearance of dapper little Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective. Confronted with a house full of suspects, it falls to Poirot to sort throught the clues, examine the motives, fit together the pieces that don't quite fit, and solve the puzzle of who poisoned Mrs. Inglethorp...and how they did it. Although published in 1920 the story was written in 1916, at a time when England had become home to numerous Belgian refugees displaced by WWI. The "Rape of Belgium," originated in the early days of the war, was still a popular theme with British propagandists, Germany's invasion of Belgium having furnished a major rationale for Britain's entry into the war. These facts undoubtedly influenced not only this particular story but the Poirot character as well. Agatha Christie's mysteries were characterized by complex but plausible plots, unlike some other mystery writers who sometimes resorted to absurdly convoluted and contrived resolutions. Generally avoiding secret passages, hidden doors, and the abrupt appearance of new characters, devices which were well-worn by her time, Christie elevated the "red herring" and the "blind alley" to the level of a mischievous art form, where the herrings may turn out not to be red and the alleys may not be blind after all, all the while providing enough clues for the attentive reader to solve the mystery. For fans of the classic mystery story, those new to Agatha Christie or Hercule Poirot, or readers new to the genre, The Mysterious Affair at Styles represents a thoroughly enjoyable tale, a well-crafted and polished mystery enjoyed by readers for generations and all the more remarkable for the fact that it was the author's first mystery novel.