The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie

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Title: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Author: Agatha Christie

Release Date: July 27, 2008 [EBook #863]

Last Updated: September 29, 2019

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES ***

Produced by Charles Keller

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

by Agatha Christie

Contents

CHAPTER I.

I GO TO STYLES

CHAPTER II.

THE 16TH AND 17TH OF JULY

CHAPTER III.

THE NIGHT OF THE TRAGEDY

CHAPTER IV.

POIROT INVESTIGATES

CHAPTER V.

“IT ISN’T STRYCHNINE, IS IT?”

CHAPTER VI.

THE INQUEST

CHAPTER VII.

POIROT PAYS HIS DEBTS

CHAPTER VIII.

FRESH SUSPICIONS

CHAPTER IX.

DR. BAUERSTEIN

CHAPTER X.

THE ARREST

CHAPTER XI.

THE CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION

CHAPTER XII.

THE LAST LINK

CHAPTER XIII.

POIROT EXPLAINS

CHAPTER I.

I GO TO STYLES

The intense interest aroused in the public by what was known at the time as “The Styles Case” has now somewhat subsided. Nevertheless, in view of the world-wide notoriety which attended it, I have been asked, both by my friend Poirot and the family themselves, to write an account of the whole story. This, we trust, will effectually silence the sensational rumours which still persist.

I will therefore briefly set down the circumstances which led to my being connected with the affair.

I had been invalided home from the Front; and, after spending some months in a rather depressing Convalescent Home, was given a month’s sick leave. Having no near relations or friends, I was trying to make up my mind what to do, when I ran across John Cavendish. I had seen very little of him for some years. Indeed, I had never known him particularly well. He was a good fifteen years my senior, for one thing, though he hardly looked his forty-five years. As a boy, though, I had often stayed at Styles, his mother’s place in Essex.

We had a good yarn about old times, and it ended in his inviting me down to Styles to spend my leave there.

“The mater will be delighted to see you again—after all those years,” he added.