My rating: 5 of 5 stars
During our pre-Covid-19 days, hubby and I used to love going on thrift store adventures. And thanks to this lovely hobby--that we haven't been able to do for months--we picked up a bunch of Agatha Christie books. Then, I went out of my way to pick up quite a few for my Paperwhite to fill in the gaps, and built up quite a collection.
Being the huge reader that I am, it's surprising that although I know quite a bit about Christie, I'd never actually read any of her books. Until now.
I decided to start with the first Poirot story and I'm glad I did.
When Captain Hastings goes to stay in the country manor of his friend, John Cavendish, in Styles he catches up with a few old acquaintances and meets a new host of people.
Things in this seemingly close family are anything but, and when the matriarch dies, Hastings calls on an old friend he's surprised to encounter in the country.
Hercule Poirot is a peculiar but thorough investigator, and when he starts piecing the clues together, he reveals some sinister revelations...
I really enjoyed my first encounter with Poirot as much as my introduction to Agatha Christie, and can't figure out why I waited so long. 😕
Told in the POV of Hastings, I liked how he recounted everything that happened in Styles. He's got a good eye for detail, but Poirot outdoes everyone on the page. He's peculiar and thorough, but also gets answers easily from those he interviews because of his kind manner, clever wit, and the relevance of his questions.
I love mysteries and this one really captured everything I enjoy about this genre. There was that nice locked-room vibe going on, too. Blend it in with the use of poisons, and it was guaranteed to keep me interested. The setting was also really interesting as it takes place during WWI.
One thing that I always worry about when reading books that were written so long ago is if I'll like the style or if I'll be turned off by the many differences in how much smaller the world and tolerance was back then compared to now. There were a few awkward words peppered throughout that made me cringe, but they were easy to ignore.
I was surprised by the way the story was told because I thought it would be written in the POV of Poirot, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. Hastings was as peculiar as Poirot. LOL. And the unexpected twists and turns were interesting.
Really looking forward to reading other books in this series.
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