De zaak Styles (1920)

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The same flair that makes David Suchet an excellent Poirot makes him infuriating in every other character and narration. ( )

A writer's first novel is not always the best, though I still enjoyed this first introduction to the infamous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. After reading THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR, which takes place at the home of Agatha and Archie Christie, Styles, I had to read this one, which is based loosely on the infamous home of the Christies. As British of a proper whodunit as you can get, even with prejudices openly given (the n-word is used once, and any Jewish person is referred to as THE Jew), one must also suspend one's disbelief when reading pretty much any of Christie's books. She is a master at building suspense, but in this one, all Poirot does is never tell Hastings anything, which gets fairly annoying as the story progresses. The so-called tying up of loose ends was quite the humdinger, too, and I had to read it twice to make sure I understood all of the red herrings and the actual clues that let the incomparable Poirot to solve the crime. A fun and gripping read, but not Christie's best, by a long shot. ( )

Emily Inglethorp dies in the middle of the night, poisoned by strychnine, and there is no shortage of suspects: her new second husband, her sons from her first marriage, a strangely insomniac doctor, her daughter-in-law, a nurse...

This was my first Hercule Poirot mystery, and I had a fun time with it. I enjoyed the twists, and it was a fun, quick read. ( )

2-Jun-2020 8-Jun-2020 ( )