Excerpt from The Mysterious Affair at Styles

I hope you are enjoying April, Autism Awareness month. Hop on over to have a look at my blog about autism awareness and acceptance if you haven’t seen it yet.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

I am currently re-reading Dame Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the first Hercule Poirot mystery. This was Agatha’s first published novel, and received good critical acclaim. She made £25 on the book for the serial rights and wondered whether pursuing writing was worthwhile. (It turned out it was.) It’s a long time since I read this book, and I am enjoying it all over again.

If the fact will not fit the theory – let the theory go.

Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by British writer Agatha Christie. It was her first published novel, written in 1916, and published in the US and in the UK a few years later. It introduced Hercule Poirot, Inspector (later, Chief Inspector) Japp, and Arthur Hastings.

This first mystery novel by Agatha Christie was well received by reviewers. An analysis in 1990 was positive about the plot, considered the novel one of the few by Christie that is well-anchored in time and place, a story that knows it describes the end of an era, and mentions that the plot is clever. Christie had not mastered cleverness in her first novel, as “too many clues tend to cancel each other out”; this was judged a difficulty “which Conan Doyle never satisfactorily overcame, but which Christie would.”

P.D. Workman Authorpreneur

P.D. Workman is a USA Today Bestselling author and multi-award winner, renowned for her prolific output of over 100 published works that span various genres. With a knack for crafting page-turners, Workman captivates readers with everything from cozy mysteries like the Auntie Clem's Bakery series to gripping young adult and suspense novels. Her stories resonate deeply as she masterfully weaves sensitive themes—such as childhood trauma, mental illness, and addiction—into compelling narratives that evoke a powerful emotional response. Readers are drawn to her unique voice and empathetic portrayal of complex issues. With each new release, fans eagerly anticipate another thrilling blend of thought-provoking storytelling and relatable characters that define P.D. Workman’s brand as an author of unforgettable page-turners—gripping tales that leave a lasting impact long after the last page is turned.

See Full Bio

Mystery and suspense fiction Young adult crime thrillers Character-driven storytelling Cozy Mysteries Mental health and trauma in fiction Resilience and personal growth themes Indie publishing Writing craft and novel development Obsidian for writers and authors Forensic and medical thriller research Social issues in contemporary fiction Psychological thrillers Traditional mysteries Police procedural mysteries Characters with disabilities