The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Dover Mystery Classics)

When an aging heiress is found fatally poisoned, the amazing Hercule Poirot, brilliant Belgian criminal investigator, is brought out of retirement to solve the case. In this classic tale of murder, jealousy, and greed, Agatha Christie introduced the famed sleuth, who is immediately confronted by mysteries within a mystery: a door bolted from the inside of the victims room; the disappearance of a coffee cup believed to have held the poison; the charred remains of a will, a strange fragment of fabric, and a curious rug stain found near the body. All are puzzling pieces of evidence in a crime for which there is no shortage of suspects, not the least of which are the victims philandering husband, an assortment of unhappy relatives, and an extremely outspoken hired companion. A perennial favorite with mystery fans since it was first published in 1921, this entertaining and tautly constructed murder mystery easily placed its author among the most accomplished and entertaining writers in the genre.