# The Mysterious Affair at Styles

> 1920 novel by Agatha Christie

**Wikidata**: [Q472228](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q472228)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mysterious_Affair_at_Styles)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/the-mysterious-affair-at-styles

## Summary
*The Mysterious Affair at Styles* is a 1920 novel by Agatha Christie, the fourth in her Hercule Poirot series. It is a detective fiction story set in the United Kingdom, featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot investigating a murder at the Styles estate.

## Key Facts
- **Literary work**: A written work read for enjoyment or edification.
- **Detective fiction**: Subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction.
- **Setting**: United Kingdom, an island country in north-west Europe.
- **Publisher**: John Lane, a British publisher (1854–1925).
- **Preceded by**: *The Secret Adversary* (1922).
- **Succeeded by**: *The Secret Adversary* (1922).
- **Aliases**: *Mysterious Affair at Styles*.
- **Inception**: 1916.
- **Publication date**: 1920.
- **Sitelink count**: 44.
- **Wikipedia title**: *The Mysterious Affair at Styles*.

## FAQs
- **What genre is *The Mysterious Affair at Styles*?**
  It is a detective fiction novel, a subgenre of crime and mystery fiction.
- **Where is the story set?**
  The novel is set in the United Kingdom, an island country in north-west Europe.
- **Who published the novel?**
  John Lane, a British publisher, was involved in its publication.
- **What other works by Agatha Christie precede and succeed this novel?**
  *The Secret Adversary* (1922) precedes and succeeds this novel.
- **What is the inception date of the novel?**
  The novel was first conceived in 1916.

## Why It Matters
*The Mysterious Affair at Styles* is significant as it is part of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series, which established Poirot as one of the most iconic detectives in literature. The novel contributes to the development of detective fiction by showcasing Poirot’s deductive skills and the intricate plotting typical of Christie’s works. Its publication in 1920 marked a key moment in the evolution of the genre, solidifying Christie’s reputation as a master of mystery storytelling.

## Notable For
- **Detective fiction innovation**: Features Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective known for his logical reasoning.
- **Chronological placement**: Fourth novel in Christie’s Poirot series, following *The Secret Adversary*.
- **Publisher history**: John Lane’s involvement reflects the literary landscape of early 20th-century publishing.

## Body
### Classification
*The Mysterious Affair at Styles* is classified as a literary work, specifically a detective fiction novel. It falls under the broader categories of crime fiction and mystery fiction, which emphasize investigative storytelling.

### Setting and Context
The novel is set in the United Kingdom, an island country with a rich literary history. The United Kingdom’s inception dates include 1927-04-12 and 1921-12-06, reflecting its political and historical evolution.

### Publishing and Production
John Lane, a British publisher, played a role in the novel’s production. Lane was co-founder of The Bodley Head and John Lane, contributing to the literary output of the era.

### Sequels and Predecessors
*The Mysterious Affair at Styles* is preceded and succeeded by *The Secret Adversary* (1922), indicating its position within Christie’s Poirot series.

### Metadata and Identification
The novel’s aliases include *Mysterious Affair at Styles*, and it has a sitelink count of 44, reflecting its presence in online references. The Wikipedia title for the novel is *The Mysterious Affair at Styles*, and its inception date is 1916.

## References

1. MusicBrainz
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie | Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL472715W/The_Mysterious_Affair_at_Styles?edition=key%3A/books/OL32500781M)