The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master.

Nevertheless, in view of the world-wide notoriety which attended it, I have been asked, both by my friend Poirot and the family themselves, to write an account of the whole story. This, we trust, will effectually silence the sensational rumours which still persist.
I will therefore briefly set down the circumstances which led to my being connected with the affair.

We had a good yarn about old times, and it ended in his inviting me down to Styles to spend my leave there.

Above all, Mr. Hast­ings, watch that devil—her hus­band!”

volu­bil­ity

in the pub­lic by what was known at the time as “The Styles Case” has now some­what sub­sided

all these things are burnt into my memory. I shall never for­get them.

the in­tense power of still­ness she pos­sessed

couched in the tele­graphic style.

con­ver­sa­tion