The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Hercule Poirot Mysteries, Book 1

De: Agatha Christie

Narrado por: John Rayburn

Originally published in 1920, this was the first book in a fantastic literary career for Agatha Christie. She went on to become the top-selling fiction author of all time with sales reaching an incredible one billion in English and another billion in a multitude of foreign language translations. Altogether, the Christie output has been excelled only by the Bible and Shakespeare. As a result, she was sometimes called the “Duchess of Death”, “Mistress of Mystery”, and “Queen of Crime,” all apt descriptions. The lead character in this initial manuscript, Hercule Poirot, was eventually featured in 33 novels and 50 short stories. Over the years, her other most renowned subject was Miss Marple. She didn’t make her first appearance until 1930 but wound up in a dozen novels and 20 short stories.

Listen now to the start of the Christie saga.

Public Domain (P)2021 John D. Rayburn

Not very good narration

As always Agatha Christie is great. Her detective is just as smooth and wily as ever. A great book, but the narrator is terrible. I had to make myself finish listening. I wanted to enjoy this book, and could have if the narrator didn’t sound as if he had major breathing issues, and mush in his mouth.

Narration RUINED the story

I could not listen for more than 20 minutes. The narrator was just awful. Sorely disappointed.