House of Evil

Agatha Christie's "The Mysterious Affairs at Styles" was published this month ninety four years ago. Fans of Crime fiction were introduced to Hercule Poirot, who would hardly merit a second glance. But Colonel Hastings, his good friend, had this to say:

"He was hardly more than five feet four inches but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. Even if everything on his face was covered, the tips of moustache and the pink-tipped nose would be visible.

The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police."

The above description was the reason why suspects of the crime weren't wary of him. The appearance belied his penchant for order. Then those little gray cells, which he reminded Hastings one too many. A crime always have a motive, and some may be too complicated to solve. But not Poirot.

Those were the days

The country estate at Styles Court at Essex was where Poirot and Hastings would work together for the first time. Readers would remind the duo of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, which Christie agreed. In turn, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's basis for Holmes was Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin. Emily Cavendish inherited a huge fortune upon the death of her husband. It didn't take long for her to find another hubby, a much younger man. Alfred Inglethorp lived with Emily, along with John and Lawrence, her sons from her first husband, and their wives. Then there was Evelyn Howard, Emily's companion. Emily was poisoned one day. Alfred was the obvious suspect, as he had lots to gain from the fortune. Poirot didn't doubt it, but he sensed the fellow had an accomplice. Readers won't expect it.

Poirot would be involved in other cases of murder, where Christie brought her readers to a world no longer existed. There was once the Orient Express, then Mesopotamia. The Belgian detective also matched his wits against a formiddable quartet known as the Big Four. They were real villains, such that Poirot lamented that his next cases would be tame compared to them. He didn't foresee his return to Styles Court.

The final case

In "Curtain: Poirot's Last Case", Poirot showed signs of illness. He was confined to a wheelchair, with a butler not far away from him, but this was to make the suspect underestimate him. He wasn't directly involved in the past cases of murder, and the detective feared there would be more dead bodies. Poirot detest killing, but he had to make an exception on this one. Hastings was completely clueless of the happenings, and four months after his friend's death, the only thing left to him to reconstruct the case was a copy of Shakespeare's “Othello”.

Christie's cynicism was subtle, which reflected the years after the Second World War ended. She was alone, and London was struggling to rebuild itself. It would take a snap of a finger for the people to do heinous things. Only readers can figure out if it's human nature or not.