Cozy Mystery a sub-genre of crime fiction in which sex and violence occur offstage, the detective is usually an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community 

A few days ago, I reviewed here the first Christie book I had ever read, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. Upon finishing Ackroyd, I immediately started my second Christie novel of my Vermont vacation, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Arthur Hastings, a World War I soldier on leave, visits Styles Court, a grand English manor. A mysterious death occurs when the wealthy owner, Emily Inglethorp, is found poisoned with strychnine. Her husband, Alfred, and stepson, John, become prime suspects.

The great Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate the perplexing case. As he delves deeper, he uncovers a web of deceit and hidden motives. It is your classic, “Locked Room” Mystery, with a clever twist.

Poirot is obviously an interesting literary character. With Christie’s books coming into the Public Domain, I suspect we will see the same kind of Pastiches written with the Poirot character as we have seen with Sherlock Holmes.

After reading two novels featuring Poirot, I understand now why he is such a popular character. According to my internet research, Poirot appeared in 33 novels, 51 short stories, and 2 plays between 1920 and 1975.

With just two novels down, I have a long way to go!

Here is a link to The Affair at Styles on Gutenberg. I highly recommend it!