In this mesmerizing classic of detective fiction by world-renowned mystery author Agatha Christie, the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot makes his unforgettable-and legendary-debut. Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorpe, and how did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? Suspects abound in the quaint village of Styles St. Mary, just outside Essex. Among those basking in the shadow of doubt are the heiress's fawning new husband, her two aimless stepsons, her volatile housekeeper, and a pretty nurse who works in a hospital dispensary. And though the identity of the culprit will prove as shocking as the crime, nothing gets past the calm logic and cool head of Hercule Poirot. "The key to the success of this style of detective novel lies in how the author deals with both the clues and the red herrings, and it has to be said that no one bettered Agatha Christie at this game." -Elizabeth George "Future scholars of the simon-pure detective novel will hold that its greatest practitioner . . . has been Agatha Christie." -The New York Times Book Review