One morning at an Essex country manor, the household wake to the discovery that the owner, elderly Emily Inglethorp, has been poisoned. Upon his arrival, inspector Hercule Poirot is faced with a mystery of how poison was administered to Inglethorp, and who would benefit most from her considerable wealth. Poirot must discover every link in a chain of evidence in order to unravel the whole complicated plot and lay the guilt where it belongs.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles includes maps of the manor, the murder scene, and a sketch of a fragment of a will. The story is told in the first person by Poirot's friend, Arthur Hastings, and features many of the elements that have become icons of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, largely due to Christie's influence. There are a half-dozen suspects, most of whom are hiding facts about themselves, while the plot includes a number of red herrings and surprise twists.

This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.