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The Mysterious Affair at Styles full cast audiobook

by Agatha Christie · Hercule Poirot, Book 1

Released · Updated · 5h 42m · 30 voices

The story (no spoilers)

Captain Arthur Hastings, invalided home from the Western Front in the summer of 1916, accepts an invitation to recover at Styles Court, the Essex country house where he spent boyhood holidays. He finds a household under strain. The wealthy, strong-willed Emily Inglethorp has recently married a bearded man twenty years her junior, and her stepsons, her companion and the rest of the family make little effort to hide their resentment. Then Emily dies in the night, poisoned, and the local authorities cannot explain how. Hastings turns to his friend Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the war who is living quietly in the village, once a celebrated police detective and a beneficiary of Emily's charity. With a half-dozen people under one roof and every one of them holding something back, Poirot sets out to learn who wanted the lady of Styles dead, and how the deed was done, before the trail goes cold.

The cast

20 speaking roles are listed; walk-on parts are not. Each voice was designed, or chosen from our library of designed voices, to fit how the book describes the character, and it stays with them from the first chapter to the last. Portraits are illustrated impressions of each character.

  • Illustrated portrait of Poirot: about 65, jet-black dyed hair, glossy, parted dead centre, a fawn spats-and-suit look with a dove-grey cravat

    Poirot

    Male, about sixty-five years old, a Belgian detective living in England in 1917, a middle-class professional and retired policeman. He speaks with a Belgian French accent, precise and rolling over English consonants. His voice is a light, clear tenor, slightly nasal, from a small, neat, elderly frame. He speaks briskly and emphatically, with formal phrasing and sudden rises in energy. Methodical, vain, twinkling and quietly amused, though fidgety.

  • Illustrated portrait of Hastings: about 30, short sandy-brown hair, side-parted, a tweed jacket in russet brown with a khaki-green tie

    Hastings

    Male, about thirty years old, an English army officer invalided home in 1917, formerly a clerk at Lloyd's, from a comfortable middle-class background. He speaks with a natural, clear received pronunciation. His voice is a warm, medium baritone, youthful and slightly husky from convalescence. He talks fairly quickly, with open, easy delivery. Eager, earnest and a little naive, keen to be useful and friendly.

  • Illustrated portrait of John Cavendish: about 45, short auburn hair greying at the temples, a moss-green tweed jacket with a mustard waistcoat

    John Cavendish

    Male, about forty-five years old, an English country squire and former barrister living in Essex in 1917, upper-middle-class gentry. He speaks with a casual upper-class English accent, slangy and offhand. His voice is a hearty, slightly rough mid-low baritone, sturdy and a little tired. He talks in curt, clipped bursts that slow when he is troubled. Good-natured, blunt and quick to anger, strained by family worries.

  • Illustrated portrait of Mary Cavendish: about 33, rich dark auburn hair in a low coiled chignon, a teal silk blouse with a V neckline

    Mary Cavendish

    Female, about thirty-three years old, an English gentry wife living at a country house in Essex in 1917, upper-middle-class and unemployed by choice. She speaks with a refined, cool received pronunciation. Her voice is a low, clear, liquid contralto, smooth and controlled, from a tall, graceful frame. She speaks slowly and evenly, with measured pauses. Enigmatic, self-possessed and guarded, with bitterness held tightly beneath the surface.

  • Illustrated portrait of Evelyn Howard: about 40, short iron-grey hair under a hat, practical bun, a heather-purple tweed jacket with a plain white collar

    Evelyn Howard

    Female, about forty years old, an English farmer's daughter turned lady's companion and later nurse, living in Essex in 1917, middle-class and outdoorsy. She speaks with a plain, hearty country-bred English accent without refinement. Her voice is a gruff, deep alto, weathered and strong from an athletic, sturdy build. She speaks in short, clipped, telegraphic bursts, a little loud. Blunt, hearty and suspicious, hiding none of her feelings.

  • Illustrated portrait of Cynthia Murdoch: about 22, wavy golden-blonde hair, bobbed and tied with a ribbon, a coral-pink cotton blouse with a sailor collar

    Cynthia Murdoch

    Female, about twenty-two years old, an English orphan working as a hospital dispenser and living as a dependent at a country house in Essex in 1917, genteel middle-class. She speaks with a light, educated southern English accent. Her voice is a bright, youthful mezzo-soprano, fresh and sparkling. She talks quickly and chattily, stressing words playfully. Buoyant, cheery, irrepressible and teasing, able to turn briskly professional.

  • Illustrated portrait of Dorcas: about 62, grey hair in a tight bun beneath a cap, a black dress with a lavender shawl and white apron straps

    Dorcas

    Female, about sixty-five years old, a loyal English parlourmaid of long service at a country house in Essex in 1917, working-class. She speaks with a soft, old-fashioned Essex servant's accent, respectful and tidy. Her voice is a warm, low-mid contralto, slightly worn with age and steady. She speaks slowly and carefully, with deferential pauses. Devoted, diffident and dutiful, though outspoken when her loyalty is touched.

  • Illustrated portrait of Lawrence Cavendish: about 32, dark brown hair, long and untidy over the forehead, a rust-orange cardigan over a pale shirt

    Lawrence Cavendish

    Male, about thirty-eight years old, an English gentleman who qualified as a doctor but pursues literary ambitions, living in Essex in 1917, upper-middle-class. He speaks with a soft, educated upper-class English accent. His voice is a thin, light tenor, delicate and slightly breathy from a slight, nervous frame. He speaks hesitantly and quietly, with tentative pauses and occasional stumbles. Gloomy, nervous, imaginative and polite.

  • Illustrated portrait of Alfred Inglethorp: about 50, jet-black dyed hair, long and oily, swept back, a navy-blue suit with a bright emerald tie

    Alfred Inglethorp

    Male, about fifty-five years old, an English gentleman of uncertain means who married a wealthy widow, living in Essex in 1917, a bearded middle-class social climber. He speaks with an over-careful, stiffly polite English accent that sounds slightly affected. His voice is a smooth, deep, oily baritone with a heavy chest. He speaks slowly and painstakingly, enunciating every word. Effusive, solicitous and formal, becoming agitated when upset.

  • Illustrated portrait of Heavywether: about 58, bald pink crown with a white fringe, wig off, a black silk gown with white bands and a claret waistcoat

    Heavywether

    Male, about fifty-eight years old, a famous English King's Counsel and courtroom barrister in 1917, upper-middle-class and highly successful. He speaks with a grand, theatrical received pronunciation. His voice is a booming, resonant bass-baritone from a large, imposing frame. He speaks ponderously and emphatically, with deliberate weight on each point. Bullying, unscrupulous and ferociously genial.

  • Illustrated portrait of Inspector Japp: about 50, thin flaxen-blond hair, receding, brushed flat, a brown checked suit with a rust-red tie

    Inspector Japp

    Male, about fifty years old, a Scotland Yard detective-inspector in England in 1917, a working-class man risen through the police. He speaks with a London Cockney-tinged accent, colloquial and bluff. His voice is a brisk, hoarse mid-range baritone, wiry and slightly rasping. He talks quickly in short, breezy sentences, lowering his voice when confidential. Shrewd, cheerful, cautious in official mode and respectful of old friends.

  • Illustrated portrait of Mr. Wells: about 50, thinning light-brown hair, side-parted, a slate-blue suit with a high starched collar and a maroon tie

    Mr. Wells

    Male, about fifty-two years old, an English family solicitor in Essex in 1917, a comfortable middle-class professional. He speaks with a soft, mild, old-fashioned received pronunciation. His voice is a dry, reedy light baritone, gentle and slightly dusty. He speaks slowly and hesitantly, with polite pauses and murmurs. Pleasant, courteous and sympathetic, a little flustered by unpleasantness.

  • Illustrated portrait of Annie: about 20, coppery-red hair in a bun beneath a cap, a lilac print dress with white apron

    Annie

    Female, about twenty-four years old, an English housemaid at a country house in Essex in 1917, working-class. She speaks with a broad, rural Essex accent. Her voice is a strong, higher-pitched, slightly nasal mezzo from a big, healthy, strapping build. She speaks in quick, eager rushes, giggling nervously and blurting. Excitable, deferential and ghoulishly thrilled by the drama.

  • Illustrated portrait of Mrs. Inglethorp: about 68, white hair in an elaborate curled coiffure, a violet silk dress with a lace collar

    Mrs. Inglethorp

    Female, about seventy years old, a wealthy English widow turned remarried mistress of a country house in Essex in 1917, upper-class and charitable. She speaks with a plummy, old-fashioned upper-class accent. Her voice is a fluty, high, quick soprano, strong for her age. She speaks rapidly in gushing, chatty streams full of endearments. Energetic, autocratic, generous and socially minded.

  • Illustrated portrait of Dr. Bauerstein: about 45, receding black hair with grey streaks, tousled, a muddy olive tweed jacket with a crumpled collar and a rust-orange cravat

    Dr. Bauerstein

    Male, about forty-five years old, a London doctor and toxicologist of German descent practising near Essex in 1917, an upper-middle-class expert. He speaks with a polished English accent with a faint Germanic edge. His voice is a smooth, deep, dark baritone, controlled and resonant. He speaks at a measured, courteous pace, precise and formal. Authoritative, polite and wryly self-mocking.

  • Illustrated portrait of Mr. Philips: about 52, dark brown hair streaked with grey under a horsehair barrister's wig, a black gown with a stiff winged collar and white bands

    Mr. Philips

    Male, about forty-eight years old, an English King's Counsel opening the case for the Crown in 1917, upper-middle-class. He speaks with a clipped, formal, nasal received pronunciation. His voice is a dry, light tenor, crisp and slightly high. He speaks crisply and evenly at a steady courtroom pace. Formal, precise and a little strained, mopping his brow after effort.

  • Illustrated portrait of Albert Mace: about 20, ginger hair, slicked down with a cowlick, a white chemist's coat with a sky-blue bow tie

    Albert Mace

    Male, about twenty-four years old, a junior chemist's assistant new to a village shop in Essex in 1917, lower-middle-class. He speaks with a mild, lightly Estuary southern English accent. His voice is a high, boyish tenor, thin and unsteady. He speaks in anxious, hurried bursts, dropping to a cautious whisper. Nervous, agitated, polite and deferential.

  • Illustrated portrait of Manning: about 63, sparse nicotine-yellow wisps, balding, a faded corduroy jacket with a red neckerchief

    Manning

    Male, about fifty-five years old, an English gardener at a country house in Essex in 1917, a working-class labourer. He speaks with a broad, slow Essex rural accent. His voice is a low, gravelly, rumbling bass, worn by years outdoors. He speaks slowly and mumbles, hesitating before each answer. Deferential, shy and cautious with gentlemen.

  • Illustrated portrait of Dr. Wilkins: about 55, bald dome with a thin fringe of sandy-grey hair, a plum waistcoat under a black frock coat

    Dr. Wilkins

    Male, about fifty-seven years old, a portly English country doctor in Essex in 1917, a comfortable middle-class professional. He speaks with a rounded, genial provincial English accent. His voice is a plump, mid-high, slightly wheezy tenor from his stout build. He speaks in a drawn-out, fussy manner, stretching syllables and repeating himself. Bustling, fussy and kindly, a little pompous.

  • Illustrated portrait of Superintendent Summerhaye: about 48, cropped ginger-red hair, thick and bristly, a tobacco-brown overcoat with a cobalt-blue scarf

    Superintendent Summerhaye

    Male, about forty-eight years old, a Scotland Yard superintendent in 1917, a working-class northern man risen in the police. He speaks with a flat Yorkshire accent, blunt and plain. His voice is a rasping, gravelly low bass from a thick-set build. He speaks bluntly in short, slow statements with incredulous snorts. Sceptical, stubborn and sure of his case.

Chapters

14 chapter markers; each link opens the video on YouTube at that point.

  1. Introduction
  2. Chapter 1: I Go to Styles
  3. Chapter 2: The 16th and 17th of July
  4. Chapter 3: The Night of the Tragedy
  5. Chapter 4: Poirot Investigates
  6. Chapter 5: “It Isn’t Strychnine, Is It?”
  7. Chapter 6: The Inquest
  8. Chapter 7: Poirot Pays His Debts
  9. Chapter 8: Fresh Suspicions
  10. Chapter 9: Dr. Bauerstein
  11. Chapter 10: The Arrest
  12. Chapter 11: The Case for the Prosecution
  13. Chapter 12: The Last Link
  14. Chapter 13: Poirot Explains

Series

Book 1 of 34 in Hercule Poirot. 5 released so far.

About this recording

Narrator
Told in Hastings's own character voice
Runtime
5h 42m (complete and unabridged)
Voices
30
Channel
Full Cast Audiobooks on YouTube
Released
Updated
Author
Agatha Christie
First published
1920
Kind
detective novel
Source edition
Project Gutenberg eBook #863
Public domain (US)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) by Agatha Christie is in the public domain in the United States; text from Project Gutenberg.