Set in the hotel of Styles Court in Styles, Essex, this is a murder mystery that seemed to never be figured out. The main character, Arthur Hastings, is a retired military captain who wanted to stay in a peaceful country house, but discovers it is everything but peaceful. Hastings, as Hercule Poirot would say is too nice. He has many struggles with this case but that is where Hercule Poirot comes in. Poirot could be described as the one who knows all. He deduces who the killer is but keeps it a secret since he wants Hastings to discover it by himself. Poirot teaches Hastings the arts of deduction and detection. In one scene Poirot tells Hastings to open his mind. He states: Your personality is too nice to be a detective. With this being said Hastings has to make a decision: whether to continue the case and to see whom the murderer is or quit.