Author:Sophie Hannah
This novel is Sophie Hannah’s third ‘new’ Hercule Poirot effort, reviving Agatha Christie’s unforgettable private investigator and all round sleuth. Again the character of Inspector Edward Catchpool narrates part of the tale, assuming a role which is part Captain Hastings and part Inspector Japp. Here, our Belgian hero tackles a diabolical murder set in the London of the 1930s, incorporating all the usual twists, turns and red herrings that Christie was known for. In short, four people have received letters purportedly from Poirot accusing them of the murder of a recently deceased man. Who sent the letters and why is the key to the whole mystery, indeed a whole series of mysteries within a mystery. This is the best of the three books so far – the characters are nicely recreated (you can almost hear David Suchet’s voice!), yet the author manages to give them a little of her own spin without straying too far from the originals. As with all Christie novels, it’s nigh on impossible to piece together the clues in the twisty plot until the big reveal makes sense of it all. A clever homage to one of the great fictional detectives!
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
The original Christie novels or the previous books in this new series – or mystery/detective tales in general.
One thing you’ve learned
It’s easy to see why the Christie Estate chose Hannah to chronicle the further adventures of Poirot, as she lovingly recreates the detective and his mannerisms, and beautifully evokes that whole era. This is a very worthy addition to the canon, and Dame Agatha herself, you feel, would be pleased to call the story her own.
deramdaze says
It wasn’t me, Gov, it was the outside centre.