The world’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot—the legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and most recently The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket—returns in a stylish, diabolically clever mystery set in the London of 1930.“We Agatha Christie fans read her stories–and particularly her Poirot novels–because the mysteries are invariably equal parts charming and … novels–because the mysteries are invariably equal parts charming and ingenious, dark and quirky and utterly engaging. Sophie Hannah had a massive challenge in reviving the beloved Poirot, and she met it with heart and no small amount of little grey cells. I was thrilled to see the Belgian detective in such very, very good hands. Reading The Monogram Murders was like returning to a favorite room of a long-lost home.”
— Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl
Hercule Poirot returns home after an agreeable luncheon to find an angry woman waiting to berate him outside his front door. Her name is Sylvia Rule, and she demands to know why Poirot has accused her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, a man she has neither heard of nor ever met. She is furious to be so accused, and deeply shocked. Poirot is equally shocked, because he too has never heard of any Barnabas Pandy, and he certainly did not send the letter in question. He cannot convince Sylvia Rule of his innocence, however, and she marches away in a rage.
Shaken, Poirot goes inside, only to find that he has a visitor waiting for him — a man called John McCrodden who also claims also to have received a letter from Poirot that morning, accusing him of the murder of Barnabas Pandy…
Poirot wonders how many more letters of this sort have been sent in his name. Who sent them, and why? More importantly, who is Barnabas Pandy, is he dead, and, if so, was he murdered? And can Poirot find out the answers without putting more lives in danger?
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We Agatha Christie fans read her stories — and particularly her Poirot novels — because the mysteries are invariably equal parts charming and ingenious, dark and quirky and utterly engaging. Sophie Hannah had a massive challenge in reviving the beloved Poirot, and she met it with heart and no small amount of little grey cells. I was thrilled to see the Belgian detective in such very, very good hands. Reading The Monogram Murders was like returning to a favorite room of a long-lost home.
My favorite so far of Ms. Hannah’s Poirot novels. A wonderfully twisty plot and cast of suspects. In the absence of new books by Agatha Christie, I’m very happy Sophie Hannah is writing Poirot mysteries.
I’ve read nearly all the Agatha Christie Poirot mysteries, and have just added this ‘new’ Poirot story to the list. It’s not bad, but I never really got the feeling that it was Poirot in the story. At times the character seemed like a pastiche; at other times I felt the character was saying things that Poirot would never have said. Added to this was a confusing narration style that alternated between Catchpool (the detective working alongside Poirot), Poirot and someone else who at times somehow entered the head of Poirot and presented us with his italicised thoughts. The mystery, I thought, was overly long and drawn-out beyond its natural length. I didn’t engage strongly with the characters who I thought were unmemorable, and I wish the publishers had picked up on the errors (I counted more than nine), including misspelling of the butler’s name, missing words and incorrect pronouns. I think from here on I’ll return to the original Christies when I want to visit Poirot again.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Harper Collins UK for the ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
I had not realised that an author had been commissioned to write new Poirot mysteries, and as I saw this book after a conversation about Agatha Christie, I could not resist requesting a copy of it. This means I have not read the author’s two previous New Poirot Mysteries (The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket), so I cannot discuss the evolution of the characters or compare this one to the previous two. I am not familiar with any of Hannah’s previous writing either. I have read some of Agatha Christie’s novels and short stories, some of them I read translated into Spanish many years back (and might not have fully reflected her style of writing although I remember enjoying them) and I have not read a Poirot one in many years, although I have watched both films and TV series adapting some of Christie’s classic Poirot novels, so I would not dare to address this review to connoisseurs. Still, for what is worth, this is my opinion.
I enjoyed the novel. The case starts with four seemingly random people accusing Poirot of sending them letters accusing them of a crime. Not only has Poirot not sent them such letters, but the alleged victim died of natural causes (he was an elderly man and drowned whilst bathing, alone in his bathroom). So, who is behind the letters? And what’s his or her motive? I will try and not reveal any spoilers, but I can say that there are plenty of clues to follow, red-herrings along the way, peculiar characters, true and false motivations, slices of cake, dogs, a public school for boys, a wonderful old mansion, faulty typewriters, likeable and less likeable characters, and a Poirot in full form.
The novel is told by Edward Catchpool, a Scotland Yard Inspector who, like Captain Hastings in Christie’s stories, is the scribe behind the stories. He is a new creation and one of a couple of characters that, from the comments, I have read, are regulars in The New Poirot Mysteries. The narration is split between parts written in the third person (when Catchpool is not present) that, when we are some way into the book, he explains he has compiled through later discussions with Poirot, and those written in the first person, that pertain to events he witnessed or participated in himself. This works well, in general (we might wonder briefly how Poirot might have become aware of some detail or conversation, but we all know he has his ways), and it also allows for any differences in style with previous novels to be blamed on Catchpool’s own style of writing (that would not be the same as Hastings’). The language is straightforward and effective in conveying the story, without any jarring moments due to usage inappropriate to the historical period. Catchpool himself does not reveal much of his own personality through the novel and he is mostly a blank canvas to reflect Poirot’s thoughts and his deductive process. There are some interesting personal morsels about the inspector included in the narrative (he does not like his boss at work and he is averse to the idea of marriage, especially one to suit his mother’s taste) but not enough for readers to become truly attached to him. As this is the third novel and I have not read the two previous one, it is likely that people who have followed the whole series will know and appreciate the character more fully (but this is not necessary for the enjoyment of the mystery).
Notwithstanding my disclaimer on my limited expertise in all things Poirot, the Poirot in the novel will be recognisable to most people who have some familiarity with Christie’s detective. People still think he is French, his ‘little grey cells’ are mentioned often, he sprinkles his dialogue with French terms and some peculiar English translations (‘oil of the olives’ instead of olive oil, for instance), he is a keen observer, opinionated, with high regard for himself, and a lover of comfort and good food and drink. Perhaps he is an extreme version of Poirot, but I could not help but remember, as I read the book, that Christie expressed her dislike for the character and called him: detestable, bombastic, tiresome, ego-centric little creep. (We might agree or not with her assessment, although her Poirot had some moments of weakness and sometimes showed more of a soft heart than he would have liked to admit). He is that here and keeps making demands on people, puts to the test his ideas and theories in pretty cruel ways, and drags the resolution of the case, creating anxiety and disquiet among all. But he can come up with pretty amazing insights and his figure has always been one of those that perhaps we would not like to meet personally, but we nonetheless admire.
Some of the secondary characters are almost caricatures, and the story is fundamentally about the plot and not about the psychological complexity of those involved, but there are some likeable characters, and I had a soft spot for the younger generation (and the dog). There are good descriptions and observations that will keep people guessing and turning the pages, although the story is not told at a fast pace, and the ending drags on (as is usual for this type of stories, where the reveal can become as frustrating for the readers as for those present). Although the evidence, in this case, remains mostly circumstantial and stretches somewhat the imagination, everything is explained and tied up and people who like a definite ending will have no complaint. There is a murder but there is no explicit violence or bad language and although it will not suit readers looking for gritty and realistic thrillers, it should not offend or discourage most readers who love a gentler mystery.
I am not sure if this would fit into the category of cozy mystery. By its tone and nature, it should do, but many books marketed as cozy mysteries abound in over-the-top characters, seem to place more emphasis on other aspects rather than the actual mystery (romance, recipes, pets…), include elements of other genres (paranormal, for instance), and can be frustrating to any readers looking for logical explanation and a meaty, intriguing, and complex mystery they can actually solve. This is like a good old-fashioned mystery, with plenty of character, a light read that will keep you entertained, and if that’s what you’d like to read, I’d recommend it. (Does it add anything new to the Poirot canon? Well, that is a matter for another discussion. Judging by the reviews, most people think the author has done a good job and has made the character her own). Personally, I’ll keep track of the author and future novels in the series.
Was this book completely aligned to Agatha Christie’s rendering of the famous detective? No.
Was it a fun read nonetheless? Yes!
Sophie Hannah emulates many elements of an Agatha Christie plot: a cast of shady characters who could’ve “dun it” and their convoluted, behind-the-scenes machinations that only a master sleuth like Poirot could untangle.
Overall, this was a fun read that I finished in a day. However, the plot dragged a little at times. It also includes a few modern elements that don’t square with the times in which Christie wrote her books. Were these elements mentioned in passing, they wouldn’t be worth noting. However, they comprised key parts of the denouement and were impossible to ignore.
I am a devoted worshipper of Hercule Poirot and anything to do with him that does not live up to his high standards is, naturally, a sacrilege in my eyes. But I don’t want him to become obsolete so Sophie Hannah’s undertaking to bring Hercule back to life is a commendable one. As long as it is done to perfection!
I read Hannah’s first offering, liked on some levels and disliked it on others. I missed the second instalment and now to The Mystery of the Three Quarters. I loved it!
This review is not about how good the book is, but how true it is to the very essence of what Hercule Poirot stands for. And yes, it is him resurrected. Hannah has captured his quirks and his depth. The painstaking process of discovery that his grey cells engage in is spot on. The other characters are painted skilfully: they have clearly defined personality, motives and are intricately interlinked. It is all Agatha Christie herself!
She captures Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes exactly. It was like visiting an old friend
I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie’s books especially those featuring Hercule Poirot so I was delighted when I saw that Sophie Hannah was continuing the series. I bought The Mystery of Three Quarters expecting to love it but I found that I struggled to read this book and I don’t know why. The writing is good with the characters well described. Perhaps I was missing the presence of Hastings or Inspector Japp even though I know they didn’t appear in every book. I did like the characters of Edward Catchpole and Fee Spring and would be interested in reading a story featuring them as the main characters. Will I read more from this author/series? Probably if only to satisfy my curiosity
Not the ending that a conventional assessment would unwind to.
On the boring side.
Drags on and on.
A well written Agatha Christie based book!
This book immediately grabbed me. She gets Poirot right, and the opening is wonderfully fun. The point of view character, Edward Catchpool, is Hannah’s creation, and thus is allowed his own distinctive voice. Delightful characters and engaging mystery. Plenty of clues, but a convoluted enough plot to make the solution not at all obvious. Great book!
Bought thinking it was written by Agatha Christie. It was written by Sophie Hannah who did a very poor job in her imitation of Christie. It was so slow and written so poorly I couldn’t finish but one third of it. Will not buy any more written by this author.
Loved it!
I don’t remember reading this as a child. I enjoyed it very much. A nice read.
A great mystery in the Agatha Christie tradition. Portrays Hercule Poirot perfectly.
It’s ok. But can’t compete with actual Christie mysteries.
I enjoyed it as much as a true AC but was fooled into buying it because of the book’s title page.
Nobody has ever equaled Dame Agatha in their ability to concoct twisted, cunning, beautifully deceptive and utterly believable murder mysteries. Each one is a jewel!