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New Hercule Poirot Mysteries #4
The Killings at Kingfisher Hill
Hercule Poirot is traveling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Richard Devonport has summoned the renowned detective to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. Poirot will have only days to investigate before Helen is hanged, but there is one strange condition attached: he must conceal his true reason for being there from the rest of the Devonport family.
The coach is forced to stop when a distressed woman demands to get off, insisting that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. Although the rest of the journey passes without anyone being harmed, Poirot’s curiosity is aroused, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered with a macabre note attached . . .
Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And if Helen is innocent, can Poirot find the true culprit in time to save her from the gallows?
The coach is forced to stop when a distressed woman demands to get off, insisting that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. Although the rest of the journey passes without anyone being harmed, Poirot’s curiosity is aroused, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered with a macabre note attached . . .
Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And if Helen is innocent, can Poirot find the true culprit in time to save her from the gallows?
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2020
About the author
Sophie Hannah
103 books4,229 followersSophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling writer of psychological crime fiction, published in 27 countries. In 2013, her latest novel, The Carrier, won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. Two of Sophie’s crime novels, The Point of Rescue and The Other Half Lives, have been adapted for television and appeared on ITV1 under the series title Case Sensitive in 2011 and 2012. In 2004, Sophie won first prize in the Daphne Du Maurier Festival Short Story Competition for her suspense story The Octopus Nest, which is now published in her first collection of short stories, The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets.
Sophie has also published five collections of poetry. Her fifth, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the 2007 T S Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A-level and degree level across the UK. From 1997 to 1999 she was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge, and between 1999 and 2001 she was a fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford. She is forty-one and lives with her husband and children in Cambridge, where she is a Fellow Commoner at Lucy Cavendish College. She is currently working on a new challenge for the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
Sophie has also published five collections of poetry. Her fifth, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the 2007 T S Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A-level and degree level across the UK. From 1997 to 1999 she was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge, and between 1999 and 2001 she was a fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford. She is forty-one and lives with her husband and children in Cambridge, where she is a Fellow Commoner at Lucy Cavendish College. She is currently working on a new challenge for the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,455 reviews
July 27, 2020
Sophie Hannah emulates many aspects of the classic golden age of crime in her resurrection of Agatha Christie's famous Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, there is the country house, murder, a wide range of usually dislikeable suspects, confessions, and the final gathering in which Poirot reveals the truth. Poirot has been asked by Richard Devonport to find the evidence to exonerate his fiancee, Helen Acton, from the murder of his talented and charismatic estranged brother, Frank, on his return to the family fold and home in the exclusive gated Kingfisher Estate in Sussex. Helen has confessed to the murder, incarcerated at the grim Holloway Prison, and is going to be hanged. Poirot, and his faithful Scotland Yard sidekick and narrator, Inspector Edward Catchpool, are on their way to Sussex on a motor coach with 30 passengers, a journey that turns out to be eventful and so dramatic that various mysteries arise.
Poirot and Catchpool arrive at the wealthy Devonport family country home under false pretences, they are undercover, unable to question anyone or raise the murder of Frank, as the dominant, stubborn and bullying head of the family, Sidney, and his dying wife, Lilian, have expressly forbidden it. However, after another confession, Poirot and Catchpool's real identities are revealed and they are sent packing. As you might imagine, this is hardly likely to prevent Poirot from investigating as he tries to untangle the various stories and lies told by the suspects. When another murder is discovered at the Devonport's home, Catchpool and Poirot return to the estate, this time in an official capacity, is there more than one killer running amok? In a twisted narrative, Poirot with Catchpool's help, must get to the bottom of what appears to be numerous impossibly twisted mysteries before revealing the truth at the end.
There is much that is recognisable in Christie's character of Poirot in Hannah's resurrection of him, he is still fastidious and egotistical, with a rock certain belief in his superiority, in his infallible abilities to wade through the mass of confusion, chaos, deception and lies, to unmask who killed the two murder victims. However, Hannah's Poirot is not Christie's, and the plotting is different too, it is more complicated and twisted, and for me a little more jarring and not as seamless as the original Poirot crime mysteries. That said, Hannah is not expected to replicate the original Poirot, and she does come up with complex and intelligent plotting, full of twists and turns. An entertaining read that manages to pay homage to Christie and Poirot. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
Poirot and Catchpool arrive at the wealthy Devonport family country home under false pretences, they are undercover, unable to question anyone or raise the murder of Frank, as the dominant, stubborn and bullying head of the family, Sidney, and his dying wife, Lilian, have expressly forbidden it. However, after another confession, Poirot and Catchpool's real identities are revealed and they are sent packing. As you might imagine, this is hardly likely to prevent Poirot from investigating as he tries to untangle the various stories and lies told by the suspects. When another murder is discovered at the Devonport's home, Catchpool and Poirot return to the estate, this time in an official capacity, is there more than one killer running amok? In a twisted narrative, Poirot with Catchpool's help, must get to the bottom of what appears to be numerous impossibly twisted mysteries before revealing the truth at the end.
There is much that is recognisable in Christie's character of Poirot in Hannah's resurrection of him, he is still fastidious and egotistical, with a rock certain belief in his superiority, in his infallible abilities to wade through the mass of confusion, chaos, deception and lies, to unmask who killed the two murder victims. However, Hannah's Poirot is not Christie's, and the plotting is different too, it is more complicated and twisted, and for me a little more jarring and not as seamless as the original Poirot crime mysteries. That said, Hannah is not expected to replicate the original Poirot, and she does come up with complex and intelligent plotting, full of twists and turns. An entertaining read that manages to pay homage to Christie and Poirot. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
January 22, 2021
I'm a huge fan of Agatha Christie, having read all of her Poirot and Miss Marple books in my 20s. As the only writer authorized by the Christie estate, the author continues Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories. I won’t go into the case, but rest assured that as Poirot and his sidekick, Detective Catchpool, investigate a murder, it’s complete with the usual red herrings, twists & turns, and occasional glimpses of humor. It wouldn’t be entirely fair to compare this book to the incomparable Christie. but should be viewed as an homage in the ‘Christie style’, bringing the author’s own interpretation of the famous detective.
The story was a bit convoluted with a lot of characters and a weak motive, but the narrator of the audiobook, Julian Rhind Tutt, gets a 5+ stars. His excellent performance kept me listening when I may have given up in print.
The story was a bit convoluted with a lot of characters and a weak motive, but the narrator of the audiobook, Julian Rhind Tutt, gets a 5+ stars. His excellent performance kept me listening when I may have given up in print.
October 11, 2020
EXCERPT: 'Hold on,' I said. 'Three mysteries?'
'Oui, mon cher. There is the betrothed of Richard Devonport, Mademoiselle Helen. Did she or did she not kill his brother Frank? If she did not, then why has she confessed? That is Mystery Number One. Then we have Number Two: the strange affair of Joan Blythe who speaks of mysterious warnings of her own future murder and is assuredly deeply afraid of something.'
And Number Three?'
ABOUT THE KILLINGS AT KINGFISHER HILL BY SOPHIE HANNAH: Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. There is one strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there from the rest of the Devonport family.
On the coach, a distressed woman leaps up, demanding to disembark. She insists that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. A seat-swap is arranged, and the rest of the journey passes without incident. But Poirot has a bad feeling about it, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered in the Devonports' home with a note that refers to "the seat that you shouldn’t have sat in."
Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And can Poirot find the real murderer in time to save an innocent woman from the gallows?
MY THOUGHTS: Well done Sophie Hannah! I could hear the Belgian detective's voice clearly throughout this book. The plotting is perhaps a little more complex and ingenious than in Christie's works, but that is in no way a criticism.
I was gripped almost from the very start and continued to be so to the very end. Sophie Hannah had me putting my little grey cells to work, not particularly effectively I may add. I thought that I had it all figured out, the who and the motive, reasonably early on, but by three quarters of the way through I knew that I was wrong, unless someone was lying . . . but, unfortunately, in this instance they weren't! In fact, I got a lot of things wrong, but had great fun doing so.
I thought the solution rather ingenious and was satisfied with the way it was all wound up. There are some despicable characters amongst the cast, and some that I grew quite fond of. It matters not in the least that there's very little character development, and that there's a huge amount of dialogue, two things that I normally complain about. It is what it is, and it works.
Hannah has done a great job of carrying on Poirot in almost Christiesque style. It's a marvellous read, and although one of a series, is easily read as a stand-alone. I have another of her Poirot titles that I recently purchased on my shelf, and I will be pulling that out to go on the pile on my bedside table. And I will be purchasing the others. I enjoyed this romp!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#TheKillingsAtKingfisherHill #NetGalley @HarperCollins
THE AUTHOR: Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling writer of psychological crime fiction, published in 27 countries. In 2013, her latest novel, The Carrier, won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. Two of Sophie’s crime novels, The Point of Rescue and The Other Half Lives, have been adapted for television and appeared on ITV1 under the series title Case Sensitive in 2011 and 2012. In 2004, Sophie won first prize in the Daphne Du Maurier Festival Short Story Competition for her suspense story The Octopus Nest, which is now published in her first collection of short stories, The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets.
She is forty-one and lives with her husband and children in Cambridge, where she is a Fellow Commoner at Lucy Cavendish College. She is currently working on a new challenge for the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Oui, mon cher. There is the betrothed of Richard Devonport, Mademoiselle Helen. Did she or did she not kill his brother Frank? If she did not, then why has she confessed? That is Mystery Number One. Then we have Number Two: the strange affair of Joan Blythe who speaks of mysterious warnings of her own future murder and is assuredly deeply afraid of something.'
And Number Three?'
ABOUT THE KILLINGS AT KINGFISHER HILL BY SOPHIE HANNAH: Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. There is one strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there from the rest of the Devonport family.
On the coach, a distressed woman leaps up, demanding to disembark. She insists that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. A seat-swap is arranged, and the rest of the journey passes without incident. But Poirot has a bad feeling about it, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered in the Devonports' home with a note that refers to "the seat that you shouldn’t have sat in."
Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And can Poirot find the real murderer in time to save an innocent woman from the gallows?
MY THOUGHTS: Well done Sophie Hannah! I could hear the Belgian detective's voice clearly throughout this book. The plotting is perhaps a little more complex and ingenious than in Christie's works, but that is in no way a criticism.
I was gripped almost from the very start and continued to be so to the very end. Sophie Hannah had me putting my little grey cells to work, not particularly effectively I may add. I thought that I had it all figured out, the who and the motive, reasonably early on, but by three quarters of the way through I knew that I was wrong, unless someone was lying . . . but, unfortunately, in this instance they weren't! In fact, I got a lot of things wrong, but had great fun doing so.
I thought the solution rather ingenious and was satisfied with the way it was all wound up. There are some despicable characters amongst the cast, and some that I grew quite fond of. It matters not in the least that there's very little character development, and that there's a huge amount of dialogue, two things that I normally complain about. It is what it is, and it works.
Hannah has done a great job of carrying on Poirot in almost Christiesque style. It's a marvellous read, and although one of a series, is easily read as a stand-alone. I have another of her Poirot titles that I recently purchased on my shelf, and I will be pulling that out to go on the pile on my bedside table. And I will be purchasing the others. I enjoyed this romp!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#TheKillingsAtKingfisherHill #NetGalley @HarperCollins
THE AUTHOR: Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling writer of psychological crime fiction, published in 27 countries. In 2013, her latest novel, The Carrier, won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. Two of Sophie’s crime novels, The Point of Rescue and The Other Half Lives, have been adapted for television and appeared on ITV1 under the series title Case Sensitive in 2011 and 2012. In 2004, Sophie won first prize in the Daphne Du Maurier Festival Short Story Competition for her suspense story The Octopus Nest, which is now published in her first collection of short stories, The Fantastic Book of Everybody’s Secrets.
She is forty-one and lives with her husband and children in Cambridge, where she is a Fellow Commoner at Lucy Cavendish College. She is currently working on a new challenge for the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s famous detective.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
September 6, 2020
When Sophie Hannah first started writing Poirot stories, I was really excited to read them. Unfortunately, after the first book, I’ve found they have gone downhill. The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the worst so far.
The problem is that her stories have the bones of a good mystery to them, but it is obscured by her assumption that her readers will be too clever and will immediately guess the answer, therefore she has to go far out of her way to try and pull the wool over their eyes.
We are therefore stuck inside the first person narrative of Inspector Edward Catchpool, who has none of Captain Hastings’ charm, and is there purely to spend ages and ages thinking through all the wrong theories so that the reader hopefully doesn’t guess the right one. Through him we also get the known facts of the case constantly reiterated to us, presumably because if we’re not told them over and over again, and then told the wrong conclusions we could leap to, we might guess the truth?
Catchpool is superlatively stupid, and being stuck in his head is not only tedious in the extreme, it also narratively limits Hannah. So when Poirot is doing something without Catchpool, Hannah suddenly needs to leap through hoops to try and come up with a way of telling us what Poirot is doing. Hence the reuse of “fortunately Poirot is excellent at telling me what he was doing so I could imagine it like I was there” in order to try and avoid constant exposition.
Finally, this story really dragged. There was a lot too much time spent on the journey to the country house, and parts of the narrative felt so slow that I was getting bored.
In the case of this book, the solution at the end is even more of an eye roll because it turns out there was never any mystery in the first place, so the whole thing was a total waste of time.
It’s disappointing. I enjoyed the Monogram Murders, and I love Agatha Christie, so I’ve been hoping this new series would be good. Sadly, they have not been worthy of Poirot.
The problem is that her stories have the bones of a good mystery to them, but it is obscured by her assumption that her readers will be too clever and will immediately guess the answer, therefore she has to go far out of her way to try and pull the wool over their eyes.
We are therefore stuck inside the first person narrative of Inspector Edward Catchpool, who has none of Captain Hastings’ charm, and is there purely to spend ages and ages thinking through all the wrong theories so that the reader hopefully doesn’t guess the right one. Through him we also get the known facts of the case constantly reiterated to us, presumably because if we’re not told them over and over again, and then told the wrong conclusions we could leap to, we might guess the truth?
Catchpool is superlatively stupid, and being stuck in his head is not only tedious in the extreme, it also narratively limits Hannah. So when Poirot is doing something without Catchpool, Hannah suddenly needs to leap through hoops to try and come up with a way of telling us what Poirot is doing. Hence the reuse of “fortunately Poirot is excellent at telling me what he was doing so I could imagine it like I was there” in order to try and avoid constant exposition.
Finally, this story really dragged. There was a lot too much time spent on the journey to the country house, and parts of the narrative felt so slow that I was getting bored.
In the case of this book, the solution at the end is even more of an eye roll because it turns out there was never any mystery in the first place, so the whole thing was a total waste of time.
It’s disappointing. I enjoyed the Monogram Murders, and I love Agatha Christie, so I’ve been hoping this new series would be good. Sadly, they have not been worthy of Poirot.
September 3, 2020
The latest Poirot mystery enforces that Belgium's most famous detective is in safe hands with Sophie Hannah's fourth installment in the series.
As Poriot and his trusty sidekick Inspector Edward Catchpool (narrator of this tale) travel to Kingfisher Hill to clear Richard Davenport's fiance Helen from the murder of brother Frank.
Even though the pair are pretending the reason for their visit is due to a board game Richard had created the previous year, they soon find themselves thrust in intrigue on the coach journey to the house!
This is another thrilling confident entry by Hannah, whilst she doesn't intend to completely replicate Chrisite all the main elements remain.
Poirot's strong characteristics are certainly in evidence here whilst so many clues littered through that it's only with hindsight how clever everything falls into place.
A great little mystery that will get the little grey cells working.
It's the perfect way to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the detectives first appearance.
As Poriot and his trusty sidekick Inspector Edward Catchpool (narrator of this tale) travel to Kingfisher Hill to clear Richard Davenport's fiance Helen from the murder of brother Frank.
Even though the pair are pretending the reason for their visit is due to a board game Richard had created the previous year, they soon find themselves thrust in intrigue on the coach journey to the house!
This is another thrilling confident entry by Hannah, whilst she doesn't intend to completely replicate Chrisite all the main elements remain.
Poirot's strong characteristics are certainly in evidence here whilst so many clues littered through that it's only with hindsight how clever everything falls into place.
A great little mystery that will get the little grey cells working.
It's the perfect way to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the detectives first appearance.
June 4, 2020
This may be based loosely on Christie's Poirot (though Poirot on a coach? I think not!) but the twisty, labyrinthine plot is pure Hannah. It takes a while to get going with Catchpole playing catch-up most of the time but without Hasting's comic wrong-footedness and amiability. A fun, light read with a fiendishly tangled story.
Thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC via NetGalley.
Thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC via NetGalley.
August 20, 2020
2.5/5
I’ve only read one Sophie Hannah before and I thought it was pretty decent. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one though. I did ultimately appreciate the conclusion and I do still think Sophie Hannah does a great job of bringing her own voice to Poirot. My criticism doesn’t lie in the “she’s nothing compared to Agatha Christie” region because that’s entirely unfair — she isn’t Agatha Christie and I like that she doesn’t force herself to be so.
Instead, my criticism lies in the fact that there was just so much confusion. I can’t remember whose perspective The Mystery of Three Quarters was written from, but I genuinely felt that writing from Catchpool’s perspective in this was a bad decision. I say this because he’s a character who is constantly confused — while he has moments of clarity, his confusion doesn’t help the reader feel any more assured while reading. I like to have some level of certainty when reading detective novels and mysteries but I had absolutely none throughout this based on Catchpool’s deductions.
There were a lot of characters, which normally works really well in a mystery as it gives more scope for plot and allows more potential suspects. However, with this book, there were numerous characters who either blended together, were a main character and weren’t established well, or were so irrelevant that you forgot about them completely. I did really like Richard and Helen... but that’s about it. And they weren’t main characters.
While the plot was labyrinthine in nature, I did think some of it was far-fetched. I couldn’t for the life of me understand a certain character’s motives for confession, even though they explained it at the end. Some scenarios felt they were ultimately included for convenience rather than for logic, which was disappointing.
I wanted to love this as I generally enjoy detective novels and mystery solving, but I couldn’t enjoy this one to the fullest! Regardless, thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Hannah and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
I’ve only read one Sophie Hannah before and I thought it was pretty decent. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one though. I did ultimately appreciate the conclusion and I do still think Sophie Hannah does a great job of bringing her own voice to Poirot. My criticism doesn’t lie in the “she’s nothing compared to Agatha Christie” region because that’s entirely unfair — she isn’t Agatha Christie and I like that she doesn’t force herself to be so.
Instead, my criticism lies in the fact that there was just so much confusion. I can’t remember whose perspective The Mystery of Three Quarters was written from, but I genuinely felt that writing from Catchpool’s perspective in this was a bad decision. I say this because he’s a character who is constantly confused — while he has moments of clarity, his confusion doesn’t help the reader feel any more assured while reading. I like to have some level of certainty when reading detective novels and mysteries but I had absolutely none throughout this based on Catchpool’s deductions.
There were a lot of characters, which normally works really well in a mystery as it gives more scope for plot and allows more potential suspects. However, with this book, there were numerous characters who either blended together, were a main character and weren’t established well, or were so irrelevant that you forgot about them completely. I did really like Richard and Helen... but that’s about it. And they weren’t main characters.
While the plot was labyrinthine in nature, I did think some of it was far-fetched. I couldn’t for the life of me understand a certain character’s motives for confession, even though they explained it at the end. Some scenarios felt they were ultimately included for convenience rather than for logic, which was disappointing.
I wanted to love this as I generally enjoy detective novels and mystery solving, but I couldn’t enjoy this one to the fullest! Regardless, thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Hannah and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 4, 2020
Wow, was this book a disappointment. I read another book by Sophie Hannah recently - The Wrong Mother - and it was complex, suspenseful, and engrossing. After that, I was excited to see how Hannah was continuing Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories. As the only writer authorized by the Christie estate, she has been vetted and deemed the fitting person to continue the Christie tradition. The official Christie website describes her first Poirot novel, The Monogram Murders, as "a thoroughly stylish affair, faithful to Christie’s story-telling style, yet with a modern touch." High Praise indeed.
And, yes, this story does echo Christie in some ways. It has all of the needless complexity of a Christie story, setting up a crime so convoluted that it feels completely divorced from real life.
However, in this case it has none of the charm or fluidity of Christie’s novels. The opening sequence sets up the scenario, but it is so incoherent that it seems hardly worth following. None of the characters seem remotely plausible, and the action is narrated in a way that makes it seem like it has its own time scheme. For instance, the Hastings character (here reimagined as Inspector Catchpool) has an extended interchange on a bus with a woman about the title of a book she’s reading. This scene feels like it goes on forever, and we’re supposed to believe that this happens while a line of people are waiting for him to move along so they can take their seats. I was expecting him to be the first murder victim.
In addition to the unbelievable characters and unlikely pacing of the action, this novel includes endless - I mean, pages and pages - of exposition. Very little action occurs, but there sure is a lot of tedious explaining.
I was very much inclined to like this novel, so I was surprised that narrative's execution was so disappointing. It didn’t help that the convoluted solution isn’t even particularly interesting.
I’m likely to pick up more of Sophie Hannah’s non-Poirot novels, but I can’t say the same for the Christie continuations.
I received an arc of this novel from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
And, yes, this story does echo Christie in some ways. It has all of the needless complexity of a Christie story, setting up a crime so convoluted that it feels completely divorced from real life.
However, in this case it has none of the charm or fluidity of Christie’s novels. The opening sequence sets up the scenario, but it is so incoherent that it seems hardly worth following. None of the characters seem remotely plausible, and the action is narrated in a way that makes it seem like it has its own time scheme. For instance, the Hastings character (here reimagined as Inspector Catchpool) has an extended interchange on a bus with a woman about the title of a book she’s reading. This scene feels like it goes on forever, and we’re supposed to believe that this happens while a line of people are waiting for him to move along so they can take their seats. I was expecting him to be the first murder victim.
In addition to the unbelievable characters and unlikely pacing of the action, this novel includes endless - I mean, pages and pages - of exposition. Very little action occurs, but there sure is a lot of tedious explaining.
I was very much inclined to like this novel, so I was surprised that narrative's execution was so disappointing. It didn’t help that the convoluted solution isn’t even particularly interesting.
I’m likely to pick up more of Sophie Hannah’s non-Poirot novels, but I can’t say the same for the Christie continuations.
I received an arc of this novel from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2020
I was in need of a good read and thought, hmm, new adaptation on Hercule Poirot, please don't do me wrong. Admittedly, I was nervous that Sophie Hannah's re-imagining of an Agatha Christie classic would fall far short. Here is where Monsieur Poirot would say, "Excuse me Madame, but may I tell the rest.." and he would tell us how he knew all along that I would love the book, and it would be just what I had needed in this time of struggle to find something familiar and good.
Now, if you read that in a Poirot accent, you will very much enjoy this novel!
It is a classic murder mystery with multiple suspects secluded at the country Kingfisher Hill estates. Poirot and his trusty colleague, Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard, head there by train to find the true killer, although someone has already confessed and is in jail. Along the way, they uncover many more mysterious occurrences. Suspicious characters, red herrings and elaborate tales abound in this lovely, well written tale of mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!
Of note, the narrator in the audiobook, Julian Rhind-tutt, was spectacular as all of the voices, right down the the American, loved it! It immersed me into the book's atmosphere right away.
I could barely keep up with the twists and turns and admittedly had a tough time keeping all of the characters straight and, about 3/4 the way through, I did wonder if it was going to be a 3 star rating as I wasn't sure where the story was going and was worried. Now that I am done, I can hear Poirot saying, "I am disappointed, you did not use your little grey cells!" The ending and Epilogue made me want to applaud.
A fun read, wonderfully written with wry humour, I would + recommend
Now, if you read that in a Poirot accent, you will very much enjoy this novel!
It is a classic murder mystery with multiple suspects secluded at the country Kingfisher Hill estates. Poirot and his trusty colleague, Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard, head there by train to find the true killer, although someone has already confessed and is in jail. Along the way, they uncover many more mysterious occurrences. Suspicious characters, red herrings and elaborate tales abound in this lovely, well written tale of mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!
Of note, the narrator in the audiobook, Julian Rhind-tutt, was spectacular as all of the voices, right down the the American, loved it! It immersed me into the book's atmosphere right away.
I could barely keep up with the twists and turns and admittedly had a tough time keeping all of the characters straight and, about 3/4 the way through, I did wonder if it was going to be a 3 star rating as I wasn't sure where the story was going and was worried. Now that I am done, I can hear Poirot saying, "I am disappointed, you did not use your little grey cells!" The ending and Epilogue made me want to applaud.
A fun read, wonderfully written with wry humour, I would + recommend
September 13, 2020
Maybe more of a 3.5 than a 3 star rating.
I’m a big fan of Agatha Christie’s books and also enjoyed all of Sophie Hannah’s Poirot novels even though I prefer Miss Marple over Poirot mainly because I just never manage to solve the crimes in his stories myself. This time I managed to work out some parts of the truth and was a bit disappointed by the solution. But none the less it was a nice read and an interesting country house mystery.
I’m a big fan of Agatha Christie’s books and also enjoyed all of Sophie Hannah’s Poirot novels even though I prefer Miss Marple over Poirot mainly because I just never manage to solve the crimes in his stories myself. This time I managed to work out some parts of the truth and was a bit disappointed by the solution. But none the less it was a nice read and an interesting country house mystery.
August 27, 2020
3.5
“A very little key will open a very heavy door.”
― Charles Dickens
Poirot has received a letter from Richard Devonport asking him to investigate the circumstances of his brother’s murder. Richard’s fiancé has confessed and is scheduled to be executed and far as the police and his parents are concerned the case is closed but Richard insists that his fiancé is innocent.
Did she or did she not kill the victim? If she did not, then why did she confess? If she did not, then who is the real killer?
This was an engaging and fast paced whodunit featuring Hercule Poirot and Detective Catchpool, with the usual clues, red herrings and twists.
At times the plot became confusing and distracting and in the process lost its smoothness. The motives for the killings also were unreasonable and the actions and reactions of some of the characters were absurd, bordering on fantastic.
Nevertheless, the author succeeded in conveying some elements of the brilliant Agatha Christie’s books.
“A very little key will open a very heavy door.”
― Charles Dickens
Poirot has received a letter from Richard Devonport asking him to investigate the circumstances of his brother’s murder. Richard’s fiancé has confessed and is scheduled to be executed and far as the police and his parents are concerned the case is closed but Richard insists that his fiancé is innocent.
Did she or did she not kill the victim? If she did not, then why did she confess? If she did not, then who is the real killer?
This was an engaging and fast paced whodunit featuring Hercule Poirot and Detective Catchpool, with the usual clues, red herrings and twists.
At times the plot became confusing and distracting and in the process lost its smoothness. The motives for the killings also were unreasonable and the actions and reactions of some of the characters were absurd, bordering on fantastic.
Nevertheless, the author succeeded in conveying some elements of the brilliant Agatha Christie’s books.
July 22, 2020
"The Killings at Kingfisher Hill" is the fourth book in the New Hercule Poirot Mysteries written by Sophie Hannah and a great addition to the series. Although since this new series appeared I've read some critiques saying Hannah's Poirot is not the same as Christie's, I disagree and like them both equally. I truly like what she's doing with this series as I think she's showing true respect for Christie's work and character.
I will not rehash the synopsis but let me tell you that it reminded me of some of Christie's classics. It was so complex and labyrinth like that I had to keep my five senses while reading to not miss some crucial detail.
Me, putting all my senses, even my sixth!
There were so many clues, details and red-herrings that oh, boy, my brain hurt! No, seriously, it's still hurting! But in a good way. Every time Poirot told Catchpool to put his little grey cells to work it felt as if he was talking to me, so I put them to work and I guessed several things Catchpool didn't so, take that, Catchpool! Poirot would be proud of me ☺️
Although not Hastings, Catchpool makes a good partner and the sense of camaraderie in their relationship is growing on me.
Overall, a very entertaining story, perfect for Agatha Christie fans as long as they keep an open mind and don't try to compare every single word to Christie's work.
I will not rehash the synopsis but let me tell you that it reminded me of some of Christie's classics. It was so complex and labyrinth like that I had to keep my five senses while reading to not miss some crucial detail.
Me, putting all my senses, even my sixth!
There were so many clues, details and red-herrings that oh, boy, my brain hurt! No, seriously, it's still hurting! But in a good way. Every time Poirot told Catchpool to put his little grey cells to work it felt as if he was talking to me, so I put them to work and I guessed several things Catchpool didn't so, take that, Catchpool! Poirot would be proud of me ☺️
Although not Hastings, Catchpool makes a good partner and the sense of camaraderie in their relationship is growing on me.
Overall, a very entertaining story, perfect for Agatha Christie fans as long as they keep an open mind and don't try to compare every single word to Christie's work.
October 16, 2020
When Poirot is summoned to Kingfisher Hill to solve a murder, he has to promise to keep the assignment secret. While investigating, he realizes he is dealing with two complex murders and plenty of distractions.
The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah, published by William Morrow. The story is set in fictional Kingfisher Hill country estate in Surrey 1922. We follow Hercule Poirot and new colleague Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpool as they are summoned to Kingfisher Hill to solve the murder of Frank Devonport. They travel by luxury motor coach where a seemingly disturbed woman is adamant she will be killed if she sits in a certain seat. Poirot agrees to switch seats and takes her place next to another woman who confesses to a murder. Nothing happens to him and Poirot is both shocked and curious to see if these two occurrences on the coach are linked to the murder he is assigned to solve.
Main character Hercule Poirot seems his recognizable self. I enjoy how new details makes him even more interesting while the most important original traits are still in place; maybe with some new twists. I find it charming that he uses more French language.
Second main character and narrator is Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpole. I love how he conducts independent questionings of some witnesses. Perhaps a slightly modern way of dealing with investigations,
I read this as a standalone in The New Hercule Poirot Mystery series, which worked perfectly just as all other stories I have read about Hercule Poirot. I love how the writing style is so excellently in keeping with the original Agatha Christie novels. An amusing vibe, in parts, does not get in the way of the seriousness of the murder investigation. In the centre of the story is the Devonport family who has an extreme capacity for denial. This might have been customary in the 1920s, so it adds an old fashioned feel to the story. Poirot allows Inspector Catchpool an independent, trusted position which might be a modern touch, but he still has to work with Poirot’s detailed lists. I feel this element adds information, clarifies and drives the plot forward in an amazing way.
My absolute favorite part of the story is Poirot’s interaction with amusing character Hester Semley. She is a feisty old lady who is insulted by Poirot’s tendency to interrupt her to dig out more details for the investigation.
I am not able to reveal my least favorite part of the story to avoid spoiler. Lets just say it relates to the second murder.
Fans of Agatha Christie will love this new mystery. As will readers of cozy mysteries.
Similar author to explore might be Agatha Christie.
Thank you to Kristiansand Public Library @krsbib for lending me this book. It gave me the opportunity to share my honest review and all opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: This is the exiting new story where Hercule Poirot solves two complex murders helped by his interesting colleague, Scotland Yard Inspector, Edward Catchpool. They have to deal with a family with extraordinary capacity for denial living in an enclosed country estate. This is the perfect addition to the library of Agatha Christie books for fans old and new. I will be eagerly awaiting Sophie Hannah’s next release.
The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah, published by William Morrow. The story is set in fictional Kingfisher Hill country estate in Surrey 1922. We follow Hercule Poirot and new colleague Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpool as they are summoned to Kingfisher Hill to solve the murder of Frank Devonport. They travel by luxury motor coach where a seemingly disturbed woman is adamant she will be killed if she sits in a certain seat. Poirot agrees to switch seats and takes her place next to another woman who confesses to a murder. Nothing happens to him and Poirot is both shocked and curious to see if these two occurrences on the coach are linked to the murder he is assigned to solve.
Main character Hercule Poirot seems his recognizable self. I enjoy how new details makes him even more interesting while the most important original traits are still in place; maybe with some new twists. I find it charming that he uses more French language.
Second main character and narrator is Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpole. I love how he conducts independent questionings of some witnesses. Perhaps a slightly modern way of dealing with investigations,
I read this as a standalone in The New Hercule Poirot Mystery series, which worked perfectly just as all other stories I have read about Hercule Poirot. I love how the writing style is so excellently in keeping with the original Agatha Christie novels. An amusing vibe, in parts, does not get in the way of the seriousness of the murder investigation. In the centre of the story is the Devonport family who has an extreme capacity for denial. This might have been customary in the 1920s, so it adds an old fashioned feel to the story. Poirot allows Inspector Catchpool an independent, trusted position which might be a modern touch, but he still has to work with Poirot’s detailed lists. I feel this element adds information, clarifies and drives the plot forward in an amazing way.
My absolute favorite part of the story is Poirot’s interaction with amusing character Hester Semley. She is a feisty old lady who is insulted by Poirot’s tendency to interrupt her to dig out more details for the investigation.
I am not able to reveal my least favorite part of the story to avoid spoiler. Lets just say it relates to the second murder.
Fans of Agatha Christie will love this new mystery. As will readers of cozy mysteries.
Similar author to explore might be Agatha Christie.
Thank you to Kristiansand Public Library @krsbib for lending me this book. It gave me the opportunity to share my honest review and all opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: This is the exiting new story where Hercule Poirot solves two complex murders helped by his interesting colleague, Scotland Yard Inspector, Edward Catchpool. They have to deal with a family with extraordinary capacity for denial living in an enclosed country estate. This is the perfect addition to the library of Agatha Christie books for fans old and new. I will be eagerly awaiting Sophie Hannah’s next release.
August 4, 2020
I love a good murder mystery and there is no better classic detective story than Hercule Poirot. I have really enjoyed all of the audios for these new books, in the tradition of Agatha Christie. Sophie Hannah writes a fantastic whodunnit and is incredibly respectful of the past.
The Killings on Kingfisher Hill is a great edition to the series. Once again it keeps you guessing til the end. Who killed Frank Devonport and why.? Poirot and Catchpole are on the case again, finding the clues and pitting the pieces together. Lovers of crime fiction will love it
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Audio UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.
The Killings on Kingfisher Hill is a great edition to the series. Once again it keeps you guessing til the end. Who killed Frank Devonport and why.? Poirot and Catchpole are on the case again, finding the clues and pitting the pieces together. Lovers of crime fiction will love it
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Audio UK for my advanced copy of this book to read.
August 24, 2020
Sadly this new Poirot tale is decidedly mediocre, and actually rather dull.
The opening scene goes into tortuous repetitive detail that doesn’t have much to do with the central mystery.
Unfortunately the story it hinted at was far more interesting than the one that gradually unfurled.
The ‘mystery’ gets so bogged down in endless lists and a vast cast of indistinguishable characters, that I lost track of who had died, and had little interest in why.
And any Christie fan knows that a good red herring is not a flagrant lie or laboured yet inconsequential plot lines.
The opening scene goes into tortuous repetitive detail that doesn’t have much to do with the central mystery.
Unfortunately the story it hinted at was far more interesting than the one that gradually unfurled.
The ‘mystery’ gets so bogged down in endless lists and a vast cast of indistinguishable characters, that I lost track of who had died, and had little interest in why.
And any Christie fan knows that a good red herring is not a flagrant lie or laboured yet inconsequential plot lines.
August 11, 2024
“The Killings at Kingfisher Hill (The New Hercule Poirot Mystery)”, by Sophie Hannah
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was better than I expected.
The author did capture Poirot’s essence very well, and the concept wasn’t bad, although I thought there were too many characters (and all unlikeable - just as Dame Christie would have created).
I thought that the interaction between Poirot and Inspector Catchpool was well thought out.
But the development of the storyline and its conclusion wasn’t exactly interesting. I do believe that this book could have been shortened to 250 pages.
Anyways, it was a nice attempt, just not remarkable. It would be unfair to compare this work to Dame Christie, so I see it as a homage to a great mind.
I very much enjoyed the audiobook, which I listened as I read the ebook, and I believe motivated me to finish the book.
e-book (Kobo): 384 pages (default), 86k words
Audiobook narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt: 9 hours (normal speed) - unabridged: 8:54 hours
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was better than I expected.
The author did capture Poirot’s essence very well, and the concept wasn’t bad, although I thought there were too many characters (and all unlikeable - just as Dame Christie would have created).
I thought that the interaction between Poirot and Inspector Catchpool was well thought out.
But the development of the storyline and its conclusion wasn’t exactly interesting. I do believe that this book could have been shortened to 250 pages.
Anyways, it was a nice attempt, just not remarkable. It would be unfair to compare this work to Dame Christie, so I see it as a homage to a great mind.
I very much enjoyed the audiobook, which I listened as I read the ebook, and I believe motivated me to finish the book.
e-book (Kobo): 384 pages (default), 86k words
Audiobook narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt: 9 hours (normal speed) - unabridged: 8:54 hours
January 26, 2021
The fourth in the Hercule Poirot series written by Sophie Hannah with approval from Agatha Christie’s estate. Whilst some may rue this new version of Poirot mysteries, they are faithfully within the tradition and most enjoyable for devotees of the iconic detective. The adventure begins with Poirot waiting for a bus, upon which a woman admits to murder as they journey, but gives few details. The purpose of his travel to a country mansion unfolds with all the twists, red herrings and eventually climax reveal. A five-star page turner rating that sits comfortably alongside Agatha Christies books on the shelf.
September 4, 2020
There aren't many authors that I'd trust to take on Poirot but in Sophie Hannah's books the much loved Belgian detective is in very safe hands. She made the wise move of voicing the books through Catchpool who is Poirot's sidekick. This made the transition from Christie to Hannah feel very smooth.
I listened to the audiobook and can't praise the narrator enough. His narration is brilliant, and his accents just made the book such a joy to listen to. I enjoyed the mystery, and the slow build up to the crimes and then the explanation that joined the dots perfectly.
Poirot is his usual too-clever-for-words self, and Catchpool (and me) were so far behind that we weren't even in the race.
Overall this is cunning and creative and I love how grammar is key to everything.
I listened to the audiobook and can't praise the narrator enough. His narration is brilliant, and his accents just made the book such a joy to listen to. I enjoyed the mystery, and the slow build up to the crimes and then the explanation that joined the dots perfectly.
Poirot is his usual too-clever-for-words self, and Catchpool (and me) were so far behind that we weren't even in the race.
Overall this is cunning and creative and I love how grammar is key to everything.
December 28, 2020
I've fallen in love with Hercule Poirot!
I've always wanted to delve into the crime solving world of Hercule Poirot and I couldn't resist seeing how Sophie Hannah handles the great Agatha Christie. I'm happy to say that this lived up to expectation and will certainly not be my last Poirot mystery!
This was a twisty mystery - cleverly spun with so many layers. It kept me guessing right to the end.
I've always wanted to delve into the crime solving world of Hercule Poirot and I couldn't resist seeing how Sophie Hannah handles the great Agatha Christie. I'm happy to say that this lived up to expectation and will certainly not be my last Poirot mystery!
This was a twisty mystery - cleverly spun with so many layers. It kept me guessing right to the end.
January 17, 2024
Of course, this isn’t an original Agatha Christie M. Poirot mystery.
Because...
Agatha Christie has since passed on…
So...
We have Sophie Hannah to thank for bringing the master, M. Poirot back to life, so to speak.
And...
This isn’t a simple task for an author to do – that is, to duplicate a famous author’s style of writing – let alone capture the nuances of her character.
However...
In this book, she does M. Poirot quite well, and to her credit, she also employs Ms. Christie’s tactics of keeping the readers uninformed throughout by denying them key clues along the way. Yes, we are given some hints through her Inspector Claypool.
But...
He is clueless, for the most part, like us readers, until towards the end when all is revealed with everyone (all the suspects) in the room.
Of course...
We can play our guessing games – and in some cases, I did feel myself saying...
“Yes, I got that one right!”
But alas...
There were so many characters that there were times I could not keep up with the who is who and should have kept a running list to refer to at some point.
In the end when all was revealed...
(And yes, I stayed with it throughout) there was only one character I felt should have been put away, too. Perhaps when you read it, you may feel as I do.
But...
Please, do read it, if you are an Agatha Christie fan, because I daresay, you may also become a fan of Sophie Hannah, too!
Because...
Agatha Christie has since passed on…
So...
We have Sophie Hannah to thank for bringing the master, M. Poirot back to life, so to speak.
And...
This isn’t a simple task for an author to do – that is, to duplicate a famous author’s style of writing – let alone capture the nuances of her character.
However...
In this book, she does M. Poirot quite well, and to her credit, she also employs Ms. Christie’s tactics of keeping the readers uninformed throughout by denying them key clues along the way. Yes, we are given some hints through her Inspector Claypool.
But...
He is clueless, for the most part, like us readers, until towards the end when all is revealed with everyone (all the suspects) in the room.
Of course...
We can play our guessing games – and in some cases, I did feel myself saying...
“Yes, I got that one right!”
But alas...
There were so many characters that there were times I could not keep up with the who is who and should have kept a running list to refer to at some point.
In the end when all was revealed...
(And yes, I stayed with it throughout) there was only one character I felt should have been put away, too. Perhaps when you read it, you may feel as I do.
But...
Please, do read it, if you are an Agatha Christie fan, because I daresay, you may also become a fan of Sophie Hannah, too!
December 27, 2020
An absolute disgrace to Agatha Christie's and her reader's intelligence
This book is a piece of garbage from start to finish. The narrator, Inspector Catchpool is borderline intellectually challenged and a complete failure at writing. The plot holes are bigger than the plot itself. I would beg Sophia Hannah to stop blemishing dear Agatha's name any further by writing more of these abominations. The characters are utterly unbelievably bad that I don't think they deserve anymore of my time than I have already wasted on this book.
This book is a piece of garbage from start to finish. The narrator, Inspector Catchpool is borderline intellectually challenged and a complete failure at writing. The plot holes are bigger than the plot itself. I would beg Sophia Hannah to stop blemishing dear Agatha's name any further by writing more of these abominations. The characters are utterly unbelievably bad that I don't think they deserve anymore of my time than I have already wasted on this book.
March 9, 2021
3.5
Elemental, querido Poirot
Sé que tengo pendientes aún bastantes novelas de Agatha Christie, y que lo ideal sería leer esas originales antes de lanzarme a por estas, que recrean nuevos casos de Poirot, ¡pero es que los disfruto tantísimo que no me puedo resistir!
Se me ha hecho entretenidísimo, y me encanta cómo se nos van dando pistas de los diferentes sospchosos, de cómo se fue desarrollando toda la escena del asesinato y los posibles motivos. Siento que mi cabeza echa humo al darle tantas vueltas al misterio ¡y siempre logra sorprenderme! Incluso si hay detalles que ya imagino, siempre hay algo que se me escapa...
Elemental, querido Poirot
Sé que tengo pendientes aún bastantes novelas de Agatha Christie, y que lo ideal sería leer esas originales antes de lanzarme a por estas, que recrean nuevos casos de Poirot, ¡pero es que los disfruto tantísimo que no me puedo resistir!
Se me ha hecho entretenidísimo, y me encanta cómo se nos van dando pistas de los diferentes sospchosos, de cómo se fue desarrollando toda la escena del asesinato y los posibles motivos. Siento que mi cabeza echa humo al darle tantas vueltas al misterio ¡y siempre logra sorprenderme! Incluso si hay detalles que ya imagino, siempre hay algo que se me escapa...
March 24, 2021
Una vez más, me he encontrado con una historia que atrapa desde el minuto uno, por la intriga, por el extraño viaje en autobús, y el misterio del asesinato de Frank, ¿cómo puede ser que su propio hermano quiera exculpar a su prometida, que ha confesado el crimen? Hay muchas incógnitas, y no puedo evitar sentirme como Catchpool, que no se entera de nada mientras que parece que Poirot siempre tiene todas las claves necesarias para resolver el caso.
Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...
Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...
September 30, 2020
A fun, classic mystery with lots of suspects and great deduction!
September 23, 2020
An enjoyable and twisted tale of murder, but certainly one that M. Hercule Poirot is up to solving. And thank goodness Poirot is there because Inspector Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard is one of the dimmer bulbs in the pack.
Although I was disappointed with the Catchpool character, the plot and other characters more than made up for it. Ms. Hannah has done herself proud to carry on the tradition and style of Poirot's creator, Agatha Christie.
Although I was disappointed with the Catchpool character, the plot and other characters more than made up for it. Ms. Hannah has done herself proud to carry on the tradition and style of Poirot's creator, Agatha Christie.
May 16, 2021
Hannah's 4th Poirot novel. Like the first 3 she has mastered the tone and characters, bringing Poirot back to life and authentically recreating Agatha Christie's famous detective. Unfortunately, this entry is let down by the plot which veers between nonsensical, illogical and at times just a bit dull. I'm still hopeful for more Poirot in the future though.
October 29, 2020
This story starts off with Hercule Poirot and his friend Inspector Catchpool traveling by coach to Kingfisher Estate, where they have been summoned by Richard Devonport to solve the mystery of his brother's murder and save his fiancee from the gallows after she committed to the crime. On the way there, they encounter two strange women, one of whom tells a fantastical story about having committed a murder, and the other who thinks her very life is in danger. When they arrive, the woman who confessed to a murder is revealed as none other than Daisy Devonport, the sister of the murdered man. She repeats her confession in front of the entire family, prompting a reopening of the case, in which Catchpool and Poirot are now involved. In the course of the investigation, another body turns up, as well as multiple pieces of information that are seemingly contradictory. Poirot will have to put his "little grey cells" to use to figure out who really killed Frank Devonport, and who the mysterious dead woman is and why she was killed.
Spoilers ahead from here.
I keep picking up these books out of some mixed sense of hope and nostalgia, yet I am disappointed every time. This book was especially appalling to me - not only were all of the characters supremely unpleasant, but the ending ruined it for me entirely. In the real Poirot books, he often allows the murderers to commit suicide once they have been found out, indicating that Poirot has his own sense of cosmic justice. In this book, however, he condemns two people who willingly assisted an old, dying man in his suicide as murderers, and says that their moral codes are compromised by taking his life. Not only do I personally not agree with this condemnation of assisted suicide, I believe Christie's Poirot would not either. Also, the whole plot line with Daisy seemed a bit overboard. Did rich, beautiful women in the 1930s really have nothing better to do than invent stories about killing their brothers? I think this is truly the last of Hannah's Poirot books for me - I'll stick to the original from now on.
Spoilers ahead from here.
I keep picking up these books out of some mixed sense of hope and nostalgia, yet I am disappointed every time. This book was especially appalling to me - not only were all of the characters supremely unpleasant, but the ending ruined it for me entirely. In the real Poirot books, he often allows the murderers to commit suicide once they have been found out, indicating that Poirot has his own sense of cosmic justice. In this book, however, he condemns two people who willingly assisted an old, dying man in his suicide as murderers, and says that their moral codes are compromised by taking his life. Not only do I personally not agree with this condemnation of assisted suicide, I believe Christie's Poirot would not either. Also, the whole plot line with Daisy seemed a bit overboard. Did rich, beautiful women in the 1930s really have nothing better to do than invent stories about killing their brothers? I think this is truly the last of Hannah's Poirot books for me - I'll stick to the original from now on.
March 6, 2021
Mmmmmm, I'm not sure what to say about this book. I love an Agatha Christie (as you can tell) so thought I'd try this one.
I loved the setting and the plot BUT what a boring book!!
1)Too much plodding and slow conversions throughout.
2) If the author wrote Kingfisher Hill once she wrote it fifty times! We get it, it's the place the mystery is set.
3) She has Poirot ALL wrong, where is the prim, process driven detective? Here he allows dogs to chew his gloves and lingers in the cold, things he would NEVER do.
A slow, boring read! 2.5 upgraded to 3 (because I don't want to be mean 😂😅)
I loved the setting and the plot BUT what a boring book!!
1)Too much plodding and slow conversions throughout.
2) If the author wrote Kingfisher Hill once she wrote it fifty times! We get it, it's the place the mystery is set.
3) She has Poirot ALL wrong, where is the prim, process driven detective? Here he allows dogs to chew his gloves and lingers in the cold, things he would NEVER do.
A slow, boring read! 2.5 upgraded to 3 (because I don't want to be mean 😂😅)
August 12, 2020
3.5 stars, rounded to 4.
I have loved Christie for a long time and it was such a pleasant surprise when Sophie Hannah started the Poirot novels again. I have enjoyed all her outings of Poirot and this wasn't much different. But i must say that the plot was too much in the style of Hannah, much more complicated than all the previous three books she has written in the series.
Poirot and Catchpool (his new Hastings) are on their way to Kingfisher Hills when two strange incidents happen. A woman with a half formed face is terrified of something and talks of a bizzare warning of murder if she sits at a particular spot in the bus; another woman tells Poirot tge most extraordinary story of how she murdered someone she dearly loved. And then there is a third woman in the gallows on whose account this entire journey is being undertaken.
These three women and their stories are what guide and propel the narrative as they come together in ways only Hannah can manage to pull off.
I must say that none of the characters present were likeable and I wasn't sorry to see anyone go. While the mystery was satisfatory, i could guess certain things and identities but not the motives, it somehow took me a longer time to get into the story than it usually does with Poiort novels, even the modern ones. It's not that i was looking for the exact Poirot that Christie created. Hannah maintains enough falvour of the former even as she makes Poirot her own, i did feel that the novel was a bit slow in the beginning and a bit too complicated. It didn't help either that i didn't really care for any of the repulsive characters.
Overall though, this is read for Christie fans. I will perhaps not recommend anyone reading Hannah's Poirot series to begin with this one, but for us Poirot lovers, it is definitely worth visiting. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me an ARC in return of an honest review.
Merged review:
3.5 stars, rounded to 4.
I have loved Christie for a long time and it was such a pleasant surprise when Sophie Hannah started the Poirot novels again. I have enjoyed all her outings of Poirot and this wasn't much different. But i must say that the plot was too much in the style of Hannah, much more complicated than all the previous three books she has written in the series.
Poirot and Catchpool (his new Hastings) are on their way to Kingfisher Hills when two strange incidents happen. A woman with a half formed face is terrified of something and talks of a bizzare warning of murder if she sits at a particular spot in the bus; another woman tells Poirot the most extraordinary story of how she murdered someone she dearly loved. And then there is a third woman in the gallows on whose account this entire journey is being undertaken.
These three women and their stories are what guide and propel the narrative as they come together in ways only Hannah can manage to pull off.
I must say that none of the characters present were likeable and I wasn't sorry to see anyone go. While the mystery was satisfatory, i could guess certain things and identities but not the motives, it somehow took me a longer time to get into the story than it usually does with Poirot novels, even the modern ones. It's not that i was looking for the exact Poirot that Christie created. Hannah maintains enough flavour of the former even as she makes Poirot her own, i did feel that the novel was a bit slow in the beginning and a bit too complicated. It didn't help either that i didn't really care for any of the repulsive characters.
Overall though, this is read for Christie fans. I will perhaps not recommend anyone reading Hannah's Poirot series to begin with this one, but for us Poirot lovers, it is definitely worth visiting. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me an ARC in return of an honest review.
I have loved Christie for a long time and it was such a pleasant surprise when Sophie Hannah started the Poirot novels again. I have enjoyed all her outings of Poirot and this wasn't much different. But i must say that the plot was too much in the style of Hannah, much more complicated than all the previous three books she has written in the series.
Poirot and Catchpool (his new Hastings) are on their way to Kingfisher Hills when two strange incidents happen. A woman with a half formed face is terrified of something and talks of a bizzare warning of murder if she sits at a particular spot in the bus; another woman tells Poirot tge most extraordinary story of how she murdered someone she dearly loved. And then there is a third woman in the gallows on whose account this entire journey is being undertaken.
These three women and their stories are what guide and propel the narrative as they come together in ways only Hannah can manage to pull off.
I must say that none of the characters present were likeable and I wasn't sorry to see anyone go. While the mystery was satisfatory, i could guess certain things and identities but not the motives, it somehow took me a longer time to get into the story than it usually does with Poiort novels, even the modern ones. It's not that i was looking for the exact Poirot that Christie created. Hannah maintains enough falvour of the former even as she makes Poirot her own, i did feel that the novel was a bit slow in the beginning and a bit too complicated. It didn't help either that i didn't really care for any of the repulsive characters.
Overall though, this is read for Christie fans. I will perhaps not recommend anyone reading Hannah's Poirot series to begin with this one, but for us Poirot lovers, it is definitely worth visiting. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me an ARC in return of an honest review.
Merged review:
3.5 stars, rounded to 4.
I have loved Christie for a long time and it was such a pleasant surprise when Sophie Hannah started the Poirot novels again. I have enjoyed all her outings of Poirot and this wasn't much different. But i must say that the plot was too much in the style of Hannah, much more complicated than all the previous three books she has written in the series.
Poirot and Catchpool (his new Hastings) are on their way to Kingfisher Hills when two strange incidents happen. A woman with a half formed face is terrified of something and talks of a bizzare warning of murder if she sits at a particular spot in the bus; another woman tells Poirot the most extraordinary story of how she murdered someone she dearly loved. And then there is a third woman in the gallows on whose account this entire journey is being undertaken.
These three women and their stories are what guide and propel the narrative as they come together in ways only Hannah can manage to pull off.
I must say that none of the characters present were likeable and I wasn't sorry to see anyone go. While the mystery was satisfatory, i could guess certain things and identities but not the motives, it somehow took me a longer time to get into the story than it usually does with Poirot novels, even the modern ones. It's not that i was looking for the exact Poirot that Christie created. Hannah maintains enough flavour of the former even as she makes Poirot her own, i did feel that the novel was a bit slow in the beginning and a bit too complicated. It didn't help either that i didn't really care for any of the repulsive characters.
Overall though, this is read for Christie fans. I will perhaps not recommend anyone reading Hannah's Poirot series to begin with this one, but for us Poirot lovers, it is definitely worth visiting. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me an ARC in return of an honest review.
June 22, 2024
Poirot and Catchpool return for one of their bizarrest cases yet. They get one confession of murder and one confession that she thinks she’ll be murdered all in one coach bus trip- and that’s before they reach the destination of their new case to investigate a murder and get the accused declared innocent.
I’ve said it before, but I relish the way Sophie Hannah sets up each mystery. They don’t slip up on one silently, but shock the reader for most of the book and only start to settle as the mystery is unraveled by Poirot with the able though reluctant investigative help of Inspector Catchpool.
The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the fourth in a series of standalone mysteries that carry one following Agatha Christie’s works and introducing Poirot’s new detecting partner in Sophie Hannah’s Inspector Catchpool.
As I said, Poirot drags Catchpool along to a coach tour bus and doesn’t explain a thing. While they wait to board, Catchpool manages to antagonize a sharp-tongued beautiful woman for no reason he can figure out and then he gets a look of horror when he checks up on another young woman who is acting odd and fearful. The mysteries of both swirl in his mind as they ride along to the Kingfisher Hill estate tour even as Poirot pulls out the rules to a board game- Catchpool hates board games- and informs him that their new client could only get them in the house for the investigation if they pretend to be avid fans and gamers of the board game the clients’ father and his friend invented and oh, they can’t actively investigate though they are expected to save a woman who claims to have murdered the client’s brother.
I had no idea how each bit of the mystery would come together though this became the case of each new question answered only led to more questions. The people of Kingsfisher Hill are all keeping secrets and behaving oddly over the murder plus there were those odd women and their mysteries on the bus that distract. I untangled some of the mystery, but still got a nice surprise when Poirot revealed all.
As I said in my previous review of the last book, Julian Rhind-Tutt has grown on me for voicing Poirot and I was delighted to listen in to his narration work of Poirot, Catchpool and the large cast of characters.
All in all, I find this latest Sophie Hannah showing how the series just grows stronger and has become a most anticipated one. I recommend it for those who enjoy historical cozy mystery set during Britain’s Golden Age of Murder Mystery and casts a famous Agatha Christie character.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart 6.9.24
I’ve said it before, but I relish the way Sophie Hannah sets up each mystery. They don’t slip up on one silently, but shock the reader for most of the book and only start to settle as the mystery is unraveled by Poirot with the able though reluctant investigative help of Inspector Catchpool.
The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the fourth in a series of standalone mysteries that carry one following Agatha Christie’s works and introducing Poirot’s new detecting partner in Sophie Hannah’s Inspector Catchpool.
As I said, Poirot drags Catchpool along to a coach tour bus and doesn’t explain a thing. While they wait to board, Catchpool manages to antagonize a sharp-tongued beautiful woman for no reason he can figure out and then he gets a look of horror when he checks up on another young woman who is acting odd and fearful. The mysteries of both swirl in his mind as they ride along to the Kingfisher Hill estate tour even as Poirot pulls out the rules to a board game- Catchpool hates board games- and informs him that their new client could only get them in the house for the investigation if they pretend to be avid fans and gamers of the board game the clients’ father and his friend invented and oh, they can’t actively investigate though they are expected to save a woman who claims to have murdered the client’s brother.
I had no idea how each bit of the mystery would come together though this became the case of each new question answered only led to more questions. The people of Kingsfisher Hill are all keeping secrets and behaving oddly over the murder plus there were those odd women and their mysteries on the bus that distract. I untangled some of the mystery, but still got a nice surprise when Poirot revealed all.
As I said in my previous review of the last book, Julian Rhind-Tutt has grown on me for voicing Poirot and I was delighted to listen in to his narration work of Poirot, Catchpool and the large cast of characters.
All in all, I find this latest Sophie Hannah showing how the series just grows stronger and has become a most anticipated one. I recommend it for those who enjoy historical cozy mystery set during Britain’s Golden Age of Murder Mystery and casts a famous Agatha Christie character.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart 6.9.24
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