Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "detective"

The Mystery Of Three Quarters: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another ingenious mystery for Hercule Poirot to solve in Sophie Hannah's third novel featuring Agatha Christie's famous detective.

Returning home after an enjoyable lunch, Poirot is accosted in the street by a woman who claims to have received a letter from him accusing her of murder. Poirot assures her he has written no such letter, but she does not listen. Puzzled and aggrieved, Poirot soon receives a second visitor who makes the same claim. It soon transpires that four such letters have been sent, all accusing the recipients of murder, all claiming to have been sent by Hercule Poirot.

So begins another complex puzzle for Poirot to solve, along with the assistance of his friend Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard. The man whom the letters claim was murdered is believed to have died as the result of an accident, but is this true, or has someone got away with murder? Who is the mysterious letter writer and for what purpose were the letters written?

Masterfully plotted, 'The Mystery of Three Quarters' moves at a lightning-speed, unspooling twists and turns, leading to a conclusion in Poirot's own inimitable style - the gathering of the players and the final revelation of the guilty party.

Hannah has again perfectly captured the character of Poirot and the style and pitch of the series, so beautifully crafted by Christie herself across the numerous novels, short stories and play in which Poirot appears.

The Poirot stories, both in print and the television series starring David Suchet, were my introduction to adult crime fiction almost two decades ago. I was delighted when, four years ago, I was able to experience a brand new Poirot novel in 'The Monogram Murders', followed by 'Closed Casket' two years later. This equally brilliant third novel is a fantastic addition to Hannah's series and to the Poirot canon as a whole. I very much hope there will be a fourth.



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The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An absolute joy, full of intriguing mystery, with Poirot as brilliant as ever!




Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another delightful new case for Hercule Poirot from Sophie Hannah.

I had been anticipating reading this for months after enjoying 'The Monogram Murders' two years ago, and this certainly did not disappoint. This is a classic mystery with the interactions of the characters and the chain of events taking the story on many twists and turns, skilfully tied together by Poirot in the final chapters.

A fantastic read.



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Midwinter Murder: Fireside Mysteries from the Queen of Crime by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A delightful collection of twelve midwinter mysteries from the Queen of Crime to enjoy by the fire over the festive season.

Sitting at the fireside with hot chocolate, Poirot recalls a case from his time in the Belgian Police, one which he regards as one of his rare failures…
Miss Marple tells of a Christmas tragedy which she unravelled some years before…
The mysterious Mr Quin assists in solving an old mystery on New Year’s Eve…
Poirot investigates the discovery of a corpse in the Baghdad Chest…
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford assist a clergyman’s daughter to uncover the secret of a family legacy...
Poirot is called upon when a woman’s body is found aboard the Plymouth Express…
Parker Pyne assists true love to blossom at Pollensa Bay…
A dying man seeks sanctuary in a church and Miss Marple is called upon to solve the mystery...
While Poirot is bedridden with flu, Captain Hastings is dispatched to Hunter’s Lodge to be his eyes and ears…
High atop the snowy mountainside of World's End, Mr Quin oversees the final act of another emotional drama...
Thirsty for adventure, Edward Robinson is drawn into a daring caper and an evening of romance...
During Christmas Day celebrations, Poirot is perplexed by a warning left for him to not eat the Christmas Pudding...

A hugely enjoyable collection of Agatha Christie's festive and wintry short stories, 'Midwinter Murder' features appearances from many of her famous creations. I had read most of these stories in the past, but what a pleasure it was to revisit them all these years later - particularly those featuring Poirot and Miss Marple. If I had to choose favourites, it would be those featuring these two characters.

Each story is a little mystery that can be read in one sitting - while enjoying a morning coffee or an evening hot chocolate, or just before you put out the light for bed. Highly recommended for old and new Christie fans, this would be a marvellous introduction for readers new to her work or a nostalgic treat for those who first enjoyed these stories many years ago.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a mystery or two, and no one does them better than Agatha Christie. So set the fire ablaze and get set to tease your little grey cells once again.



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The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot returns to unravel another complex mystery in the fourth novel in Sophie Hannah’s continuation series.

Poirot has received a request to investigate a murder for which someone has already been convicted. Not only that, he has been asked to do this without anyone knowing that he is doing so. Along with his friend, Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard, Poirot is preparing to travel via luxury coach to the Kingfisher Hill estate, where the murder took place.

But before they even embark on their journey, Catchpool and Poirot encounter a woman behaving strangely, who declares that, if she takes this journey, she will be murdered. Stranger still, whilst travelling, Poirot is told a confession to an unknown murder by a stranger. Before they arrive at the Devonport family home, Poirot is deeply intrigued to find he already has three mysteries to solve.

Whilst concealing their true motives for being there, Poirot and Catchpool endeavour to begin their investigation. But the mystery is to become more complex still – only Poirot’s deductive genius can unravel the tangled web and find the truth behind the killings at Kingfisher Hill.

Sophie Hannah’s previous three novels featuring Poirot were superb, and this is yet another fantastic story. Engrossing, thrilling and well-written, it is driven equally by the increasing complexity of the mystery and the well-developed characters – the Devonport family is both entitled and troubled, some of them at times obnoxious and deeply frustrating for the detectives. Alongside Catchpool, we witness Poirot work, applying order and method to decipher the clues. As all the best mysteries are, this is an emotional and intellectual journey, with moments of perplexity, humour and danger along the way.

It would not be a Poirot novel without the final ‘drawing room revelation’ as Poirot gathers all the players together and reveals the truth behind the case. These are my favourite moments – Poirot always displaying his passion, morality, sheer brilliance and ingenuity with theatrical flair.

Once again, I loved this novel and long may these new cases continue. Sophie Hannah has already announced she is working on a fifth in the series, which I eagerly await. When I first encountered Poirot many years ago, I never imagined I would experience the joy of a brand new novel in the series. To have experienced this four times is truly a gift.

Full of devious twists and intriguing turns, ‘The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’ is a perfectly plotted puzzle to stimulate and entertain the little grey cells. I cannot recommend this series enough.



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Midsummer Mysteries: Secrets and Suspense from the Queen of Crime by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A fabulous collection of summertime mysteries selected from the works of the Queen of Golden Age Crime, Agatha Christie.

Miss Marple hears a tale of murder from a Cornish fishing village…
Poirot investigates an audacious jewellery theft…
Parker Pyne’s holiday is interrupted by a fellow guest who believes she is being poisoned…
The mysterious Mr Quin is present for another opera of star-crossed lovers…
Poirot assists in the investigation into the brutal murder of an Italian nobleman…
A young woman answers a job advert and finds herself embroiled in royal intrigue…
Poirot reviews the case of an alarming disappearance of a financier…
Miss Marple solves the mystery of death by supernatural influence…
A young man finds himself implicated in the theft of a Rajah’s emerald…
Parker Pyne may be the only hope to thwart a plot of kidnap and ransom…
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are asked to investigate the ransacking of private papers…
Poirot is called upon to uncover the whereabouts of stolen submarine plans…

A companion volume to ‘Midwinter Murder’, ‘Midsummer Mysteries’ features twelve short stories taken from a variety of previous collections; the detectives investigating daring thefts, mysterious disappearances and malicious murders. From sleepy coastal English villages to the majestic shores of Egypt, experience the fiendishness of Agatha Christie’s plotting and the psychological authenticity of her characterisations.

As with the previous volume, I’d encountered many of these stories in the past, but it was a thrill to revisit them, while the standalone stories (which originally featured in ‘The Listerdale Mystery’) were new to me. Those stories featuring Poirot and Miss Marple shone, despite my familiarity with them. Agatha Christie’s stories can be revisited again and again and never grow old. Included here are Poirot’s first encounter with Countess Vera Rossakoff, Miss Marple at her finest solving puzzles from the comfort of her armchair, and many more. Highly recommended for both the stalwart Christie fan and newcomer alike, these seasonal collections are intensely enjoyable and make for pure escapism.

Featuring twelve delicious slices of nostalgia and intrigue, ‘Midsummer Mysteries’ is comfort-reading at its finest. So grab your refreshments and bask in the sunshine and sea breeze as you delve into these tales of mystery and murder. But, be warned: as a wise man once said, “there is evil everywhere under the sun.”



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SINISTER SPRING: Murder and Mystery from the Queen of Crime by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A springtime collection of classic mysteries.

Poirot's trip to the country is interrupted by a suspicious death...
Tommy and Tuppence hunt for a missing lady...
Miss Marple reviews a death by poisoning...
Poirot is consulted by a woman who is shortly found dead...
A sinister scheme in play behind an opera...
Miss Marple unpicks a locked room mystery...
Parker Pyne is drawn into a case of missing jewels...
Poirot investigates an impossible theft...
Miss Marple hears a tale of smuggling and missing gold bullion...
Mr Quin arrives at the scene of a high-stakes gamble...
A chance meeting with a girl on a train leads to adventure and intrigue...
Miss Marple untangles a devious plot at Greenshaw's Folly...

'Sinister Spring' is the third seasonal collection of selected stories by Agatha Christie, each with that refreshing breath of new life and the promise of summer. Compiled of twelve short stories, the volume stars Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Parker Pyne, Quin and Satterthwaite, plus a couple of standalone stories, all taken from previous collections, having originally been published in magazines in the 1920s and 30s, aside from the final story published in 'The Daily Mail' in 1956.

Each of these stories is a gem - with puzzles and intrigue, mysterious thefts and nefarious murder plots, armchair detection and daring adventure; taking us from country homes to luxury hotels, aboard train journeys and on to the stage, all masterfully plotted unravellings of a tangled web.

Many of these stories were amongst the earliest Agatha Christie works I read in the Poirot and Miss Marple short story collections. Revisiting Christie's mysteries, whether through screen adaptations or re-reading is always a nostalgic and comforting treat of pure indulgence. Her work will always be a pleasure and an inspiration.

These seasonal collections are a delightful way to revisit classic Christie short stories, or pose a perfect starting point for anyone new to her work. I'm especially looking forward to 'Autumn Chills', coming later this year.



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Hercule Poirot's Silent Night by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A Yuletide mystery for Agatha Christie's most famous detective.

A bizarre request from an unexpected visitor finds Poirot and Catchpool journeying to stay at Frellingsloe House with the Laurier family in the days leading up to Christmas.

Poirot seems particularly intrigued by the case of the murder victim – a man who appeared to be truly happy and one whom no one would appear to want dead. Meanwhile, all the Laurier family wish is for the case to be solved to prevent a dying man from attempting to track the killer.

Having no desire to spend Christmas away from home, Poirot and Catchpool have only a few days to identify a murderer, but it may already be too late to prevent a chain of events that will result in further deaths.

'Hercule Poirot's Silent Night' is the fifth of Sophie Hannah's Poirot novels, continuing the series by Agatha Christie. Set in 1931, it takes place during Poirot's time as a consulting detective based in London between the world wars. Assisting Poirot is Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpool, who has co-starred in each of Hannah's Poirot novels so far. Once again narrated by Catchpool, we are drawn into a twisty mystery with a dark philosophical edge and psychological depth.

With the primary setting of an isolated house, one in a state of dilapidation and impending destruction in a rather gothic approach to the classic mystery setting of the English country mansion, we are presented with the classic limited and specific list of suspects of Golden Age crime fiction. The residents of Frellingsloe House are a bizarre crowd; on the surface their behaviour appearing somewhat erratic and unexpected, while beneath the skin their relationships are fraught with emotional tension and unease. Amongst them is Catchpool’s mother, further complicating matters with emotional turmoil for our narrator and a deeper insight into his character and history.

Christie was always exceptional at writing the darkness simmering beneath the surface; Hannah emulates this effectively, bringing that darkness closer to the surface – much like some of the more recent screen adaptations have – akin to the tone of Christie’s later Poirot novels. The identity of the perpetrator reveals itself slowly and carefully, the explanation steadily rising to the surface and culminating in a stark and emotional revelation, steered by Poirot’s usual theatrical presentation of the investigation, the evidence and the solution. Once again, Sophie Hannah delivers a gripping and entertaining novel, demonstrating the sheer brilliance of the detective we know and love.

Poirot will always hold a special place in my heart – on both page and screen, he and Christie’s wider work were my true discovery of crime and detective fiction. These five new mysteries have been a gift, and I hope for more to come.



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