I used to love reading Agatha Christie books when I was younger, so the discovery of a 'new' Hercule Poirot book really interested me. I thought Sophie Hannah made a good job of recreating Monsieur Poirot here, although I'm afraid the book overall did not capture my attention enough to stop me wandering to other books whilst I dipped in and out of this one.

Im a big fan of Poirot books and I was very excited to read this. However I was quite disappointed. I expected a bit more spark but instead found the book quite repetitive. The plot was not that engrossing either and I found myself skipping pages in the middle just so that I could move ahead in the story. A bit disappointing.

In this brand new Hercule Poirot novel, four people have received identical letters accusing them of the murder of Barnabus Panby, signed by none other than Poirot himself. But Poirot never sent these letters, or has ever even heard of a Barnabus Pandy. So begins an inquiry to discover whether Mr Pandy was really murdered, and who sent the fraudulent letters?

Sophie Hannah’s revival of Hercule Poirot is difficult to criticise. I have always been a fan of the TV version of Poirot played by David Suchet, though I admit I have never actually read one of Agatha Christie’s Poirot Novels. Because of this, I can’t compare the new Poirot to the original, but I can say that he matched up to the one in my head very nicely. He is as wonderfully eccentric and self-impressed as I remembered, and I loved him.

Likewise, the other characters were exactly what you would hope for in a Poirot novel. Hercule’s trusty sidekick, Catchpool (whose viewpoint we follow throughout the book), was a particular favourite of mine. He was able to point out Poirot’s many flaws from a position that didn’t create conflict or hinder the storytelling, while his narrative voice was very likeable and strong.

It took me a while to get into both the writing style and the plot but, once I did, I really enjoyed it. The story line was quite straightforward with no particular twists, but there was a good balance between mystery and light-hearted humour, making it an entertaining read. I wouldn’t say it grabbed me enough to make me particularly want to read more of the new Hercule Poirot mysteries, but it was very enjoyable as a one-off.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Not bad, my dear Watson…” Oh sorry! That’s another whodunit series…

But that’s all I can say about this book… “Not bad” but that’s all. Yes it has some characteristics of the original Poirot books but IMHO the writing style is not as strong as is the story line.

Rebooting successful series has been done before and IMHO not very good; the Millennium series, James Bond and so on. They all shattered in my eyes because the new author wanted to put something from his- herself in it, understandably. This book has the same problem and that’s where it goes wrong…

This was my first Poirot book but won't be the last. The character that I loved from various television adaptations was well present in Hannah's writing and this was a true page turner, as one would expect. A great addition to the Poirot narrative and one that has me wanting to read more by this author. Thanks NetGalley!

So Hercule Poirot lives again thanks to Sophie Hannah. Now there are some changes but I think Sophie does a fabulous job for breathing life into a character loved by so many and close to my heart.

4 people receive letters accusing them of the murder of Barnabus Pandy, they all say Poirot is the one accusing them!

Poirot didn’t and wants to clear his name- to do this he has to establish who is Barnabus Pandy, was he murdered and if so who killed him?

A brilliant addition to the canon of stories! I love Sophie’s style of writing and she has a wonderful sense of pace and how to structure a story for greatest effect!

I’m sure Mrs Christie would think highly of this effort!!

I have never read a Poirot novel before but I definitely enjoy this new spin on the classic detective. I did find some parts of the plot particularly long-winded, but perhaps this is just down to the fact that I am used to reading crime novels with much faster pace/ intensity. All the same, I am gracious to have read it and may go back and read some of Christie's novels!

I have never read a Poirot book before - despite watching the series a lot when younger, so I did wonder what it would be like and how I would feel.
I was not disappointed at all.
An intriguing storyline, that had me guessing until the big reveal at the end - and had me wanting to read more of Sophie Hannah's books.

Having only recently started to read the original Poirot novels, I was disappointed to find that this compared so poorly. The plot was dull and repetitive with too many characters, of whom only two or three were memorable. The device of the 'church window' cake was just annoying, I kept correcting it to Battenberg every time it featured, which was far too often. There was no sense of menace in the portrayal of the murderer and no surprise the denouement to the mystery as I was past caring 'whodunnit'. I think I will stick to the original stories.

A lovely authentic tale of crime and twists and turns of hercule poirot.
A real imitation that fits seemlessly into the world of Agatha Christie

This contained all the hallmark trademarks of an Agatha Christie but I felt it was a little light on the pizazz. Poirot was just missing that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. I found the unveiling of the ‘whodidit’ to last an unbearably long time but overall it was very enjoyable to see Poirot resurrected and spun in to a new tale.

Another great Poirot book by Sophie Hannah. She undoubtedly manages to create the style, atmosphere and mystery of a Christie novel.
This book sees four people receive letters accusing them of murder by Poirot. Clearly it is not Poirot and he feels he must investigate and see who has written them and if there had indeed been a murder.
I won't ruin your read but advise you to read a great book written well and delivering a mystery for you to enjoy.

What a great book, I throughly enjoyed Sophie’s ability to convey Poirot with such authenticity. The plot itself is solid with twists and turns along the way. I must admit I had my doubts when I first started reading it that it might miss the mark and was pleasantly proven wrong!

Oddly I've never been much of a Poirot fan. Tommy and Tuppence, yes. Miss Marple, definitely. But Hercule always left me a bit cold. But I've never been a fan of facial hair so maybe that put me off. But I have grown up a bit so have put that behind me to try Sophie Hannah's take on detective. I wasn't totally enamored with Closed Casket but liked it enough to try another and I'm rather glad I did. Perhaps it's because I'm not a Christie purist, been able to accept, in fact been quite glad when the BBC change an ending or two, that I really do like this new take on these stories. Sometimes it seems that if you like a mystery you can either go for a cozy one (no thank you) or something a bit more gritty. But this sits right in the middle of that, taking me back to a gentler time when you had nice polite murder mysteries. To me this is cosy, a reminder of Sundays watching Christie adaptions on the telly and then as I got older reading her books. The style is different but the intention is the same. I think Ms Christie would rather like some of the changes made to her books....some not so much but this to me is a very respectful, if sometimes a little implausible, love letter to a legendary writer.

This is the third book by Sophie Hannah that brings Agatha Christie’s Belgian Private Detective Hercule Poirot back, giving the reader a new mystery to enjoy.

As I considered what to write I have a small (!) confession to make. Ah, you say, already the influence of Hercule Poirot is at work. What might I have to feel guilty about? Surely such an upright citizen (?) could not have any, what do you say, mmmm….. skeletons in the closet? But, my friends, I must tell you this – I have never read any Poirot books well not until now. So, there you have it, shocking I know. However, there is more? oh dear! Perhaps worse still is that I have something of a preference for, she will remain nameless in this post, the other Agatha Christie amateur detective.

You may find all this somewhat beyond the pale. How could I dare to thrust my opinions upon you with so little familiarity with M. Poirot? I will not use my watching of him on the little or big screen in my favour just to say we must all begin somewhere and this is where I have begun my foray into the world of Hercule Poirot.

Well now, the book. The opportunity to read a Poirot mystery not by Agatha Christie appealed to me even though I had not read the previous two books by Sophie Hannah. Starting here is not an issue for the stories stand alone. Of course, as with any series, the style and characterisations grow stronger, more confident and rounded with each book. This being the third such book it is not surprising then to feel that Sophie Hannah is presenting an accomplished and quintessential piece of writing. It is unique and yet evocative of the great lady herself, a masterly piece of writing.

The mystery is thoroughly enjoyable, well thought out and will keep you guessing. I rather liked Hercule Poirot a character I had never really warmed to in my (non-reading) Poirot experience. The Mystery of Three Quarters is mainly written from the point of view of Police Detective Inspector Edward Catchpool who is a new character introduced by Sophie Hannah. As is Fee Spring, a wonderful character, who brings a down to earth element to the book and gives one outlet for the humour than can be found throughout the story.

The Mystery of Three Quarters is a terrific read, thoroughly enjoyable, well written and well worth reading. I can see that, like me, if you haven’t read Agatha Christie’s Poirot that these books from Sophie Hannah will open up a wonderful world of new stories from both authors and for those who are already fans of Agatha Christie’s Poirot surely these books will be a great pleasure to read and an opportunity to expand their collection of Poirot mysteries.

With thanks to HarperCollins via NetGalley for an eARC copy of The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah. This review is purely my own thoughts and, for which, I have received no payment.

The Mystery of Three Quarters was a wonderful interpretation of Hercule Poirot, even though I felt like something about his character was slightly odd, and the plot was complex, surprising, and really rather enjoyable. I liked the character of Inspector Catchpool, a new introduction for me since I haven't read the other books in Sophie Hannah's series, and I think he made for an interesting narrator.

Sophie Hannah's writing style is very engaging and delightfully descriptive and I didn't feel like she was trying to copy Christie's style. The Mystery of Three Quarters is very much Sophie Hannah's book, not Agatha Christie's, and the distinction between the two writing styles did make the book easier to read in some ways. It didn't just feel like an imitation. However, in my opinion, the book just didn't quite manage to capture the magic of Christie's original character.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I'd happily read the first two books in Sophie Hannah's series. I'd recommend this to people who love mystery novels and I don't think Agatha Christie fans will be disappointed by this new rendition of Poirot.

The opening chapters of this book are so vivid that in my ind's eye I see it happening.

I see David Suchet bustling and hear him deliver the words. I see his very special walk - such a distinctive gait - and take off his hat and coat.

It is perhaps because i have seen Suchet's TV performance portrayal so often that he comes to mind, but still my imagination visualises him throughout the story as the character of Hercule Poirot. The mannerisms he used are mentioned in the story and sonthe echoes remain.

I cannot say the same of the chapters 'written' by the detective. He slips back into the background even though he is half the book.

I found the story very entertaining - better in my mind than the original stories even though they are intended to 'copy' her style. More amusing and more accessible. I still didn't get the answer though - as just in the original Christie books there are masses of red herrings to mislead you!

Oh and the Windowpane cake is really a Battenberg so a very well known recipe, so little chance of it being stolen.

I suspect that without David Suchet the story would not have been so appealing but as he is one of my favourite actors...

This is my first read of Sophie's take on Hercule Poirot. I enjoyed it and felt I was reading an Agatha Christie's book.Easy flowing and unhurried fashion to the tale.

I was completely transported into the world of Mr.Poirot and deducting like he was.

A brilliant read!

Happy oh happy day. Hercule Poirot is back for a third outing under the care of Sophie Hannah.

Over 20 years ago I read, what I had assumed to be, the last Poirot novel. I had worked my way through all the Poirot novels and short story collections and knew that when I finally finished Dead Man’s Folly I would be done. Sadly I found I had left one of my least favourite Poirot stories to the end and this only increased my disappointment.

Spin forward to 2014 and Sophie Hannah brings Poirot back in a whole new adventure – The Monogram Murders. I had to read it. I did read it. I loved having a whole new Hercule Poirot murder story to enjoy…would there be more books to follow?

Yes!

2016 saw Sophie Hannah release Closed Casket and 2018 brings us The Mystery of Three Quarters (by far the most intriguing title to date). Poirot is accused of writing to a number of people and suggesting that one Barnabas Pandy was murdered. Furthermore the recipient of these letters are accused of murdering Pandy.

When first confronted with one of the letters he sent Poirot is perplexed – he has never heard of Barnabus Pandy. Has no idea who the recipient of the letter is either and most certainly does not know if Barnabus Pandy was murdered. But of course Poirot must now find out!

Who would dare bring the attention of the world’s greatest detective to an accidental death? Who would presume they could send out letters in Poirot’s name and not expect him to uncover the truth behind the death of poor Mr Pandy? And why is M. Poirot being force-fed cake every time he visits a local tearoom?

Sophie Hannah takes on all these questions and breathes new life into the much loved Belgian detective. She captures Poirot magnificently and fans of the series can delight in the knowledge that our favourite character is being well cared for in his new adventures.

The mystery is nicely played out and there are plenty of clues and red herrings to keep readers on their toes. A cast of quirky, eccentric supporting characters give us plenty of options to ponder when we try to work out if there is a killer in their midst. Poirot manipulates and questions everyone as he digs to uncover secrets and possible motives and it is remarkably easy to become engrossed back into his world.

More Poirot would be very welcome but, for now, The Mystery of Three Quarters is a very pleasing addition to the collection.

I can understand why the Christie Estate allowed Sophie Hannah to pick up the mantle of Agatha Christie. Her latest book shows a seamless transition in this clever portrayal of the iconic, legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. With themes running through the book of guilt, innocence and forgiveness, the story hooks you from the start.
Four people claim to have been sent letters from Poirot accusing them of the murder of a certain Barnabas Pandy. Poirot has ever heard of such a person and has certainly never accused anybody of murder. Who could be sending letters in Poirot's name and why? More importantly who is Barnaby Pandy, is he in fact dead and if so, was he murdered.
We are introduced to his new sidekick, Edward Catchpool who provides the narrative. and also adds a fresh voice to this 'Continuation Novel'. Overall a very enjoyable read.