This is the first of the new Poirot books I've read and I must admit to a certain amount of trepidation going in. I love Poirot and I wasn't sure if a writer who wasn't Christie would be able to bring him to life in the same way. I needn't have worried. Whilst there were a couple of very small points which didn't quite fit with my image of the famous Belgian, overall this was a well-written and engaging story very much in the original Poirot vein. Well worth a look if you like this kind of golden age crime story.

I have read a number of Agatha Christie books in the past but have never read a Poirot novel. This is possibly because the character on television never appealed to me but then until recent years the idea of early 20th century crime novels didn’t appeal to me but now the make up a large proportion of my reading material.
So, this being my first Poirot novel I am probably not best placed to compare this new story with the Christie originals. But equally, it means that I am coming to this free from any baggage or expectations.

The first thing to say is that the author has certainly captured the character of the ‘golden age’ although there are certainly touches of contemporary style noticeable along with a number of really very modern views presented. Of course that is not necessarily a bad thing and although it is continuing the Poirot narrative it is Poirot for the 21st century and is not (I don’t think) intended to be a pastiche of Christie’s writing.

The author has created a very Christie type of story, full of the expected tropes and characters with a well-constructed puzzle at its core. There are many clues scattered throughout the novel that in the main are flagged up noticeably but generally relatively subtly. And in true Christie fashion the crux of the puzzle requires a small suspension of disbelief to be truly convincing.

Although to contradict my earlier point, this can on occasion feel quite like a pastiche particularly when considering Poirot’s dialogue and a couple of rather silly clues that are required to make sense of the solution.
Having said all that I did quite enjoy this novel and attempting (not entirely successfully) to discover who was guilty of the ‘murder’. But like so many similar novels, it is more about the journey than the destination.

It’s time for the third offering in the “new” Poirot series and the author seems to getting into her stride. It was never going to be easy taking over the mantle from the Queen of Mystery so fair play to Ms Hannah for giving it a go and not doing too bad a job of it. However I will always picture Hastings instead of Catchpool and Jeeves instead of George.
It did get a bit drawn out towards the end, but I’ll continue to give this series a fair hearing.
I defy you to read it and not crave a slice of Battenberg cake!

I haven't read any Agatha Christie's books for years so can't really comment on how close to the original is Sophie Hannah's Hercule Poirot is. What I can say however, is how much I enjoyed The Mystery of Three Quarters. It's a superb classic 'whodunnit': well-written, mysterious and gripping, with interesting characters, several possible suspects and plenty of surprises, including the final reveal. Bravo, Sophie Hannah! I can't wait to read your next book!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the ARC.

I wanted to like this book having read all of Agatha Christie's novels, but was suitably sceptical.
The premise of the story was intriguing and although the writing style of viewing the story from different aspects didn't feel very Christie-esque I was sucked in and totally engaged wirh Poirot all over again.
The fact that in this novel you don't actually know if a murder has taken place or not could make it feel a bit weak, but also you could believe that Poirot would investigate this given how he was pulled into the scenario by falsely accusing the would be murdered by letter, although he didn't send these letters. A case quite worthy of Poirot.
Sophie Hannah has done a Great job and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Returning home after lunch one day, Hercule Poirot finds an angry woman waiting outside his front door. She demands to know why Poirot has sent her a letter accusing her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, a man she has not heard of or met. Poirot has also never heard of Barnabas Pandy and has accused nobody of murder. Shaken, he goes inside, only to find a visitor waiting for him - a man who has also received a letter from Poirot accusing him of the murder. Poirot wonders how many letters of this sort have been sent in his name. Who sent them? Who is Barnabas Pandy and was he murdered? Can Poirot find the answers without endangering more lives?
This book suffers from a slow start and my perception of the book never really recovered. As I said this has a slow start, there is nothing in particular that grabbed my attention and I struggled through the beginning section. Once I was into the plot, I did enjoy the book and the plot ramps up a bit. However, my overall thoughts on the book were marred by the slow start and I did not love this book.
As always, Hannah is superb at re-imagining Poirot, it really does feel like you are reading Agatha Christie and this is testament to how well Hannah captures both Poirot and Christie's writing style. Once again, I loved being back in Poirot's world and seeing his little grey cells get to work. Once the plot gets going, Poirot really steps up as he faces the idea that he may not be able to solve this case.
'The Mystery of Three Quarters' is a very satisfying Poirot read, one that I did enjoy once it got going. This is not, however, my favourite in the new Poirot series and suffers from a slow start. Overall, this is an enjoyable read but forgettable. 
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

Book reviews by www.snazzybooks.com.

I eagerly await any new releases from Sophie Hannah, whatever series they may be, and her Hercule Poirot books are no different. This new offering feels very Christie-like, with its setting in the countryside, centred around the death of Barnabas Pandy, who drowned in the bath - but was it an accident, or in fact murder?

Poirot feels, to me, close to the original character in Agatha Christie's novels - he's entertaining, odd at times, and as excellent at sleuthing as ever - but with Sophie Hannah's own excellent twist. The story is clever and intriguing (though you need to pay attention properly at the start, as there are lots of different characters and names across multiple families who are related in different ways). I'd definitely recommend this for anyone missing the original series - it doesn't feel like a direct fit, as Sophie Hannah has injected her own style into these Poirot novels, but it strikes the perfect balance between intrigue and light-hearted entertainment, as Christie always did so well. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.

Having never read any Poirot I was intrigued to see if I would like it. The style of writing is fun, I thought it would be dated and hard work but it isn't at all. It's not a fast pased page turner but it is very enjoyable.
The story unfolds and I didn't manage to solve the mystery, which I normally have some clue with the amount of crime/Detective novels I read.
The book is like an old friend who you haven't seen for a while, you can climb into a big chair and lose yourself in the tale.

Unfortunately not for me. My least favourite of the three. Just didn’t get the Poirot spark.
I felt the crime wasn’t hard enough for Poirot, and that he wouldn’t have wanted to spend his time on it. Lacking in atmosphere, relying on dialogue. Maybe for a first time reader but not a Christie fan.

Every time i read Hannah's presentation of Poirot I appreciate and like the modernisations she sticks in - she is not hampered by the old model! This is convoluted but utterly satisfying set of events, and a criminal who is only uncovered in the very last pages - wonderful - old country mansion, inheritance and past sins all converge - and complex moral quibbles, as families make up wtih each other. Really wonderful - and I look forwad to more. Heavenly ..

Sophie Hannah has slowly but surely enveloped herself in the world of Hercule Poirot, over the previous two books 'The Monogram Murders' and 'Closed Casket', and though this novel brings her just that step closer towards mastering Christie's classic character, it's not quite as brilliant as the crime queen herself.
This book excellently weaves two apparently disconnected stories into one cozy mystery that's less about the murder and more about the secrets we keep and the connections we make without even realizing. It's engaging and interesting, particularly as it takes the classical canon of the character. Hannah writes with the same wit and eloquence that fans of Poirot are used to. It will no doubt please readers who liked her previous new Poirot adventures.
However, I don't think anything has topped 'The Monogram Murders' so far. The story often drags too long- this book is around 400 pages and yet the average Christie is only around 250. For the sake of drama, cliffhangers are thrown around like there's no tomorrow. It also takes a long while for the story to really get started. Ultimately, it falls a little short of being thrilling and intriguing, like the Christie classics.
An interesting, entertaining read that doesn't quite match its predecessors, but tries very hard to keep you embroiled in the newest mystery.

The Mystery of Three Quarters is a tale of intrigue involving Hercule Poirot - who is completely confused by what's going on - I enjoyed the fact that I couldn't anticipate what was going to happen next . It is a rare skill to keep one in such good suspense - I am happy to recommend this book. A good read.

It's not the first Sophie Hannah book I have read, but it is the first of the three Hercule Poirot novels I have read.
I found myself pleasantly surprised, I felt Agatha Christies presence and thought it was a cleverly written original mystery.
I will be catching up with the first two

Thank you netgalley, HarperCollins UK and Sophie Hannah for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the third of the "new" Hercule Poirot novels and I really do feel that Sophie Hannah has captured the essence of Agatha Christie's creation very well. Together with his friend police Inspector Edward Catchpool (and a little help from Fee Spring) he attempts to unravel a most perplexing mystery where even the crime is in dispute. There are lots of clues about but can the little grey cells of Poirot prove a match for this most clever of criminals? Highly enjoyable and recommended.

The first half of the book felt better to me as the second half.seemed to get too complicated and it definitely lost my attention slightly. It felt like the first half was written, then they were asked to put more twists into it and the classic mystery became too complex.

I was amazed when I found this book. "A new Agatha Christie? How can this be?" I thought. This isn't the first time someone has taken over the reins in writing a popular series when the original author is unable to continue writing it themselves (Douglas Adams and Steig Larsson are both examples of such revered authors who are no longer with us). However, it's always a scary prospect and the results do vary. When I came across this book by Sophie Hannah, I was immediately excited and trepidatious at the same time; I love Agatha Christie's novels, particularly the Hercule Poirot mysteries. Would I be overjoyed or disappointed at reading what this new, unheard of (to me, at least) author would do with such an iconic character? Well, as you can imagine, I absolutely had to find out.

In the book, four individuals are sent letters signed in the name of Poirot, and accusing them of murder. They all approach Poirot and plead their innocence, only to discover that Poirot did not actually send the letters. And therein lies the mystery that Poirot must solve; who sent the letters and why? Who is the real murderer? Or has there even been a murder at all?

All in all, this was an okay book. The mystery was okay, the writing was okay, the character of Poirot was...okay. You can tell I'm disappointed, slightly. It started off well, but in the end I didn't feel like the mystery was clever enough for a Christie book. There was far too much assumption and not enough proof for my liking. It certainly wasn't up to the high standard of ingenuity I expect from this series.

I think if it was a standalone mystery with a different character, I would have enjoyed it more. I have probably judged harshly because I think it's nigh on impossible to live up to such legends as Agatha and Hercule. But that's the task Sophie Hannah had been set, and it didn't quite get there for me. It was a little bit too twee and not elegant enough.

If I was to recommend this book, it would be to someone who hadn't read much (or any) Agatha Christie, and certainly not a die hard fan because I think, like me, they might be slightly disappointed.

I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to review this book as a fan of Agatha Christie for approximately 30 years. I have read all three Sophie Hannah Poirot books and they just keep getting better. A proper old school mystery. I particularly like Catchpool who is an interesting sidekick of Poirot. This kept me guessing right up to the last chapter. I will recommend this to a lot of customers.

This is my first Poirot story by Sophie Hannah (not my first Sophie Hannah book) and it took me by surprise, It totally oozed Agatha Christie and at times I totally forgot it was not written by her.
A fantastic story with an entertaining plot and true Poirot charm, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to read more.

The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah
A classic detective tale, featuring the renowned Hercule Poirot.
Sophie Hannah has donned the mantle of Agatha Christie once again to provide a modern crime novel featuring Hercule Poirot and his supporting cast of Inspector Edward Catchpool and Fee Spring, (introduced by Hannah in her previous Poirot novels, The Monogram Murders and The Closed Casket).
The three quarters relate to Poirot being confronted by strangers who believe he has written to them accusing them of the murder of another stranger to them all. They also relate to the squares on Fee’s Church Window cake with which Poirot is able to delve into the mystery and eventually solve the riddle of the letters and the murders with his typical grandstanding technique.
The Mystery of Three Quarters was an easy, comfortable read and is a stylish and clever mystery set in 1930s London which will delight all the many fans of the writings of both Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read an advance copy

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

after agatha christie died i thought we would no longer have anymore poirot books to read...how wrong was i, it was lovely to dive into a murder mystery with letters being sent to 5 suspects and poirot being accused of writing and sending these letters

a lovely murder mystery that brings back those lovely memories of reading an agatha christie book and this author has managed to capture the magic of that style of writing...

sophie hannah is now on my watch list of authors to keep an eye out for...