When Hercule Poirot and his friend Inspector Catchpool board a garish blue & orange coach in London to travel to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate they know that they are setting out to solve a murder, or rather to prove that a young women is innocent before she faces execution. However, they are under instruction to conceal their true reason for being there from the rest of the family.
When another person confesses to having committed the murder, Poirot and Catchpool's real identities are revealed and they are asked to leave. Of course this is only the start of the investigation as Poirot & Catchpool start to unravel the various stories and lies being told.
After a second murder, they return to the estate in an official capacity to find the truth. How are this second murder and the peculiar incidents that happened on the coach related? How will solving this mystery enable the truth about the first murder to be finally revealed?

Sophie Hannah does an excellent job of depicting Poirot, his speech & mannerisms, and by choosing to tell the story through Inspector Catchpool’s voice, we eliminate some of the problems of writing a Poirot story when you aren’t Agatha Christie! In true Christie fashion, there is a country house, a range of suspects that are not particularly likeable and clues littered throughout the story which all slot together in the end as Poirot reveals all to the gathered people.
As a fan of all the Poirot stories, I did enjoy reading this. It’s a nice mystery that will get “the little grey cells” working, but the storyline is a bit convoluted and I wasn’t convinced by the conclusion. However this won’t stop me reading future Poirot stories by Sophie Hannah.

#TheKillingsAtKingfisherHill #NetGalley @HarperCollins

Another great Poirot mystery from the pen of Sophie Hannah. Full of the requisite number of rich people and servants with the usual romantic shenanigans and a plot full of red herrings it was great fun to read and try to guess whodunit before the end.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book

Hard to believe A. Christie did not write this book. So well written and easy to read,with a country house,murders galore,lots of potential murderers the usual servant,a backstory intertwined with recent events and the ultimate unravelling of motives from the oration of Monsier Poirot.
Characters with their good and bad traits,all if them not nice people to me,some even immoral and downright evil
A throughly engaging and enjoyable read.

Hercule Poirot and his long suffering sidekick Edward Catchpool are travelling by coach to solve a mystery at Kingfisher Hill but on their journey they encounter another mystery. Very much in the style of Agatha Christie this is such a change of pace from modern crime stories and there is much humour in the tale. Poirot insists on Catchpool making lists while he works his way through all the clues he solves to finally solve the latest mystery. Very entertaining and giving the reader the opportunity to try and solve the crime.
Three and a half stars for me!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sophie Hannah/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m sure like many others I was wary of reading a Poirot novel not written by the incomparable Agatha Christie. I can say that there is no need to worry. Sophie Hannah was obviously a great choice to wear the Christie crown. This was so well written and constructed. The story is narrated by Catchpole and is easy to follow.

Briefly, Richard Devonport has employed Poirot to find out who killed his brother. His fiancée, Helen, previously the girlfriend of his brother, has confessed to the murder; but Devonport doesn’t believe her. Poirot and Inspector Catchpole are travelling by coach to the Kingfisher Estate when a woman asks to change seats saying she will die if she stays in this seat. Then Devonport’s sister also confesses to the crime. Just who did it? When another body is found who can the murderer be this time? Will Helen hang or can Poirot prove her innocence?

As with all Poirot novels the story is quite far fetched, the twists and turns many and the potential culprits abound. It would be disappointing if it were otherwise. As usual Poirot’s little grey cells are in perfect working order and the guilty party is unmasked in his inimitable style. An enjoyable and fun read and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Thanks to the Author, NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance e-copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining read full of red herrings and twists and turns. As someone who has never read an Agatha Christie novel or seen any of the TV Poirot mysteries, this was a good introduction to the character in an accessible way.

I found Hercule Poirot to be very witty and funny if condescending which somehow managed to come off as oddly charming. I loved how French phrases would find their way into his sentences, as if some things were so shocking that they made him revert back to his mother tongue.

There seemed to be reasons to suspect just about everyone which was really fun as there were many different scenarios and ifs and why’s going around in my head, although ultimately I didn’t guess the correct outcome!

Certain parts were a little frustrating and convoluted for me. Some of the characters seemed to take a long time to get to their point and would speak in a round about way. Maybe this was a reflection on how difficult Poirots job is and how much patience he must have to get answers out of people that don’t want to give them though, and maybe my patience levels aren’t as high!

Overall I did enjoy the story and definitely loved want to read some of the original Poirot stories now that I’ve had this introduction. I’ve been wanting to read more Murder Mysteries since I watched the film Knives Out, so thought this book would be a good opportunity to be introduced to the Queen of Murder Mystery

I am a massive fan of Agatha Christie and Sophie Hannah's continuation of poirot is perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sophie Hannah picks up the character of Poirot adeptly, and provides an interesting mystery in the style of Christie. I enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone looking for a Poirot fix

What a brilliant read! The story starts with Poirot travelling in a bus and a lady confesses to murder but gives minimal information.

It's such an amazing read with twists and turns. It definitely kept me guessing till the end. The writing style was brilliant, engaging and plot was unpredictable. Highly recommend this 5 star read.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hall is a tightly woven mystery for Hercule Poirot to solve, and it does very much feel as though Poirot is solving the crime even though the narrative is largely told from the viewpoint of Inspector Catchpole.

An intriguing murder mystery that demands to be finished, even if in places, it feels quite repetitive and somewhat, overly complex.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

An excellent addition tot he Poirot canon written by Sophie Hannah. There a re plenty of twists, turns and red herrings in this country house set mystery. There is a passing nod to Miss Marple' s Body in the Library too.
Poirot and Catchpool are tasked with with trying to prove the innocence of a woman who has confessed to murder and been condemned to death, with someone else confessing to the murder and another body found in the Library can Poirot apply his little grey cells and work out whodunnit? What do you think!
A fast paced, cracking read and thoroughly recommended!

What a waste of time this was.
From the weak plot, bland characters and simple writing, this book just didn't work. I can see how much the author tried to put their own spin on the original Christie tale but this book doesn't hold any of the same power.
For being such a short novel I was expecting to fly through this but I found the constant, long winded and convoluted conversations tiresome to get through. The main character of Catchpool who we read from his pov didn't help either. He came across as a very disinterested and aggravated lead, lacking all passion and wit that was needed to carry the story forward.
This novel had a lot of potential but I think it would have been better to just leave the original story alone and not try to recreate it as this is so weak in comparison.

Agatha Christie is the undisputed queen of crime fiction whose books are loved, revered and enjoyed by readers all over the world. Still a much-loved reader favourite decades after her death, writing a crime novel featuring her iconic creation Hercule Poirot is a challenge very few writers are capable of – except for the immensely talented Sophie Hannah who continues her series of mysteries featuring the legendary detective with a superb new novel, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill.

Hercule Poirot is leaving London and travelling by luxury passenger coach to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Poirot has been summoned by Richard Devonport who has a seemingly impossible quest for him: he wants the Belgian detective to prove that his fiancée Helen is innocent of the crime she is being accused of: the murder of his brother, Frank. Poirot is certainly capable of getting to the bottom of this mystery – even if Richard Devonport has rather an unusual caveat for him: Poirot has to conceal from the rest of the family the real reason behind his visit…

The journey to the Kingfisher Hill estate is immediately fraught with upheaval when a young woman leaps up from her seat and begs to disembark if somebody doesn’t swap seats with her as she fears she will be murdered. A seat swap is immediately arranged and the journey passes without incident yet Poirot cannot shake off this feelings that something isn’t quite right – a suspicion which is confirmed when a dead body turns up at the Devonports’ home with a chilling note attached referring to the seat that shouldn’t have been sat in.

There is a dangerous killer on the loose whom Poirot is determined to unmask – whatever it takes. But could the murder of Frank Devonport be linked to the dead body that has just been found? Is there a sinister connection between the two murders? An innocent woman’s life is at stake and there is one person who can save her from the gallows: Hercule Poirot!

Sophie Hannah has very big shoes to fill writing a mystery featuring one of the genre’s best-loved characters and she rises to the challenges of following Agatha Christie with style, aplomb and verve. The Killings at Kingfisher Hill will delight aficionados of the Golden Age of Crime Fiction with its deft plotting, red herrings, shocking twists and turns and marvellous evocation of the era the book is set in.

Hercule Poirot is, as always, an absolute marvel and he solves this mystery with panache, elegance and such wit and intelligence that the dénouement will leave readers with their jaws on the floor.

A fabulous crime novel that would make the Queen of Crime herself proud, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill will delight devoted admirers and new fans alike.

I've always thought that Sophie Hannah's Poirot continuation is very good and she's been doing this a little while now. If you haven't given Hannah the chance to be read as only Christie can write Poirot, the please, I beg you to give Hannah a try.

I listened to Lamplights audiobook thanks to my library and Julian who narrates the story as DI Catchpole and then impersonates Poirot too is rather good also. So much going on in the plot that you do have to pay close attention which I couldn't do as I was multi tasking at the times I listened SO I will reread the book at some point.

I really admired the skill of Sophie Hannah in writing this in the style of Agatha Christie. It is rather admirable how she pulls this off and it's a very well-written book. However, and this is probably sacrilege and I don't want to offend all the Agatha Christie fans out there, I have to say that I prefer Sophie Hannah writing as Sophie Hannah. I've read all her other books and enjoyed these much more. I found this much more difficult to get into.

As usual in my reviews I will not spoil things by rehashing the plot (there are plenty of other reviews like that out there already!); instead I recommend that you read the book for yourselves!

This is the second of Sophie Hannah's "New Hercule Poirot Mysteries" series that I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author has woven many aspects of Poirot's character into a new series, with original cleverly crafted plots whilst still retaining the flavour of Agatha Christie's world.

This was an intriguing plot with some interesting new characters. I didn't guess the twist until right near the end. Definitely an enjoyable read!

I'm already looking forward to the next in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Although this is a well written book I struggled to get into it. I can understand that to write a Poirot sequel is not an easy task. But I found this book hard going, almost trying too hard. The plot was convoluted and confusing and as a result it didn't hold my attention.

Taking on the task of writing a Hercule Poirot book is an immense challenge. Not only are you bring back to life a beloved fictional character. But you are also aiming to write in the Queen of Crime Fiction's style, and I am not sure Sophie Hannah got the style right.

Richard Devonport approaches Poirot to help prove his fiancée's innocence, as she has confessed to killing Devenport's brother, and she is currently in jail. Poirot and Inspector Catchpool embark on a coach journey to Kingfisher Hill Estate to investigate. (Catchpool is a new sidekick for Poirot, created by Hannah). The story has a few plot twists and a ton of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. But ultimately does live up to Christie's writing style.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First things first, I am a huge fan of crime and detective fiction and have read many of the original Poirot stories by Agatha Christie. When I heard that Ms Hannah was writing the first in a new series of adventures starting the Belgian detective with his 'little grey cells' I was intrigued. I read the first book The Monogram Murders a few years ago and really enjoyed it. If I am brutally honest though it did take a little while for the story to really grip me and I was missing Miss Lemon, Japp, and of course Hastings. But nevertheless, it was good to see Poirot back and it was an interesting read. Since then I have read some of the other stories and this The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the latest. It is a great whodunit, as Poirot reasons his way to catching the culprit of the murder ably assisted by Catchpole the Scotland Yard detective. I was not sure I would warm to a new character like him, especially one who is paired closely with Poirot but it works well enough. However I feel the relationship lacks the warmth that Poirot had with Hastings or even Japp. However Ms Hannah captures Poirot's spirit well and the story is well paced and is full of interesting characters. In typical Agatha Christie fashion there are the threads of evidence intermingled with the occasional red herrings. A great read.

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Sophie Hannah writes in the style of Agatha Christie, with our old friend Hercule Poirot exercising his little grey cells. An array of unlikeable characters, a house in the country and a murder to solve are all standard fare. Except someone has already been convicted of the murder, and instead Poirot must establish whether they are actually the guilty party before they are hanged.

Once the many mysteries are solved I found myself a little disappointed.
For me there was too weak a motive, I found the mysteries too convoluted and unconvincing. However, who could ever hope to compare with Agatha Christie! Sophie Hannah does a solid job of resurrecting Poirot & Catchpool.