Cover Image: The Killings at Kingfisher Hill

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I would like to thank #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for an advanced reader copy of #TheKillingsatKingfisherHill in exchange for an open and honest review. This audiobook is fourth in the series of New Hercules Poirot Mysteries.. I love the way the author has kept Poirot as originally written and not altered his personality and Inspector Catchpole is so likeable. I loved the plot of this but was surprised to find Poirot taking the coach. I have read the first in this series and will soon be buying the books/audiobooks I have missed. This book comes highly recommended and I hope there are more in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Hercule Poirot and his friend, Inspector Catchpool, are summoned to Kingfisher Hill by Richard Devonport who asked for Poirot's help proving that is fiance is innocent of murdering his brother. While traveling to the estate, a very distraught woman claims that she will be murdered if she sits on a particular spot, while another woman confesses to Poirot that she has committed murder. All these strange occurrences come to a head when another murder happens in Kingfisher Hill.

This was an interesting Poirot story, and Sophie Hannah manages to catch Christie's style almost perfectly. It was a good mystery, though a little overdramatic.

I want to thank NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is the fourth book in the Sophie Hannah’s Agatha Christie series and in my opinion the best so far. I listened to the book via Audible, as I have with all of this series and I really love how the narrator Julian Rhind-Tutt captures Poirot perfectly.

Poirot is invited to investigate the murder of Frank Devonport by his brother Richard. Frank’s fiancé Helen Acton has been convicted of his murder and is awaiting death by hanging.

Inspector Catchpool and Poirot embark on their journey to Kingfisher Hill via Alfred Bixby’s coaches. On this journey they meet two women, one who says she has committed a murder and another who says that she has been told by a stranger that she will die if she sits in a particular seat on the coach. The second woman is hysterical when she boards the coach and Poirot intervenes to find out more. She tells him that she is called Joan Blythe and she is going home to her Aunt in Cobham. Poirot gives up his seat and instructs Catchpool to sit beside the woman to ensure she comes to no harm. As they make their way to Cobham they both find out more about the women.

On the seat on the coach is a book called Midnight Gathering which one of the woman collect. This book is significant but neither Poirot or Catchpool know why. The pair leave the coach with more questions than answers.

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and like many I was nervous about the books being written by another author. However, the author has always said she writes in her own style and does not try to write as Agatha Christie and they are really good stories and I love them. The relationship between Catchpole and Poirot develops with each book and like Hastings Catchpool makes a great sidekick for Poirot.

This book is the story of the Devonport family and as the plot progresses you uncover more and more about the family dynamics but also the dynamics with their friends. Poirot and Catchpool are visiting Kingfisher Hill under the pretence of finding out more about a board game ‘Peepers’ (a rival to Monopoly or the landlords game) that Sidney Devonport and his friend Godfrey Laviolette have invented.

Sidney and Lillian are two of the most unpleasant characters, Sidney is a bully and Lillian is dying but she has allowed Sidney to disown their son and treat his other children with contempt and fear. We are also introduced to Daisy, Frank and Richards sister who has secrets of her own. There is a subsequent death at Kingfisher Hill and Poirot has to engage his little grey cells once more, to not only solve one murder, but two.

This is such a great story, it is cleverly plotted and leaves clues along by the way, that make you think you know who the killer is but I was completely shocked when the twist in the tale comes at Poirot’s ever famous denouement. I think it is one of the cleverest plots I have read in a long time.

Poirot is my favourite detective and I love that I am able to read new stories about him alongside my favourite original Agatha Christie stories.

This gets a huge recommendation from me if you like Poirot or not it is a great story.

Was this review helpful?

Hercule Poirot and his sidekick Catchpole have been invited to Kingfisher Hill under the pretence of having an almost obsessive love of a new game which is set to rival Monopoly. The reality is that they have been asked by Richard Davenport to investigate the murder of his brother Frank. From the moment Poirot and Catchpole arrive to catch the coach which is to take them to the Estate there are mysterious women, red herrings and seemingly impossible situations to navigate. All leading to the classic Poirot reveal at the end.

This is my first continuation Poirot by Sophie Hannah and I absolutely loved it. This is a perfect comfort, escapist novel and is a must read for fans of Agatha Christie. I will definitely be adding the other Poirot novels by Sophie Hannah to my TBR pile. I predict they will become my comfort read over the winter period.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for my ARC

Was this review helpful?

My previous encounters with Sophie Hannah's Poirot have been via audiobook and I have loved them. They were perfect company to keep on my commute to work. So this is my first written Poirot book. I have to confess I didn't love it as much as the audiobooks to begin with.

The story begins with Poirot and Catchpool heading to Surrey on a bus. Poirot has yet to tell his companion the purpose of his visit - Catchpool's frustration at bounces off the page. It turns out they are off to a private estate to investigate a murder - a murder that someone has already confessed to.

I felt that there was a lot going on in the opening few chapters. Added to the mystery of why they were travelling are the odd little events happening around them, concerning a few of the other passengers. There just seemed a little too much being thrown at Catchpool (and the reader) and he wasn't happy about it. He was getting irritated at Poirot and, in turn, so was I!

Once the pair arrive at the house where the murder occurred, the story starts to move forward much better, and the events on the bus been to find their proper place in the story. From here on, the story proved to be thoroughly enjoyable with a few twists and turns, and with a very satisfactory ending.

I may have to revisit the previous stories though. I hadn't realised quite how much of a foil Catchpool is to Poirot's superior little grey cells.

Was this review helpful?

This is my first book in Sophie Hannah’s ‘new Poirot’ series. It’s always tricky when you take on an iconic character but Hannah has done a fine job of capturing Poirots unique character and quirks.

The murder mystery, in particular its conclusion, isn’t quite to Christie’s standard but that would be a tall ask. It certainly had all the right ingredients, an intriguing set up, an interesting cast of characters and an appealing setting. I didn’t expect Hannah to mimic Christie and was looking forward to seeing how she was able to put her own stamp on the series. As the plot unraveled there were some good red herrings and revelations but it did become rather confusing at times. I also felt Poirot’s big conclusion scene had less of an impact than it should have done as the motives for murder seemed rather unlikely. Christie’s murder mystery’s always felt a little fantastical but very often there was a realness to them and that’s what made them so good.

That said, it really is a confident take on the character and series with much to like. I would certainly pick up another of Hannah’s Poirot books to explore her portrayal further.

Was this review helpful?

I admire Sophie Hannah for taking on the Poirot stories. It's great to be back in the Agatha Christie world again and this mystery is a good one. Poirot and Catchpole are taking a coach to the posh Kingfisher Hill Estate. to investigate a murder. Frank Devonport is the victim and someone is already in jail for the crime however Richard, the dead man's brother explains that it's his own fiancee accused of the crime but he knows she's innocent.

That's just the start of these mysteries......Poirot has a lot on his hands! There's a lot of alibis, clues to solve and the mystery keeps getting deeper and deeper. A fun puzzle to work out!

Was this review helpful?

Having recently read The Monogram Murders I was really looking forward to The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. It was a classic Poirot murder mystery but the reveal fell a little flat for me. It was still a great read and just as good as Agatha Christie's novels.

Was this review helpful?

I've really enjoyed Sophie Hannah's take on Poirot and always find that I can picture David Suchet (the well-known actor that played Poirot for many years) perfectly whenever I read her books. This mystery is just as confusing and just as interesting as all the others and I really enjoyed it.

Was this review helpful?

Sophie Hannah writers these new Poirot novels brilliantly, and I’m a real fan of the New Hercule Poirot Mysteries series in general. I found The Killings at Kingfisher Hill (number four) to be a worthy addition, though not my favourite in this brilliant series (the standard from Sophie Hannah is, after all, already rather high!)

The book was very enjoyable to read, but the storyline itself didn’t draw me in as much as usual. It’s as twisty as we come to expect from a Sophie Hannah novel, but it felt to me like it didn’t properly get going until about half way in – I guess partly because the start of the story takes place on the coach where Poirot and Inspector Catchpool are travelling to attend to a case in the Kingfisher Hill estate. I felt like I was impatiently waiting for it to get going, when of course we find out that seemingly unconnected events are, of course, connected.

Once it does, though, the plot is fun to read, as we try and guess what Poirot has figured out long before Catchpool himself. There are lots of characters and relationships with eachother to get your head around, but it’s still a light-hearted, pleasureable read and, as always, the interactions between our main characters are very entertaining. Definitely still worth a read, but it just didn’t wow me. I am, however, very excited for future releases in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Up until a couple of years ago I had never read a Poirot novel. The reason being, my heart belonged to Miss Marple and her amazing sleuthing abilities. Then I was dragged to the cinema to see Murder on the Orient Express. I went home and downloaded my first Poirot and then another and another. His mysteries made for great reading and I kicked myself for not starting on his books earlier.

Of course Agatha Christie passed away many years ago and Sophie Hannah has taken up the mantle as Poirot’s puppeteer. She has done a good job of bringing to life the Belgian and his many many quirks.

The start of the book finds Poirot on a motor coach travelling out of London with his companion, Inspector Catchpool of the fearsome Met. Their destination? Kingfisher Hill. The reason? They have been invited by Richard Devonport to look in to the murder of his brother Frank.

That sounds reasonable enough considering Poirot’s past exploits but this time the police already have their man locked up or more precisely their woman, for locked up in London’s Holloway Prison sits Frank’s fiancée Helen. Her confession of murder has been taken at face value and she is to be hanged unless M. Poirot can prove otherwise.

The journey itself proves interest when a terrified woman makes their acquaintance along with a cool, calculating woman. Both appear to hiding something but Poirot puts it to one side for on his arrival at Kingfisher Hill he finds a family very much in denial and determined to keep the secrets safe.

When another body turns up at the house bearing a sinister message Poirot and Catchpool work together to figure out if this murder is linked to the first and if the strange women on the coach have much more to do with these murderous goings on than they let on.

This was a good murder mystery however I did nearly give up on it at about 20% but all of a sudden it kicked it up a gear and I was more than happy to find out whodunnit. Worthy of Christie herself the answer is nicely masked until the end and then with Poirot’s usual aplomb the murder is revealed.

Sophie Hannah has done an excellent job recreating the world of Poirot and the people that inhabit it and I think any fan of Christie should enjoy this.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to thank the author Sophie Hannah, the publisher Harper Collins, and netgalley.com for the ARC of The Killings at Kingfisher Hill in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book is the fourth mystery featuring Agatha Christie's iconic detective Hercule Poirot, authentically - to my limited knowledge - rendered by Sophie Hannah. This time, the master detective and his sidekick who is also the narrator of the story, Inspector Catchpool, travel to an idyllic residential estate called Kingfisher Hill near London to unravel the mystery of a months-old murder which has already been confessed to by the dead man's fiancee. On the motor coach en route to the estate, the duo encounters two enigmatic women, one seemingly scared out of her wits and the other with a strange, abstract story to relate to Poirot. Things become more and more complex once the investigators reach the scene of crime and each person they come across looks to be a suspect. Another murder follows soon and who other than Poirot, declared by himself to be the best detective in the world, can untangle the layers of deceit and solve the mysteries?

Having read only a few original Poirot mysteries, I am not qualified to comment on the authenticity of this novel other than to say that the language, the descriptions and the scenarios of this one felt quite similar to those of the original ones I have read. The plot is quite complex and the reader has to pay a lot of attention in order to keep track of the multiple characters, each of whom has his / her own secrets and quirks. The author has built up the mystery cleverly, making it difficult for the reader to work it out. The interactions between Poirot and Catchpool are highly amusing, and Poirot's treatment at the hands of the old lady, Hester Semley, is just hilarious.

Just like a few of Christie's mysteries, the process of deduction by the great Poirot feels a bit too sophisticated in this novel too. The motives for the murders, and the reasons for the way they are carried out, are not as grave and convincing as I would have liked. However, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill, with its charming prose and the beloved Poirot at the helm, is sure to entertain the fans of the golden age mysteries, and I would rate it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Was this review helpful?

As a lifelong fan of Agatha Christie I have been impressed with Sophie Hannah’s tales of Poirot and Catchpool but no-one will ever quite hit the giddy heights of perfection that Christie is so renowned for.

As a coach trip delivers our duo to Kingfisher Hill to investigate a murder, more tales of intrigue are told by two mysterious ladies. Who are these women and what could they possibly reveal about the murder being investigated. On arrival at their destination things become clearer but then twist after turn and a roundabout of characters makes discovering the killer more complex.

I really enjoyed this book but it seemed to get a bit confusing in parts with so many characters whose stories seemed to muddy the waters rather than provide clarity. We luckily had Catchpool to sum up our evidence at points in the book but I always feel Christie’s stories are told in a clean, precise manner whereas this seemed a bit rushed and murky. Perhaps it is unfair for me to make the comparison and commend the author on her imaginative re invention of a well loved character.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy. Was uncertain about this novel and almost abandoned it after the first chapter but I am glad I persevered as I found it to be an enjoyable murder mystery.

Was this review helpful?

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill was a very enjoyable read. I didn’t look for similarities or differences with Agatha Christie’s Poirot but just treated this book like any other. And I found it excellent and deeply satisfying - engaging writing style, interesting characters, plenty of twists, an unpredictable ending... It ticked all the boxes and not for one minute I got bored.
I read the book and simultaneously listened to the audio version, which was masterfully narrated. Perfection in every way!

Was this review helpful?

Sophie Hannah gets the character and feel of Agatha Christie's creation Hercule Poirot spot on. From the descriptive settings through to the characters and their pasts they may wish to forget, it has it all.. Interesting premsie setting the scene on a coach taking the cast of characters to Kingfisher Hall. Plenty of red herrings, plot twists and more to keep the reader entertained.

A perfect treat for the many fans of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot.

Was this review helpful?

A great story from Sophie Hannah with Hercule Poirot and Inspector Catchpole at their best. The team work well together on the murder of a restored older son of a very wealthy family. Twists and turns throughout this story from the very beginning to the very end.

Was this review helpful?

Sophie Hannah is known for her unusual style and twisty plots which don't, in my view, always work. However given the iconic Hercule P is portrayed in this latest offering ,I thought I must give it a go.
Sophie Hannah has certainly got Christie's style right and the little Belgium detective is irritatingly himself so is instantly recognizable..
Catchpole on the other hand,is too dim to be believable as as an Inspector.
Although it was a twisty plot, I didn't engage with the characters and cared less about their outcomes.
Whereas Hannah had made a good attempt at Christie, the explainations don't ring true.
A good effort, not quite making the mark

Was this review helpful?

This twisty tale by Sophie Hannah is based loosely on Christie’s plot. The book is well plotted, but the characters just didn’t work out like they would have for Agatha Christie.
I so wanted to love this book, being the thriller junkie that I am, but I just couldn’t.
However, it was a fun and light read overall !

Was this review helpful?

A new Sophie Hannah Poirot novel is always a treat and this much-anticipated 4th outing doesn’t disappoint.

After an unexpectedly eventful coach journey and with the hapless Inspector Catchpool in tow, Poirot arrives at the Kingfisher Hill estate, the home of the Devonport family. His visit has been orchestrated by the family’s only surviving son, Richard Devenport in order for Poirot to prove the innocence of his fiancée Helen, convicted of the murder of his brother Frank.

If this isn’t enough to unravel, soon there is another murder for Poirot to solve.

As well as a satisfying plot, the novel is full of memorable characters. I would really love to see more of the brilliant and terrifying aunt Hester and her gormless nephew. I don’t know what it is about the combination of aunts and nephews, think “Travels with my Aunt” or any of the Bertie Wooster novels but they work so well. I’m not sure that anyone in any of the original Christie novels managed to best Poirot so spectacularly but it was brilliantly written and made me laugh out loud.

I was lucky enough to receive ARC editions of both the text and audiobook versions of this novel (I was desperate to read it) and would like to thank NetGalley, Harper Collins and Sophie Hannah for the opportunity to review them.

I have purchased and loved audiobook versions of the previous books in this series and think that Julian Rhind-Tutt’s delivery is wonderful. However good a novel is, it can be killed by a poor delivery. Luckily, this series has the perfect narrator to enhance it. Loved it.

Was this review helpful?