This is the fourth of the series written by Sophie Hannah in the new Hercule Poirot series. I have not read the first three but this did not hamper my enjoyment or understanding of the story.
I am a huge fan of Christie and was a little dubious that this would compare favourably, however the writing style is good and clever, almost as well constructed as the original.
I liked the character of the narrator, Catchpool, who is the new assistant for Poirot. He is a quiet unassuming policeman who endeavours to help and keep up with Poirot in equal measure.
The plot is intricate and twisty and has the old fashioned style that a good Poirot mystery has. There are murders to solve and many red herrings along the way. A beautiful mansion and a rich and at war family are at the centre of the first murder that two of them have confessed to.
Thoroughly recommend this and I shall be looking to purchase the earlier novels.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

There can never be enough numbers of Hercule Poirot. The latest Hercule Poirot helps quench the thirst for a good golden age detective novel.

Hercule Poirot is invited to Kingfisher Hills, a place for posh and the rich. He’s called upon by Richard Davenport to investigate the murder of his brother Frank Davenport. But the twist he is not invited in his official capacity but as a disguise.

Hercule Poirot is accompanied by Scotland Yard Detective, Det Catchpool disguised as a businessman. However, the journey to their destination becomes little more exciting than Poirot and his partner initially imagined. They encountered two mysterious characters who disappeared as soon as they appeared.

But as the duo starts investigating, matters become murkier. There is one more murder in Davenport’s residence. Hercule Poirot has to solve the case before more people lose their life.

Hannah’s Poirot may not be the same as Christie’s Poirot, but she has kept the essence of Poirot intact in her book. This book will bring back by the joy of reading a golden age whodunit. A complex mystery coupled with an equal number of motives. As always Poirot has outlined the mystery whereas reader and Det. Catchpool is playing catch up. And that makes it more intriguing because the reader is trying to solve the case too.

This book is a must-read for Agatha Christie’s fan.

My rating for the book is 3.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the book in exchange for my honest review.

This may be based loosely on Christie's Poirot but the twisty, labyrinthine plot is pure Hannah. It takes a while to get going with the Inspector playing catch-up most of the time but without Hasting's comic wrong-footedness and amiability. A fun, light read with a fiendishly tangled story.
Sophie Hannah continues to breathe new life into Agatha Christie’s much loved detective, Hercule Poirot. “The Killings at Kingfisher Hall” is another elegant mystery that perfectly blends the timeless style of Christie with a narrative equally accessible to 21st century readers.

Another fantastic book I have read here,
Fantastically written superb characters ,was engrossed from start to finish
Would highly recommend for others ,

2.5/5

I’ve only read one Sophie Hannah before and I thought it was pretty decent. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one though. I did ultimately appreciate the conclusion and I do still think Sophie Hannah does a great job of bringing her own voice to Poirot. My criticism doesn’t lie in the “she’s nothing compared to Agatha Christie” region because that’s entirely unfair — she isn’t Agatha Christie and I like that she doesn’t force herself to be so.

Instead, my criticism lies in the fact that there was just so much confusion. I can’t remember whose perspective The Mystery of Three Quarters was written from, but I genuinely felt that writing from Catchpool’s perspective in this was a bad decision. I say this because he’s a character who is constantly confused — while he has moments of clarity, his confusion doesn’t help the reader feel any more assured while reading. I like to have some level of certainty when reading detective novels and mysteries but I had absolutely none throughout this based on Catchpool’s deductions.

There were a lot of characters, which normally works really well in a mystery as it gives more scope for plot and allows more potential suspects. However, with this book, there were numerous characters who either blended together, were a main character and weren’t established well, or were so irrelevant that you forgot about them completely. I did really like Richard and Helen... but that’s about it. And they weren’t main characters.

While the plot was labyrinthine in nature, I did think some of it was far-fetched. I couldn’t for the life of me understand a certain character’s motives for confession, even though they explained it at the end. Some scenarios felt they were ultimately included for convenience rather than for logic, which was disappointing.

I wanted to love this as I generally enjoy detective novels and mystery solving, but I couldn’t enjoy this one to the fullest! Regardless, thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Hannah and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan I thought it inconceivable that someone would take over her writing and found it very hard to get used to the “new” Poirot. However I have persevered and the series is definitely growing on me.
The book contains all the usual mysteries, murders, red herrings and denouements you’d expect as well as capturing Poirot’s little idiosyncrasies. The only thing that grates for me is the sheer dull-wittedness of his companion Inspector Catchpool although that provides the perfect foil for our favourite “little Belgian” detective I suppose. Other than this it is an enjoyable murder mystery.

Sophie Hannah continues to breathe new life into Agatha Christie’s much loved detective, Hercule Poirot. “The Killings at Kingfisher Hall” is another elegant mystery that perfectly blends the timeless style of Christie with a narrative equally accessible to 21st century readers.

Called to secretly investigate the murder of Frank Devonport - a board game creator’s son - detective Hercule Poirot and his associate Inspector Catchpool board a luxury coach to the exclusive enclave of Kingfisher Hill. Whilst waiting to depart, they observe a distressed young woman who believes she will be killed if she sits in a certain seat on the coach. Onboard Poirot meets a frosty young woman who confesses that she has murdered a man. As events transpire, will Poirot and Catchpool piece together these mysteries? Are they indeed interlinked? And is the woman who confessed to Devonport’s murder really guilty?

I absolutely love this series! Sophie Hannah has reignited the spark in Poirot and her mysteries keep getting better and better. The very essence of Poirot is captured here, as well as a strong affinity to Christie’s writing style. However, this novel (as with the previous two) are also uniquely Hannah’s. It must have been an incredibly daunting and hard task to bring one of the world’s most revered and beloved detectives back from literary history, but Hannah continues to do a fantastic job. Whilst reading “Kingfisher” I very much got a sense of Christie’s characterisation, but Hannah also makes him a more accessible character for me. Poirot retains his elements of eccentricity, but - frankly - is more likeable than in some of Christie’s classic mysteries. Similarly, her creation of a new companion - Edward Catchpool - is extremely well executed and the dynamic she has created between the two men is part of what makes the narrative so strong. Told from Catchpool’s point of view, “Kingfisher” offers further insight into Poirot’s character through their friendship and crime-solving partnership. I really enjoy seeing the mystery unfold through Catchpool’s eyes, who like the reader, does not always have all of the insight or “little grey cells” that Poirot possesses. This helps to build plenty of suspense and intrigue, keeping pages turning and desires to find out just what is going on burning. The plot progresses at a steady pace, building mystery upon mystery in a classic “whodunit” crime novel style. I particularly enjoyed the moment Catchpool made a list of all the questions he had pertaining to the case, as it beautifully demonstrated just how intricate, complex and clever Hannah’s plot is. There are so many points of intrigue that create a multilayered, intelligent mystery that is astonishing and impossible to guess! Quintessentially, it is perfect crime writing and Hannah is the perfect - nay, only - 21st century writer who could competently and successfully write a Poirot case.

The supporting cast of characters are very well written and I could easily picture a glitzy cast playing them in a big budget television of film adaptation. This is another skill Hannah possesses - the ability to create rich and vibrant visuals for readers. Each of the characters that appear is written with exceptional detail and they literally jump off the pages. For example, Hester Semley appears in a single chapter but her larger than life personality and Hannah’s ability to describe her personality and demonstrate this through her conversation with Poirot makes her extremely memorable. She’s both a humorous and important character in providing us with information that is integral to the case. Similarly, Hannah creates spectacular locations and settings that I found easy to visualise in my mind’s eye, which transported me directly into the action of the novel. The Kingfisher estate is described as a country paradise, but Hannah creates enough mystery around it for readers to query just how idyllic it really is. Hannah has very successfully recreated the world of Poirot again and I genuinely hope that there are many more mysteries to come in this series!

I highly recommend this book for fans of Christie’s classic Poirot cases, those who enjoy timeless crime fiction or for those looking to delve into the world of Poirot for the first time. “The Killings at Kingfisher Hill” does not disappoint!

I love Hercule Poirot and I'm so glad Sophie Hannah continues to do justice to this character. There's something comforting about reading a good Poirot and this latest installment didn't disappoint. There was the usual array of suspicious characters, peculiar behaviour and plenty of Poirot's idiosyncrasies. The plot was cleverly written and even had Poirot's usually well kept moustache in disarray! It was everything you want in a good mystery.

I am a huge fan of Hannah's Culver Valley series and I admit to previously feeling rather fed up that she doesn't write novels featuring Charlie and Simon with more frequently - this has changed now that I have discovered what else she has been devoting her time to! I loved Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series as a child and really got into Poirot from the David Suchet TV portrayal and Hannah has really done Christie justice here. Her depiction of Poirot is spot on, her intricate plotting is masterful and Davenport's and their associates are a thoroughly entitled and unlikeable bunch (the perfect cast of murder suspects). I loved this and will be recommending it widely and will definitely seek out Hannah's earlier Poirot mysteries.

Another solid instalment from Sophie Hannah!
I'm always pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy these considering they aren't Christie's actual work. But one thing I will say is that Sophie Hannah seems to have gotten more comfortable in writing the Poirot stories, it gets progressively more believable the more she writes, which I really like.
I guessed the murderer at 38%, but not the motive (a slightly off the wall one if you will allow me to say so, much more Sophie Hannah than Agatha Christie) hence the 4 stars.

One thing I will say however is that I really REALLY don't like Catchpool. He's clearly meant to be something akin to Captain Hastings or Inspector Japp, but he's just so uninteresting and so resoundingly far off the mark most of the time, that at this point it's a little repetitive.
That said, I will 100% put up with him for more of these book. The way Sophie Hannah writes Poirot, though not completely Christie-like, is so close to the mark that I believe Agatha Christie would love Sophie Hannah. She was absolutely the right person to write these books.

All in all, another good meaty murder mystery with quirky characters and an engaging story. A solid addition to the series!

I've been struggling to figure out how I feel about this. I have read the third book in the "New Hercule Poriot" series, The Mystery of Three Quarters, back in 2018 and, while I liked the premise and the first half of the book, I found the second half a real struggle and I found the book was trying too hard to be smarter than the reader. But I want to keep going with the series - I feel that there is potential, hence why I got a cheap eBook edition of Closed Casket and, when I saw this was up for review, I jumped at it.

And yet... while I do think this is so much better than The Mystery of Three Quarters, there's something missing from it.

I think one of the main problem is that this doesn't feel Christie. I know, I know. No one can write an Agatha Christie like Agatha Christie, and you can tell that Sophie Hannah is a huge fan of Christie's work and respects Christie and Poirot, due to the little nods to Christie's works that shine throughout - horrible families (Appointment with Death & Hercule Poirot's Christmas), a confession of murder at the start/near start of the novel (The Hollow & After the Funeral), a possible innocent in prison (Sad Cypress), a mystery body in a room (The Body in the Library &, maybe, Evil Under the Sun) and there was a character that reminded me of Miss Marple (Sophie Hannah's nod to Christie other great work?), but there is something labyrinth about the plot/murder that feels very un-Christie. I can't put my finger on what, exactly, but there's something about this plan that feels off.

But there is a strong mystery. It's better than Three Quarters, though the solving of the crime feels a little "Oh! Really?" (Hannah does play fair. She does what Christie did within her novels and give everyone the clues to solve the crime, though we look at them in the same way as Catchpool...), but it does feel a little far-fetched.

Though I got eARC and audiobook via NetGalley, I did audiobook this and I did enjoy myself with it. I liked the narrator - Julian Rhind-Tutt - and I do think audiobook this series might be the way to go for me. Though there were one or two times I wish characters's voices had more difference (though his Poirot is wonderful!).

I did like this and I think I am going to continue with this series (maybe Closed Casket). I just wanted something more from this, which didn't deliver.

As an Agatha Christie fan I do enjoy reading Sophie Hannah's interpretation of Poirot. In her latest book Poirot travels to Kingfisher Hill estate at the request of one of the household to prove his fiancee is innocent of murder.

Whilst travelling, Poirot meets 2 mysterious women on the train who seem somehow to be connected to the case he is to investigate.

Whilst I think the author is a very talented writer, I was not as gripped with this book as I was with her last one. I did enjoy her interpretation of Poirot but felt the story lacked imagination and was at times over complex with too many characters. I will however read the next Poirot book as I do enjoy the nostalgia the author brings to her stories.

This fourth entry in the series I found harder-going than the previous three. It is very slow at the start and I felt like telling the coach driver to get a move on!

However, it is well-written and most ingenious. New readers should be aware that this series is very much different in plotting and writing style to Christie's originals, but no less enjoyable and puzzling.

Highly recommended and certainly not "Christie-lite".

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the digital review copy.

I really enjoyed The Killings at Kingfisher Hill.
I thought the story was written brilliantly and in the style of Hercule Poirot. I haven't yet read any of Agatha Christie's novels (much to my shame!) but I adore watching the tv adaptations and could visualise The Killings at Kingfisher Hill as a drama. I thought the characters were all fitting for the story, my favourite being Hercule! And there was a great amount of humour within the story.
Sophie Hannah has achieved in creating a wonderful whodunit, and who else could solve it?? The 'world's most famous detective' of course.

Sophie Hannah is continuing to prove that Hercule Poirot is in safe hands. This is the fourth of the new mysteries and it feels for me like every novel is a literary love letter to Agatha Christie. The stories are respectful of the legacy but not afraid to branch out a little.

In the spirit of Poirot there has been a heinous crime but somehow it's all still very civilised, just like these books should be. I'm in the minority of people who like the spiced up BBC adaptations (especially when they put Aidan Turner in) but to do that with a book....well it just wouldn't be right. Anyway heinous crime, Poirots on the scene and our narrator Catchpool is there to be his willing foil. The plot is full of red herrings and twists and Catchpool been clueless. Which I find quite endearing.


A great addition to the Poirot library.

This was a great, easy and classic murder mystery. It was nice to see Hercule Poirot back, and this was typical of that kind of story.

I found it a little frustrating at times - the characters were all pretty ridiculous, but that's the nature of these kind of books.

It was an enjoyable, escapist read.

As ever with the Sophie Hannah Poirot books, this is great. The characterisation of Poirot feels authentic, the twisty turns of the mystery feel well plotted and the core tenant of Christie mysteries, that once the solution is revealed to you, you realise you had all the clues to solve it yourself, and you just missed it, is met.

It's an enjoyable read with a good cast of characters, and the core mystery works well (even if I did think it was sign posting a different solution) However, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the previous Hannah Poirot books. I'm entirely sure that this is down to the book itself, I gulped this down in an afternoon (which is testament to how compelling it is), which may not be the best way to read it. I find with mysteries you need to have time to let the characters really come alive outside of the book, and give the puzzles time to percolate in your head.

If you're a fan of Christie, you'll find this a sensitively, well drawn, authentic feeling Poirot mystery, and you'd be hard pressed to not enjoy it. My advice? Read it slightly more slowly than I did and you might enjoy it a touch more!

A perfect blend of mystery!
I was not immediately hooked but as the story unfolded, I liked it. The certain plot twist, character introduction was very interesting. But sadly, I felt a little confused while reading, it felt a little repititive in the writing tone and narrative. But when I re-read it became more clearer. I would have enjoyed it even more if the writing could have been a little more crisp and precise.

I really struggled to engage in this novel which surprised me as I have read and watched all the original Poirot and Marple novels by Christie but I just didn't feel it!

Maybe its because my expectations were set too high or because the legend that is Captain Hasting was missing it just seemed lacking to me.

Sigh! It makes me sad to have to give this latest Poirot mystery 3 stars. I have tried to read and enjoy all of Sophie Hannah's re-visit of the famous detective but each I struggle to enjoy it.

As a narrator, Inspector Edward Catchpool is very wordy. He tells the story - or makes a comment in 30 words - when 10 would do just as well. Maybe Sophie Hannah created the character to be like that but I find his constant lengthy commentary quite tedious.

However, the underlying mystery of the incident on the luxury coach (who doesn't enjoy a bit of mystery in a closed space?) and the murder of Frank Devonport saves the overall novel. The unravelling by Poirot at the end is always a treat :)

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.