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The Killings at Kingfisher Hill

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A predictable read - but predictable in a good way. Sophie Hannah has perfectly captured the way Agatha Christie wrote the Poirot mysteries. In this book, we see Poirot and his police sidekick Catchpool invited to Kingfisher Hill to solve the murder of Frank Devonport. But of course it isn’t that straightforward. Poirot and Catchpool meet 2 women on the coach journey there who are connected with the people at KingFisher Hill. We meet a whole cast of typical Christie characters, we are given red herrings and, as we read, we watch Poirot solve the mystery in true Poirot style. I just love the characters- some we detest and others we can sympathise with. Well worth a read if you are a Poirot fan.

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Full disclosure here, I haven't actually read many Agatha Christie books, apart from the odd short story read to me by the wonderful Hugh Fraser on AudioBook. Most of my knowledge about Poirot (and indeed Marple) comes from the wonderful (mostly) TV adaptations. This means that I have no idea whether Ms Hannah sticks to what Christie did best but I do know that I really enjoyed reading this book.
Although, that said, Poirot on a coach... hmmm... interesting! But he is, so there we are.
As per my prior experience with Poirot, the plot contained within this book is deliciously interconnected and convoluted. I definitely had to have all my wits about me (and then some) and I still only just managed to draw level with Poirot as he endeavoured to prove the innocence of a woman who has herself already confessed to murder. It's centered around a family living in a big house - yep that old chestnut - but it's a tried and tested formula which has worked well in the past and does so here too. Throw in a bit of house and partner swapping and we have us a doozy of a mystery to solve. But we start on a coach where Poirot and Catchpool (a conglomeration of Hastings and Japp) come to the rescue of a frightened woman who has been threatened...
As already said, I have nothing really to compare this with Christie wise. But Poirot is as Poirot does and is highly recognisable (from what I know from TV anyway). Catchpool is his trusty new sidekick and does his job well. The plot is interesting and intriguing and kept me on my toes throughout, flummoxing me yet compelling me to read on. And the ending, when it eventually came, was delivered in Poirot's own inimitable way and wholly satisfied me.
Other characters were well drawn and played their parts well and there was little padding and waffle to distract.
All in all a cracking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Whether it will also tick the box of Christie aficionados I have no idea. Maybe give it a try... never know. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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Judging by book sales, it’s fair to say that millions have enjoyed reading Agatha Christie’s detective novels that featured her legendary Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot. Now, nearly 100 years on, he returns to solve more murder crimes with Sophie Hannah, a British poet and novelist, known for her psychological crime novels.

The fourth novel in her New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill (HarperCollins UK, Pub date: 20 August 2020) is a tale with all the classic elements of a Christie whodunit: a family with strange going-ons among its members, dark secrets they try hard to keep, a family home , murder (of course), suspects who dislike and tell on each other, the indefatigable probing by Poirot, red herrings, and the final reveal, which Poirot does with great flourish. Oh yes, there’s also Poirot’s sidekick.

I didn’t quite know what to expect before I started to read this novel. Questions abound in my mind. Will the resurrected Poirot be up to the task this time? Will the plot be riveting and suspenseful? One might think not, without his equally famous creator Christie. I need not have doubted because just two chapters in the book, I already felt the suspense rising.

Sophie Hannah has taken on Christie’s mantle remarkably well and does her proud with this latest Poirot mystery, which is told in a similar, if not better, vein. Without doubt it has a lot of twists and turns, which often left me clueless and bewildered. This is unarguably vintage Christie and I absolutely love it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HaperCollins UK for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for a fair review.

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I am so pleased that Sophie Hannah has been writing new Poirot novels as she is so good at writing complex twists and turns.

This story starts on a coach on the way to Kingfisher Hill and at the start, I thought Poirot would never get there, there was so much going on. So many different threads were started in the first few chapters and I was intrigued as to what the real murder actually was.

As the book went on, it didn’t disappoint and more threads came which all got nicely tied up at the end.

There really is no difference in the style of writing, Sophie Hannah has captured Poirot’s charm excellently and he is still using his little grey cells to solve such complex cases

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I do love a good murder mystery and am delighted that Sophie Hannah has taken up the mantle for the Poirot series.
In this tale we have a plethora of red herrings and possible motives. We are led far down a path towards a particular person, only to find that we are doing a u turn and going in another direction.
Kingfisher HIll is an exclusive estate and we start with Poirot and Catchpole catching a Kingfisher bus to visit there. They have been invited by Richard Devonshire to investigate the murder of his brother as he doesn't believe that his brother's financee, who confessed to it, is responsible for killing him. To complicate matters, they are having to go undercover as Richard's parents have no idea that he has invited them for this and are under the belief that they are keen on the board game developed by Richard's father and his friend. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, their cover is blown and they have to leave. Only to return to lead an official investigation. There are lies upon lies and Poirot in his usual style teases out the truth to find the killer.

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I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

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Sophie Hannah’s ‘The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’ was a joy to read. Hannah provides the reader with a very plausible Poirot, without it feeling like a pastiche. She is not only focussed on plot, but also on developing characters that have depth. I very much enjoyed relaxing and reading this book, knowing I was in safe hands.

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The inimitable Hercule Poirot is back in the 4th instalment of Sophie Hannah's rebooted series. This time our hero is on his way to solve the puzzle of who committed one murder when confronted with another mystery involving a murder confession, a threat to kill and a family with a multitude of secrets.

Taking on the mammoth task of writing a new Hercule Poirot mystery is a big step, Agatha Christie is a hard act to follow after all but Sophie Hannah excels. As a livelong Christie fan I was expecting to find this a passable but not entirely authentic rendition of a much loved character however, Hannah has completely captured the essence of Ms Christie's work to the point that you will at times completely forget that you are not reading the real thing.

Die hard purists may refuse to read anything not from the hand of Agatha Christie but I urge them to reconsider and pick this book up. They will not be disappointed and how wonderful to see one of literatures most endearing characters get a new lease of life

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As a fan of Agatha Christie's books as well as several of Sophie Hannah's earlier books, I found this an enjoyable read. The plot is intricate and interesting with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing, and the more I got into it the more I wanted to keep reading to find out what had happened. Poirot is recognisable as the character created by Agatha Christie yet Sophie Hannah has also developed the character and made it her own. There are several other memorable characters. I particularly enjoyed the scene where one of the other characters patronises Poirot in the same way that he often does to others, especially his sidekick Inspector Catchpole, who is always at least a few steps behind Poirot in understanding what is going on.
I'd definitely recommend this and I hope that further Poirot books will follow.

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I have been a fan of Agatha Christie for many years and have always avoided reading books by other authors using her characters in case i was disappointed. I was wrong. The plotting, characters and style are authentic, the clues ambiguous and the whodunit finale exemplary.

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Poirot and Inspector Catchpool are on their way to the Kingfisher estate to investigate a murder. A woman has confessed to the crime but her new fiancé is convinced of her innocence. On their coach journey to the estate, a strange encounter with a woman claiming she will be killed if she sits in a particular seat means there is a lot more to this story than first appears.

I hadn't come across these new Hercule Poirot mysteries before, but as a big Agatha Christie fan I was excited to read one. Hannah totally captures the character of Poirot in a story that could be one of Christie's own, but with a voice that is distinct enough to not be copycat. It was a short, easy read with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing and trying to figure it all out, just as a Christie book does and should, and has made me want to read more Agatha Christie, and more Sophie Hannah!

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The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah
I must admit to the fact that although I have never really been a fan of Agatha Christie I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Sophie Hannah’s outings with Hercule Poirot. Indeed I enjoyed this book most of the four she has so far written. The labyrinthine plot is definitely reminiscent of classic Agatha Christie and the “little grey cells” were continually at work keeping up with the numerous twists and turns.
At one point Poirot asks Catchpool, his new Hastings, to make a list of all the questions to which he wishes to establish the answer and I found this very useful to clarify my own thoughts. The plot of the story involves Poirot and Catchpool travelling to Kingfisher Hill in an attempt to prove the innocence of Helen Acton, who has been sentenced to hang for the murder of her fiancé. They have been asked to travel their by the brother of the murdered man and are asked to pose as two people fascinated in the game, called Peepers, which the owner of the house is developing.
As with Agatha Christie novels the death of any servants is seen merely as an inconvenience and she conveys the self-obsessed character of the hugely wealthy very well. This is definitely a novel which fans of Poirot should enjoy as long as they can cope with a few inconsistencies with the Christie character. For instance it is very difficult to imagine Christie’s Poirot embarking on a long journey by coach. I will be recommending this novel and thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review.

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This novel is just pure class, as a Christie fan I was unsure if I would be able to read it without trying to pick it apart and compare it but I didn’t do that once. I was swept away with Poirot and Catchpole from the very beginning, it was definitely them! There’s everything you’d expect from a Poirot mystery, murder (obvs) a country house, red-herrings, twist & turns, a confused Catchpole, unreliable witnesses and at the end Poirot’s big reveal all pulled together in an elegant writing style. I truly loved reading this and will definitely be reading the other ‘new’ Poirot novels that Sophie Hannah has written.

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Sophie Hannah is brilliant at recreating the character of Poirot and capturing the mystery of the original Agatha Christie books. ‘The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’, is another great murder mystery as although we seem to know the identity of the murderer from the outset (she has confessed and is waiting to be executed by hanging) Poirot and Inspector Catchpool are instructed by the victim’s brother to investigate the murder to try to find the identity of the true murderer.
There are many twists and turns and clues planted along the way as one would expect. I enjoy the character of Poirot, Sophie does an excellent job at writing the books, and this is yet another great one and worthy to be released to celebrate 100 years of the character of Poirot - long may he continue.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Sophie Hannah emulates many aspects of the classic golden age of crime in her resurrection of Agatha Christie's famous Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot, there is the country house, murder, a wide range of usually dislikeable suspects, confessions, and the final gathering in which Poirot reveals the truth. Poirot has been asked by Richard Devonport to find the evidence to exonerate his fiancee, Helen Acton, from the murder of his talented and charismatic estranged brother, Frank, on his return to the family fold and home in the exclusive gated Kingfisher Estate in Sussex. Helen has confessed to the murder, incarcerated at the grim Holloway Prison, and is going to be hanged. Poirot, and his faithful Scotland Yard sidekick and narrator, Inspector Edward Catchpool, are on their way to Sussex on a motor coach with 30 passengers, a journey that turns out to be eventful and so dramatic that various mysteries arise.

Poirot and Catchpool arrive at the wealthy Devonport family country home under false pretences, they are undercover, unable to question anyone or raise the murder of Frank, as the dominant, stubborn and bullying head of the family, Sidney, and his dying wife, Lilian, have expressly forbidden it. However, after another confession, Poirot and Catchpool's real identities are revealed and they are sent packing. As you might imagine, this is hardly likely to prevent Poirot from investigating as he tries to untangle the various stories and lies told by the suspects. When another murder is discovered at the Devonport's home, Catchpool and Poirot return to the estate, this time in an official capacity, is there more than one killer running amok? In a twisted narrative, Poirot with Catchpool's help, must get to the bottom of what appears to be numerous impossibly twisted mysteries before revealing the truth at the end.

There is much that is recognisable in Christie's character of Poirot in Hannah's resurrection of him, he is still fastidious and egotistical, with a rock certain belief in his superiority, in his infallible abilities to wade through the mass of confusion, chaos, deception and lies, to unmask who killed the two murder victims. However, Hannah's Poirot is not Christie's, and the plotting is different too, it is more complicated and twisted, and for me a little more jarring and not as seamless as the original Poirot crime mysteries. That said, Hannah is not expected to replicate the original Poirot, and she does come up with complex and intelligent plotting, full of twists and turns. An entertaining read that manages to pay homage to Christie and Poirot. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

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The Killings at Kingfisher Hill was a fast paced whodunnit with a clever plot and ending. As an old AC fan it was a nice familiarity to have Poirot back as the leading detective. I generally enjoyed the book however it was not the quick read that I tend to prefer.

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Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. There is one strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there from the rest of the Devonport family. On the coach, a distressed woman leaps up, demanding to disembark. She insists that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. A seat-swap is arranged, and the rest of the journey passes without incident. But Poirot has a bad feeling about it, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered in the Devonports' home with a note that refers to ‘the seat that you shouldn’t have sat in’.Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And can Poirot find the real murderer in time to save an innocent woman from the gallows?

I always look forward to Hannah's version of Poirot and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this. However, let us face it, they are not going to set the world alight and they are quite frankly very similar. I always know what I will get with a Poirot read, not necessarily a bad thing but does mean I know there will not be any shocking twists.

Having said this, I did really enjoy this read and one aspect Hannah does expertly is creating the atmosphere of a Poirot read and his mannerisms. This is Poirot through and through and who can complain about spending time with one of crime's great detectives.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the cast of characters in this read. Hannah has used an array of personalities and brought them together in a fraught and deadly situation. I liked getting to know them and learning about their different relationships along the way. The plot may be similar to others but I appreciated the unique characters.

'The Killings at Kingfisher Hill' is an atmospheric read featuring a well beloved character. The plot is dull but the characters shine through.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

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

an hercule proirot novel written not by agatha christia but sophie hannah, who has a knack of writing that wont disappoint fans of the renowned author

a murder has been committed and the murderer has been sentenced to death by hanging

hercule priorot and his trusty sidekick are invited to investigate this murder but on the way there a strange occurrence happens

an enjoyable read and i love to jump back into priorot world every so often, looking forward to the next book in this series

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Anyone who is a fan of Hercule Poirot will surely love this book and won’t be disappointed. An excellent mystery with plenty of problems to solve and everything explained at the end. What more could you ask for! Thank you #netgalley

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Somehow, this is the first Sophie Hannah Poirot I've read. I was really excited to see how well it stands up against the classic Agatha Christie Poirots that were one of the main reasons I got into crime fiction in the first place, twenty-plus years ago.

The answer, for me at least, is … not that well.

Hannah does a pretty good job of capturing the attitudes and style of writing of Christie's time. Her Poirot is … close. Like a skilled celebrity impersonator. You can tell it's not the real thing but it's good enough to enjoy for a while.

Where the book fell down for me was primarily the plot. Christie's plots were elegant, with multiple tiny details you didn't notice on first read-through adding up to the solution. Her character motivations, though often dated, always struck me as psychologically sound. The plot of this book, however, is unnecessarily convoluted. Too many of the apparently important details didn't contribute to the solution at all – and not in the sense of red herrings. More like the detectives didn't know which details were important so had to explain everything, no matter how trivial (and this is Poirot we're talking about!). It felt like the bones of a good Christie murder mystery were there, but clumsily executed and padded. I also found the character motivations wildly implausible and the reasons behind the deaths pretty thin. 'Human nature' was always a key driver of Christie's books but I don't feel like Hannah's characters showed any such depth; they were more like puppets forced to dance in increasingly twisted ways to serve the plot. And the dialogue was frequently long-winded and expository.

Overall, I'm really not that impressed and I wouldn't rush to read another in the series – which is a great disappointment.

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