I thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel, which I freely chose to review.
This is the third of Hercule Poirot’s novels by Sophie Hannah (The New Hercule Poirot Mystery) I have read (although it is the fifth in the series), and they have kept me coming back for more. It has been a while since I have read one of Christie’s novels (although I read some of her short fiction not that long ago), and I am aware that big fans might feel differently about this series of novels, but I have enjoyed them as solid mysteries in the classic style that pay an homage to one of Christie’s most famous and celebrated characters (and one either you love or you love to hate).
This novel is set around Christmas, and as is the case with this series, is narrated in the first person by Inspector Edward Catchpool from Scotland Yard, Poirot’s sidekick, friend, and companion in many adventures. He writes the accounts of the mysteries after the fact, and in this case, he decides to describe what happened following a conversation with Poirot, to try to make his point and prove he is right and Poirot is wrong (and although it doesn’t matter, I think Catchpool is right, by the way). When we get to the end (and don’t worry, I won’t share any spoilers), Poirot acknowledges, somewhat reluctantly, that they are both right. But, of course, he has to have the last word.
I have grown fond of Catchpool, and although he appears too pliable to Poirot’s wishes and not always quick-thinking or determined enough, having an insight into his thought processes and his opinions make him more relatable and easier to empathise with. And, in this particular novel, meeting Cynthia, his mother, and getting a glimpse of what their relationship is (and has been) like, made me like him more. His mother is overbearing, doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and ignores anything and anybody who tries to contradict her or resist her dictates and wishes. In many ways, she has many of Poirot’s defects (or “peculiar personality traits”, depending on how you view our Belgian friend), so the fact that she annoys Catchpool so much is quite funny. I must confess I loved Cynthia, but wouldn’t want her for my mother, that is for sure.
I think Hannah does a good job of recreating Poirot, and I found him credible in his behaviour, his speech, and his methods. The rest of the characters are not as well drawn, but they make an interesting collection of suspects, and the circumstances of the case are quite intriguing and peculiar. As is the rigueur in most classic mysteries, this story is pretty gentle when it comes to violence (the crimes are violent, but they take place off the page and are not extreme) and language, and no specific warnings come to mind.
I enjoyed the humour of the novel, as well as the mystery and the investigation process, and the interaction between the characters. The writing flows easily and its style is pretty functional and does not get in the way of telling the story. I know some readers have taken issue with the ending and feel that the author breaks the rules of the golden age detective mysteries, as readers are not given all the information necessary to solve the crime. I don’t necessarily agree with that. It would be fairer to say that readers are not given all the information necessary to come up with a full explanation of the reasons behind the crime, but I think there are enough clues to strongly suspect the guilty party. One thing is certain though, readers need to keep their wits about them and pay attention to every word and every gesture people say and do, and to any clues mentioned (and even those that might not appear to be a clue). The ending is pretty classic as well, with the bonus of the discussion (with psychological and philosophical undertones) between Poirot and Catchppol, and I thought it suited the story well.
Anybody looking for a light mystery, and curious to see what Poirot is up to in this series, should give one of these books a try, although purists might prefer to reread the originals. I haven’t read all of the books in Hannah’s The New Hercule Poirot Mystery series, and that isn’t a problem, as they can be read independently.

A perfect murder mystery for the festive season. This, the fifth of Sophie Hannah’s stories about Agatha Christie’s iconic detective, Hercule Poirot, does not disappoint.
The story takes Poirot and his friend Inspector Catchpole of Scotland Yard to Norfolk at the instigation of Cynthia, Catchpole’s mother, to investigate a murder in a local hospital. Their stay at the crumbling home of terminally ill Arnold Laurier and his wife, Vivienne is fraught with potential danger due to the house being in an area prone to coastal erosion and Arnold due to go into the same hospital that the murder took place in. Will Poirot manage to solve the murder in time to celebrate Christmas the way that he wants to?
I am really enjoying Sophie Hannah’s take on Hercule Poirot. I have been reading Agatha Christie’s books for longer than I care to remember and Poirot is a firm favourite of mine and Sophie is certainly doing him justice.
A highly recommended read for the Christmas season.

'Hercule Poirot's Silent Night' by Sophie Hannah is a pitch perfect evocation of Agatha Christie's hero. Poirot and Inspector Catchpool's quiet Christmas plans are disrupted by the arrival of Catchpool's mother and her sharing of a murder mystery that has left everyone baffled. In a cottage hospital in Norfolk an apparently jolly patient was murdered, and despite there appearing to be no evidence for it, there are fears that Cynthia Catchpool's terminally ill friend will be the next victim. As a result, Poirot and Catchpool go to the crumbling Norfolk home of her friend to try to identify the killer before they strike again, and with the aim of getting it done in time to return to the quiet Christmas they had planned.

This was a gorgeous read, that is perfect for Christmas. Hannah managed to capture the characters of the two main protagonists really well. She also added some complexity to Catchpool's character through his reactions to his overbearing mother. The array of potential suspects were well done and I enjoyed the stereotypical addition of the blundering police officer. My only sadness is that I have already read this book and can't save it for curling up under a blanket during the Christmas holidays.

In this country house mystery, Poirot and Catchpool investigate the murder of the most jolly man imaginable. (It's not Father Christmas.) And in doing so, find themselves spending the holidays in anything but jolly circumstances.

I have been a long standing fan of the new Poirot books by Sophie Hannah. This fifth installment in the series is exactly what I have come to expect: a complicated set up worthy of Agatha Christie herself with a slightly lacklustre endgame. Catchpool was at his most Eeyore-like in this book, which got to be a little much, but I'm willing to concede his mother brought out the worst in him. Hopefully, he'll be reined back a little in the next one.

I received this book for free on netgalley in exchange for a review.

Another great Poirot murder mystery. Two seemingly unconnected murders and a house full of suspects in the run up to Christmas.
Sophie Hannah manages to do justice to the subject and keeps to Christies style and formula.
Little pieces of the puzzles appear throughout the novel- as usual I can never guess the murderer which is left until the final summing up by Monsieur Poirot.
A must read for all fans of Agatha Christie, Poirot and Sophie Hannah.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night, the fifth novel in Sophie Hannah’s revamp of Agatha Christie’s most famous character, set in Norfolk in 1931.

Poirot and his friends, Inspector Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard are inveigled into going to Norfolk by Catchpool’s mother, Cynthia, to investigate the murder of Stanley Niven, bludgeoned to death in his hospital room. Cynthia has it all organised. They are to stay at Frellingsloe, a crumbling house on the coast, as the guests of the Laurier family. Arnold Laurier is soon to be admitted to the same hospital and his wife, Vivienne, has an illogical fear that he will be murdered there.

I enjoyed Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night, which is a kind of psychological thriller as it is all about people and the motive, just as Christie’s novels were. It does not, however, have the clarity and “simplicity” of a Christie novel being more cluttered with dialogue, descriptions and inanities unrelated to the plot, e.g. Catchpool’s fractious relationship with his mother. On the plus side there is some sly humour and a more detailed look at the characters.

The plot presents a puzzle. Stanley Niven was murdered between 2.00 and 2.50pm, but all the main contenders have an alibi. Why is Vivienne so sure Arnold will be murdered when he has no link to the Nivens? How was it done? What is the motive? None of it was clear to me until the denouement and then I was underwhelmed. I can see what the author was trying to do in her solution, but I think the strong emotions involved were underplayed. Still, the journey to the denouement is fun. Poirot and Catchpool have landed in a house of strife. Cynthia, as a guest, is mostly above the fray, although she has her moments, but the inhabitants are at each other’s throats constantly. Much of the novel involves getting to the root of the strife, uncovering secrets and putting together a coherent narrative. It’s a hard task with so much information to absorb.

Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night is a good read that I can recommend.

Despite my initial scepticism, I have read all of the Sophie Hannah Poirot novels. I found this to be one of the better. Catchpool is quite an unusual character, in that he seems very unsure of himself and subservient, despite being a senior Scotland yard officer. This presumably, is meant to signify the great regard in which he hold Poirot, and also we see hints of why when we meet his mother.
I liked the plot and the setting, I'm not sure what the story about the house being in danger from coastal erosion added to it though. There are some overly long passages where Catchpool has to relate what he knows to Poirot, when we have just also read his account of it, such as the Christmas tree decorating. Overall though, it is an enjoyable story with a clever reveal and satisfactory conclusion.

The idea behind this series of books by Sophie Hannah is to continue tales in the style of Agatha Christie by using some of her characters. In this case we find Poirot alongside a new companion, Catchpool, investigating a murder and wood be murder in Norfolk, just before Christmas. In my opinion it was not too bad a try (better than many) but just doesn't quite make the mark on a number of levels. For one, Catchpool is made out to be pretty subservient and yet he is also a senior police inspector. I liked him but not the way his character is treated. Secondly, the story is just ridiculous and the way it unfolds eventually seems beyond sense. Last of all, the whole book is just too long for my interest. Cut it by about 20% and provide a more believable murder scene, then maybe it would be more of a hit.

This is the first time I have read a Sophie Hannah Poirot book although I have read the Christie Poirot books many times. Perhaps it is because I am so devoted to the originals, but I struggled to feel that I was in a Poirot story at all. The new sidekick for Poirot, Inspector Catchpool, didn't convince me, and the constant references to his mother were really irritating. In this story, Poirot is summoned to a house that is slowly slipping into the sea to prevent a second murder. Inspector Catchpool's mother has persuaded them both to come, hoping they will stay for Christmas whilst Poirot is keen to solve the crime and return to Whitehaven Mansions before Christmas day. I had expected a Christmassy feel to this novel but it really didn't have that atmosphere, despite Catchpool decorating Christmas tree. The solution when it came was incredibly contrived and came pretty much out of the blue. This is a story that would probably entertain readers who are not too familiar with the original Christie stories but not for diehard Christie fans.

Another Poirot mystery told from the point of view of Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard. He's a mix between Inspector Jap and Captain Hastings from the TV series with a little bit of Dr Watson from Sherlock Holmes thrown in with the way he records all the mysteries he attends with Poirot.

Poirot and Catchpool have been called out to Norfolk right before Christmas to solve the murder of a man in an end of life hospital. Their attendance was requested by the family of another man who will be entering the same hospital to start his own end of life care, and his wife is convinced he will be the next to be murdered - even though the two men did not know each other at all.

I really enjoyed the story and I think Sophie Hannah really does Agatha Christie justice. If I didn't know it couldn't possibly be written by Agatha Christie, I would assume it was! This story actually threw me a little, I'm usually able to work out who the killer is reasonably quickly but this one had a slight twist that I didn't see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Another brilliant Poirot story. The clues are all there but my little grey cells are never able to figure out whodunnit

Despite my initial scepticism of Hannah’s version of our favourite little Belgian, this series has really grown on me and Silent Night is the best so far. I was totally absorbed in the story and at no point did I think this wasn’t written by the Queen of Crime herself. On this occasion, Poirot and Catchpool are cajoled into visiting a grand house on the crumbling cliffs of Norfolk to solve a murder and hopefully prevent another from occurring. Meanwhile the clock is ticking towards the Christmas deadline. Highly enjoyable.

A new Poirot mystery from author Sophie Hannah in the Agatha Christie style. Poirot and Inspector Catchpool are tricked by the Inspectors mother to come for Christmas and investigate the murder of a man everyone liked with no enemies. Who would want to murder him! There are plenty of suspects, but Poirot seems stumped when another murder occurs in the same manner but no obvious connection. This is a mystery with plenty of clues to try and solve yourselves before the finish.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher, HarperCollins UK) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The world's favourite detective is back and he's got a festive murder to solve. Having been persuaded by Inspector Catchpool's mother to take a trip to Norfolk, Poirot and Catchpool are determined to catch the killer and return to London before Christmas day.

But the residents of Frellingsloe House have different ideas, and time ticks by without a clear suspect appearing. Plus someone is determined to stop Poirot uncovering the truth, by whatever means necessary!

The style of Sophie Hannah's Poirot novels really does not disappoint. It's exactly as you imagine it would be, and captures all of the style and quirks we come to expect from Monsieur Poirot, The change of location and characters from the previous novels makes this a great stand alone novel, as well as the continuation of the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this book. I've read few of this author's books before but was a bit sceptical of a new Poirot. I wasn't sure his character would be captured properly but I needn't have worried the was still the same Poirot!

I found the mystery intriguing but thought that maybe there were a few too many characters and thought the end dragged a little bit. I enjoyed the humorous evidence gathering under the guise of decorating Christmas trees, definitely a Christie style thing to do!

Sophie Hannah is TRULY one of the finest! Such a natural at taking on Christie’s style and letting us stay in the world of Poirot for hopefully years to come! Always a must buy for me, Always a hit for me, Always just 5 stars… and I don’t mean that by saying whatever she writes for Poirot I will love, I mean it by saying she hits it out the park EVERY SINGLE TIME! Truly a favourite of mine!
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Thank you beyond belief to Netgalley and the publisher for the early read!!! Can’t wait for my signed special edition pre order to arrive now!!!

I am such a fan of Hannah's Poirot series and this is another great addition to the series. Once again, Hannah really captures Poirot's character and the atmosphere is exquisite. This has the added bonus of being set at Christmas which really added to the eerie, murderous vibes.
This book also sees the return of Catchpool who is an interesting character, has a good relationship with Poirot and helps to explain the plot to the reader. The other characters in this book are strong and all add to the atmosphere and plot of the book.
This is another excellent read from Hannah featuring one of my favourite detectives, a welcome return to Poirot.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

Rating: 1.4/5

This marks Sophie Hannah's fifth outing as the writer the Hercule Poirot continuation series. I have read all five of the books and, unfortunately, I have to say that I have found them increasingly disappointing. This latest offering is the poorest of the bunch. It is tedious and does little to honour the memory of Poirot or his creator, Agatha Christie.

The story is told from the perspective of Inspector Edward Catchpool. Catchpool is the invention of Sophie Hannah and intended to play the role of sidekick that was mostly associated with Captain Arthur Hastings in Christie's Poirot mysteries. It has been reported that Sophie Hannah decided against using Hastings in her continuation books, because that persona represented the prose style of Agatha Christie and she (Hannah) did not believe that another author could, nor should, imitate the style of another writer. Personally, having seen how effectively Anthony Horowitz has been able to mimic and pay suitable tribute to other authors, I would dispute Sophie Hannah's assertion.

I am not convinced by Catchpool. He is supposedly a highly intelligent police inspector, though one who can still learn to hone his detective skills by working with Poirot. All too often he strikes me as not being as bright as he is supposed to be and comes across more like a bumbling Dr Watson to the great Sherlock Holmes.

"Hercule Poirot's Silent Night" really does take forever to get going. The setting should work, but it doesn't succeed in creating that delicious atmosphere that is associated with Dame Agatha's murder mysteries. The cast of characters is disappointingly drawn and Poirot's depiction is increasingly becoming something of a parody of the original Christie version. These traits were already becoming evident in Sophie Hannah's previous Poirot story, "The Killings at Kingfisher Hill", but that book was at least salvaged to a degree by an improvement in the final third of the novel. On this occasion the eventual "big reveal" is quite shoddy and lacking in credibility. I have persevered with this continuation series, but I strongly suspect that this fifth book from Sophie Hannah will mark a parting of the ways.

As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.

Hercule Poirot’s Silent night by Soffie Hannah is the fifth book in his mystery series. I wasn’t aware of this, but you can read this as a standalone novel.
It is a couple of days before Christmas when Inspector Catchpool has been summoned to go home by his mother Cynthia to spend Christmas at ‘Frelly’ House and to bring Poirot with him. When they get there are asked help to solve a murder of a man who was in a private hospital who was found dead. And another man who is due to go into the same hospital for an operation, his wife things he is going to be next. In the meantime, Cynthia wants her son and Poirot to stay at the crumbling mansion that his ending up going over a cliff for Christmas. Poirot agrees to help but wants to be back in London for Christmas. So, he has only given him a few days to solve the case.
This is the first book I have read about Hercule Poirot, but I have watched the TV series and films etc and although I am not an expert but, I think that Sophie Hannah has written this book very well and has got the essence of the characters and time period perfectly. Agatha Christie if she was alive, I think she would be proud. I enjoyed this book more than I thought it I would and gladly go back and read the others in this series. 4 stars from me.

What better Christmas treat than a new Poirot mystery? Sophie Hannah isn't Agatha Christie, but she's taken on the task of recreating the iconic detective with such love and humour that it's close to as good as the real thing. Once again, the story is narrated by Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard, a friend of Poirot's and a likeable character.

Catchpool is looking forwards to spending Christmas with his friend, when they are both called away to solve a murder that took place several months before. The dead man was a lovely, jolly chap universally well liked, and was killed in a hospital ward. The identity of his murderer remains a complete mystery, especially to the comically useless local police inspector. Or rather - it doesn't remain a mystery to him - he's convinced he knows who it is, on the most ludicrous of grounds.

Poirot and Catchpool are called in by a family who happened to be visiting the ward at the time of the murder, inspecting it before their relative Arnold Laurier was admitted for end of life care. The wife of Laurier is convinced that her husband will be next to be murdered if he sets foot in the hospital - where he's due to be admitted in the new year. Meanwhile Laurier has determined to spend his last weeks solving the murder. Can Poirot unravel the crime before anyone else gets killed, and in time for him and Catchpool to return to London for the quiet Christmas they had planned?

As you'd expect, there are baffling circumstances, people with secrets, red herrings and mysterious goings on. It's a bit shorter (I think) than some of Hannah's Poirot novels - although it may be just that I read it too quickly! As ever, it's well written, bowling along at a good pace, entertaining and amusing in parts. I didn't manage to work out who did it, which is refreshing, but the resolution does make sense and is less far fetched than some 'cosy' crimes.

I liked the festive setting, even though I'm not someone who is a big fan of Christmas, there's something about the escapism of Poirot's world combined with the idea of a magical Christmas that creates a lovely atmosphere. I enjoyed reading and this would be a perfect Christmas gift for the detective fiction fan in your life - and if you are that detective fiction fan yourself, it's never too early to treat yourself.