#TheLastDeathOfTheYear #NetGalley
A masterpiece. Highly recommended.
New Year’s Eve, 1932. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the tiny Greek island of Lamperos to celebrate the holiday with what turns out to be a rather odd community of locals living in a dilapidated house. A dark sense of foreboding overshadows the beautiful island getaway when the guests play a New Year’s Resolutions game after dinner and one written resolution gleefully threatens to perform “the last and first death of the year.” Hours later, one of the home’s residents is found dead on the terrace. In light of the shocking murder, Poirot reveals to Catchpool the real reason he’s brought him to the island—the life of another community member has been threatened. Now both men resolve to ensure that the first murder will be the last.
I adored it. Sophie Hannah has done it again. Highly recommended.

I'm a fan of Sophie Hannah anyway and I do like her Poirot novels. Nobody would mistake them as having actually been written by Agatha Christie - they're definitely Sophie Hannah - but Hercule is well characterised. Here, he's accompanied again by Scotland Yard detective - and narrator - Edward Catchpool, in this case investigating (somewhat under false pretences, as far as Catchpool is concerned) a small community of British and American people living in a house with several names on a Greek island.

The raison d'être of why this group of people are together is a bit odd and more of a Sophie Hannah thing than an Agatha Christie thing. The small group of suspects in the big house definitely is a Christie thing, though, and when a man is murdered - following a cryptic warning about "the last and first death of the year" - Poirot and Catchpool have to quickly get to work. Edward also has to contend with a young woman who claims to have fallen in love with him - not something which is of any apparent interest to him.

I do like Sophie's portrayal of the little
Belgian detective, and there are some real Poirot-esque zingers here ('Poirot, I've been thinking...' I said. 'This is excellent news, mon ami.')

The plot is a little less labyrinthine than Hannah can sometimes be, though the premise is unusual.

A good read as always.

I’ve read all of Sophie Hannah’s Poirot stories so far and I’ve really enjoyed each one of them. The gift of a newly imagined Poirot Whodunnit I always greatly receive and I couldnt wait to get stuck into this one.

Catchpool and Poirot are off on a ‘holiday’ (except Poirot is asking questions to staff on the boat, he’s got his detective face on and Catchpool fears he may have been recruited into a mystery instead of a holiday) and what ensues is a head scratcher for both of them. The mystery deepens!

I found this very easy to read and the author captures the essence of Poirot well. I can never get to the bottom of the case and it’s a good job Poirot is assigned to the mystery and not me! The inevitable end where the detective gathers all the suspects and drops the ‘whodunnit’ bomb is always amongst one of my favourite bits and the end was as satisfying as ever. Really enjoyed!

To start this review, a nod must be made to the sheer excitement at getting to enter back into Hannah’s truly marvellous Poirot series. The son of a Christie fan, I was raised on Poirot both in text and on television. This series is one of those splendid, shared experiences my mother and I get to enjoy, and it’s safe to say she’s incredibly jealous that I’ve gotten to read the finale of the series in advance of her. Hannah has captured Christie’s magic perfectly across the six novels and that is massively in testament to her exceptional skill as an author.
 
Sophie Hannah’s The Last Death of the Year offers a joyful mystery, bolstered by the engaging characterisation of Catchpool and the iconic presence of Hercule Poirot. Catchpool’s humorous narration and self-deprecating charm offer a fabulous perspective within the story, guiding readers while acknowledging Poirot’s legendary sleuthing with the respect it deserves. Despite this being the last book in Hannah’s Hercule Poirot Mysteries, it may perhaps be the ideal entry point for those unfamiliar with the original series, as it will allow new readers to enjoy the mystery without needing too much prior knowledge beyond the legend of Poirot we all have some social resonance of.

Sophie Hannah’s writing style nods to Christie’s classic structure, a meeting of formal timelessness with quirky dialogue. There is a tension in this novel that is akin to Christie’s own work but breathes as the reader progresses allowing it to grow as the perfect pace. Hannah’s decision to explore a community devoted to radical forgiveness, the House of Perpetual Welcome, is an inventive twist that adds layers of haziness to the suspects’ motivations.
 
As a plot, the novel ticks many of the requisite boxes for a book of this nature; an isolated setting, strange customs, and a cast whose secrets unravel at a seamless tempo. Hannah keeps the pages turning with clever reveals and thought-provoking instigation, making this a worthwhile read for cosy crime enthusiasts, whether they're loyal to the originals or just enjoying being reunited with Poirot as a character. With an October release, this is a dream of a book for autumnal nights in the build-up to readers’ New Years of their own.
 
Now, whilst I go and try and wish Lamperos into existence, you should be certain to preorder the final book in Hannah’s Poirot series, The Last Death of the Year…

I really enjoy Hannah's new Poirot mysteries, sometime I have found them to be overly complicated, mirroring Hannah's usual style, but not this one. 'The Last Death of the Year' felt like a Christie Poirot plot. It was fairly simple, with a ensemble cast with secrets. I enjoyed this being set on a Greek island as it meant we got some different scenery and characters.
As always we have Poirot and Catchpool and I really liked Hannah's other cast of characters.
A worthy, enjoyable Poirot read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

" Evil people exist. And some of the good ones are just as bad. Good people, I'm afraid to say, do at least half the harm, which complicates matters."

Hercule Poirot and Inspector Catchpool are back and this time on a small Greek island; it's New Year's Eve and a curious group of people residing at The House of Perpetual Welcome meet for dinner. This is a house where it's owner allows any individuals to come and live and where forgiveness is granted for any past misdemeanours

A game is announced- everyone will write down a resolution and then try to determine the writer. But among the proposed undertakings is an announcement that one of the group will die before the year is over.... tragedy strikes and Poirot and Catchpool have to determine who is the culprit before further crimes could be committed.

Sophie Hannah returns with her sixth Poirot novel and again she captures the nuances and subtleties of the Belgian sleuth with total mastery. As with all Poirot tales ( old and new) there is an element of suspending belief and immersing yourself in the period charm of the story; the location; the privileged lifestyles; the diverse characters all with secrets.. This is complex in its plotting and is like a spider's web of intricate tales- the denouement needs careful reading as the clues were there but with red herrings and misdirection you need tone a master of crime fiction to determine any culprit.

If you like your crime /detective fiction with an old-fashioned charm and flavour then The Last Death of the Year will be a perfect read.

In the sixth book of Sophie’s Hercule Poirot Mysteries – and she still is every bit as capable of bringing Christie’s greatest character to life – Poirot and his friend, Inspector Catchpool are enjoying a winter getaway on the Greek island of Lamperos. It’s a chance to rest, recuperate and swim in the sea… isn’t it? Well, it’s clear that Poirot has other things on his mind than just taking it easy and living in the moment. Those staying at an unusual lodging house begin to make guesses as the clock clicks closer to the new year. Everything gets a bit sinister and it’s not long before Poirot and Catchpool must begin a new investigation, one that will bamboozle readers (in a satisfying way).

It's New Year's Eve in 1932, and Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard is looking forward to a well-earned holiday on the idyllic Greek island of Lamperos. But he soon begins to suspect that Hercule Poirot had another reason for inviting him, one that requires them to catch a murderer before the clock strikes twelve...

The Last Death of the Year is the sixth book written by Sophie Hannah to feature Agatha Christie's famous detective, Hercule Poirot, but it can easily be read as a standalone. This is quite a slow mystery, in keeping with the gentle tone of the originals, but tension simmers from the very first page as Catchpool is recounting events that have already taken place. Catchpool makes for a relatable and humorous narrator, who guides the reader through the story, and reassures us that he is always a step behind Poirot too.

In classic Christie fashion, The Last Death of the Year features a suspicious cast of characters in an isolated location, and Hannah (who has written a book about holding grudges) seems to have added her own twist by making the suspects a religious community centred around forgiveness. I greatly enjoyed the descriptions of Lamperos, and I loved the distinctive characters Hannah has created. I was also impressed by the mystery itself, which kept me guessing to the end without resorting to implausible reveals.

This wasn't quite a five-star read for me, but I loved getting to spend more time with Poirot, and I continue to enjoy Sophie Hannah's take on Agatha Christie. Fans of cosy crime, locked room mysteries, and unlikable characters won't be disappointed.

I am obsessed with the authors original works but this is actually the 1st time ive ever ventured into the Poirot series, having never read the originals either! Obviously I cant compare anything to the original series but I did enjoy it for what it was. Even without having read the series, poirot is a familiar character and this book felt true to the character.

I do much prefer the authors original works but this was a fun wee sidetrack to go down. It definitely had that old timey book feel to the writing and the character didnt need any introduction so it was easy to get straight into the story..... and it did have the kind of vibe id expect from an Agatha Christie story so that was cool. I doubt id go out and purchase the rest of the series as they arent my vibe but id say it delivered what you'd want from a Poirot book

Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells are back in the latest continuation novel by Sophie Hannah. It's New Year's Eve and Poirot and his sidekick, Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard, are on their way to a Greek island to stay in a community of Very Good Friends. The Community of Very Good Friends is about complete forgiveness, no matter what someone's done and the plan is to spread this new religion all over the world. First, though, they have to solve some problems closer to home as it quickly becomes clear that some of the people in this community are not quite the very good friends they seem to be. A game of resolutions commences, but it rapidly turns chilling when someone is threatened with death. When a death does indeed occur, Poirot and Catchpool become more and more tangled in a strange web of lies and changing stories about the people in the community and their past lives.

I enjoy these continuation novels and this one was no exception. There were a couple of times when Poirot said something that made me think, 'He wouldn't say that!' but this didn't really matter much. There are differences between the originals and these books, as one would expect from different writers, but I don't approach them as I would a Christie novel. I think they're good reads in their own right and I like seeing Poirot from another angle and surrounded by new people. Sophie Hannah is an excellent writer and crafts a great mystery here. The story was a page-turner and the ending was clever. I definitely recommend this book.

I thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital review copy of this book.

"The Last Death of the Year" is Sophie Hannah's sixth entry in her continuation of Christie's Poirot.
Set on an idyllic sounding island Greek island, on New Year's Eve, 1932 the setting does seem to tick all ofbthe requisite boxes for a Hercule Poirot outing - an unusual group of people (a decidedly motely crew in this case), a grand house in a lonely setting and a murder. Perfect!
So how has this event come about? Well, Poirot has convinced Hastings to join him for a holiday, though we soon learn that the invite us not an simple as it initially appears. Their accommodation is home to a mix of English and Americans seeking a more forgiving way of life. And the group opts to play a game based on their resolutions, a game that leads to an announcement of murder! Hercule and Hastings have little time to try and prevent this terrible event. A vast amount of text is devoted to exposition between the characters, and much of it is not hugely interesting. We are also missing many of the one of the usually entertaining scenes with Poirot and Hastings.
Overall a good novel but not my favourite in the series.
There is humour however
Reading during a thunderstorm, I am dreaming of visiting Greece

Review of ‘The Last Death of the Year’ by Sophie Hannah, due to be published on 23 October 2025 by HarperCollins UK.

Sixth book in Sophie Hannah’s version of the Hercule Poirot series.

Set on a Greek Island over the course of New Year 1933, Poirot and Catchpole are on holiday at an exclusive ‘community’ resort, when a New Year Resolutions game throws up a missive that one of the members of the community will die.

Each resident is keen to say it was not them, leaving Catchpole and Poirot to figure out who the killer is and what their motive was.

A good read for fans of Agatha Christie’s Belgian Detective.

This is the sixth in the series of Hercule Poirot continuation novels by Sophie Hannah.

We are on a beautiful Greek island on New Year’s Eve, where Poirot and his sidekick Catchpool have been invited to the House of Perpetual Welcome, a community that practises unconditional forgiveness… until one of their number is murdered.

I think that the author is no longer interested in imitating the character of Poirot that we know and love from Christie, beyond confusions about whether he is French or Belgian and two references to his little grey cells. It is strange for instance that we have none of his usual bombast about the importance of justice and truth, even though the house operates quite differently from how Poirot would like the world to run, which you would think would lead to a clear opposition and argument.

Readers will therefore want to know whether the mystery is good enough to counterbalance the somewhat nominal association to the Poirot universe. On the one hand, the setting, setup and some of the characters are interesting and entertaining. On the other hand, the solution is largely unconvincing. Although Christie often reveals crucial information right at the end that prevents readers from solving the mystery, part of the solution here depends on Poirot investigating a hunch which is quite thin.

Overall this is a diverting and enjoyable light read, which many of Christie’s books are, but I hope Hannah will put her little grey cells to work and write a mystery worthy of the top tier Christie books.

I am grateful to have received a review copy from HarperCollins and NetGalley.

[This review will run on my Goodreads upon publication]

I've loved Sophie Hannah's continuations of Poirot as she has brought her unique brand of 'impossible mysteries' to Christie's set up. Sadly, this one falls flat: there just isn't the intriguing plotting, the puzzles and urgency, the characterisation that has made this series so much fun.

Poirot and Catchpool join a small cult-like community on a Greek island but the potential isn't really optimized: there are tedious conversations with characters who don't come to life, and the final solution doesn't make much sense.

I'm hoping this is a blip and we'll be back to Hannah's best soon.

I'm a big Christie fan and Poirot is one of my all-time favourite characters, so it was lovely to find myself in his world of crime once more.

Hannah has done a wonderful job of putting her own stamp on Poirot's voice - it would've been so easy for it to become a caricature! I also enjoyed the original character of Catchpool. His fondness for Poirot and their friendship was very clear, even though he wasn't much of a detective.

There was a bit of humour splashed throughout, mainly about the lack of comfortable chairs and a bumbling Greek detective.

The start of the actual mystery was intriguing and very Christie-esque, but ultimately it all became a bit too convoluted for me. Still, this is a decent addition to the world of Poirot and I think any Christie reader would find something to enjoy in here.


Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC.