Hercule Poirot lives again in this book by Hannah, in Agatha Christie's style. Poirot has been summoned to the exclusive estate by Richard Devonport to prove that his fiancee, Helen, didn't kill his brother as she has confessed to. An added layer of oddity is he must disguise his business there, and Poirot does, pretending to be an enthusiast of the board game, Peepers, which the Devonport family had a hand in. But things get off to an even weirder start, when a woman on the train freaks out and claims that someone told her she'd die if she sat in a particular seat, and when Poirot takes her chair, the woman next to him, claims to have murdered someone - and then is also at Kingfisher Hill. Who really killed Frank Devonport and why? It will take all the "little gray cells" to figure this case out. I really enjoyed the board game aspect, as a board gamer, and overall it was a good mystery. I just can't help but feel it wasn't as good as Agatha's though.

The latest Hercule Poirot mystery finds the intrepid Poirot and his friend, and narrator of this tale, Inspector Edward Catchpool on a coach heading from London to the Kingfisher Hill country estate in Surrey in 1931. Poirot has been invited to the estate to look into a murder, though he does not reveal to Catchpool the reason for their journey right away. A woman has confessed to the crime, but the man who has invited Poirot to the estate is convinced of her innocence and hopes that Poirot can confirm his belief before she is hanged. The situation is complicated by the fact the murder victim is the brother of the man who has invited Poirot to the estate and the confessed killer is the man's fiancee.

A second mystery is presented before Poirot and Catchpool reach Kingfisher Hill. Both men notice that one of their fellow coach travelers is behaving very oddly, ultimately revealing that she has been told that she would be murdered if she sat in a particular seat. The woman clutches a novel close and is intent on hiding its title. She implores Poirot to swap seats and ultimately gets off the coach before Poirot and Catchpool reach their destination. The journey is unusual, to say the least.

I have really enjoyed Ms. Hannah's continuation of the Poirot series; each offering feels like an authentic Christie mystery to me and this one was no different. It involves a remote country estate setting, a limited number of suspects, a locked room mystery, and complex plot lines that are eventually tied together. And, of course, Poirot's use of his little gray cells to deduce the truth. I liked Catchpool's narration and felt he was in the same boat as the reader trying to figure out what was truly going on, until Poirot revealed all.

This review is based on a digital advanced reader's edition I received via NetGalley and William Morrow's Scene of the Crime Early Read program. Many thanks to William Morrow for an early opportunity to read the latest Hercule Poirot!

This novel carries on the tradition of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries. Poirot and his side kick Catchpool journey by coach to the Kingfisher Hill estate at the request of Richard Devenport, who wants them to prove that his fiancée is innocent of his brother’s murder. Strange incidents with two women on the coach offer significant clues to the events that follow. When they arrive at the home another murder occurs. Many clues and red herrings in this slow-going complicated story climax with Poirot’s solution to the puzzle with all of the subjects gathered for the revelation. This was a traditional country house murder mystery and the author has done a good job of intricate plotting and carrying on Poirot’s crime-solving skills. However, I did find the action somewhat confusing to follow, and the exposition to drag on a bit.

I devour these new Poirot novels, and the latest was no exceptions. The set-up, the mixture of vile and entertaining characters, all lead up to another stellar read for the little grey cells. Onto the next I hope!

Wow, this was really good. I like to read old mysteries, and Agatha Christie is one of the best, and her mysteries hold up pretty well This was perfect, and I could have been fooled into thinking it was written by Agatha Christie. Will need to find the previous works now. Highly recommend.

Sophie Hannah is a brilliant goddess of a genius and you'll never convince me otherwise! Though her Poirot renditions are not my favorites of her books, I am always thrilled to read anything she writes. It's incredible to get a quick peek into her bright brain!

I was given this book as an early read promotion.

This is a series with Inspector Edward Catchpool, where he is asked to come to investigate a death but they must come pretending they are fans of the "Peepers" game. When they arrive it is like the murder never happened, until someone else is murdered.

At times I found the book to be "slow" and it lost my attention. I ended up speed reading portions of the book because of this. I do enjoy Agatha Christie books, and this did have some of the same "feel". But it did not grab my attention to where I could not put it down.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for am honest review.*

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill find Agatha Christie's famous sleuth M. Poirot and Inspector Catchpool on their way to the exclusive community outside London. The two have been called upon to investigate a crime already solved: the murder of Frank Devenport, ostensibly by his fiancée. While en route the two encounter two women, one who willingly shares her murderous secret and the other whose panic can only be explained by an ominous warning that if she sits in the only seat left on the bus she will die.

What follows is a very Christie twisted plot with lots of details that seem superfluous but all get wrapped up in the end. While some pieces I could connect, the implausibility of anyone making sense of the moving pieces has always frustrated me about Christie's approach to mysteries. There are so many details, and if you try to read to solve you'll never make it through the book. Instead, we all must be Catchpool and observe the magic of Poirot, waiting for the reveal.

If you're an Agatha Christie fan, this is probably a good fit. But, if you're like me and want to try to solve the mystery on your own (or take pleasure in revisiting a book to see what you may have missed the first time through that hinted at the resolution), this may not be the book for you.

Fans of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot will delight in Sophie Hannah’s latest novel, “The Killings at Kingfisher Hill,” her fourth “new Hercule Poirot mystery.”

As Poirot and his friend Inspector Edward Catchpool travel to the Kingfisher Hill country estate aboard a new motorbus, they are pulled into secretly solving the murder of Frank Devonport — a case where two women have confessed to committing the heinous act.

But when another crime occurs, Poirot and Catchpool must use their “little grey cells” to determine if the two cases are related, and who truly committed the murders.

Hannah does a superb job of delivering a story in the tone and style of Agatha Christie. You truly feel you are reading one of the master’s novels. She incredibly weaves together twists and turns and just enough clues to leave the reader guessing.

Told very much in the murder-solving parlor game style Christie used, “The Killings at Kingfisher Hill” is a story of justice and mystery, encouraging the reader to pay attention to details and sort through the true facts and red herrings to come to a conclusion.

Due out Sept. 15, “The Killings at Kingfisher Hill” is a classic whodunnit for the fans of murder mysteries everywhere.

Five stars out of five.

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Sophie Hannah takes on a beloved character from Agatha Christie's novels and does a good job of creating new mysteries and lending an authentic voice. That must be a difficult task and she succeeds in giving us a solid mystery with a favorite character. Her fans will be happy.

So I feel like I should preface this review by saying that I haven't read much Agatha Christie (only two books) and haven't read any of Hannah's other Christie novels. That might have to change, however, now that I have read The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. I gobbled this book up in two days because I simply couldn't put it down. While I found Poirot slightly annoying (is he supposed to read that way?) I still wanted to know how he solved the mystery and I love the feeling that I could probably figure it out (I hit on some of the mystery but not all of it) if I simply read a little closer and thought a little harder. I'll definitely be reading more of both Christie's and Hannah's novels.

Hercule Poirot has been my favorite detective for many years. When it was announced that Sophie Hannah would pen new Poirot novels I hoped for the best and I have not been disappointed. The Belgian detective still displays all of the little gray cells that he was originally endowed with by Agatha Christie. After receiving a request for help from Richard Devonport, Poirot and Inspector Catchpool boarded the bus that would take them to the exclusive enclave of Kingfisher Hill. Richard’s fiancé confessed to the murder of his brother but Richard believes she is innocent. Now she faces the hangman unless Poirot can find the truth. His father and mother refuse to even mention her name. Poirot must discover the true killer without asking any questions of the family or their house guests, a daunting task.

On the bus, one of the other passengers causes a commotion and requests a change of seats. Poirot complies with the request and leaves Catchpool to discover what he can from the agitated woman. Poirot’s new seat-mate recognizes him and in their conversation she confesses that she has committed a murder, describing the circumstances that led up to the act. Without revealing her identity she believes that she will never encounter Poirot again. It comes as a surprise to both of them when he discovers that she is a member of the Devonport family. When a second murder is discovered in the Devonport home, Poirot and Catchpool are finally free to openly question the family and friends.

As always, Poirot is able to make observations and connections that Catchpool misses. When giving a list of tasks to Catchpool to complete and asking him to make his own list of questions to be answered, it gives the reader an opportunity to also review the clues that Poirot has discovered. There are a number of surprises along the way before Poirot gathers everyone involved to reveal his solution, living up to his reputation as the great Belgian detective. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing this book for my review.

I first heard Sophie Hannah talk about her continuation of the Poirot books at my local library. I came skeptical but left convinced that I had found someone who loved Agatha Christie as much as I did-- probably more.

No, reading these books is not the same as reading an original Christie, but it's as close as it can get these days. I always gobble up each new adventure, eager to spend a little longer with Hercule Poirot. Sophie Hannah is an excellent writer, and her mysteries are just fun to read. They're also really clever in a way that reminds me of Christie. She chooses a few little details on which the whole mystery hinges and follows them to a satisfying reveal.

In this book, for example, there is a woman who insists she will be murdered if she stays in her seat on the coach. Does that have anything to do with the Devonport family, who Poirot is traveling to help? And what about another startling revelation made to Poirot on that same eventful journey?

My only gripe is with the character of Catchpoole, Hannah's original Watson to Poirot's Sherlock. The least believable part of the series for me is that he ever got a job as a police inspector. Whenever he is confronted with a problem, he seems to immediately give up and say it cannot be solved. I keep hoping that Hannah will give him a compelling backstory to make up for his blandness. That being said, even if I never get the closure about Catchpoole that I want, I will happily pick up any future books in this delightful series.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC via NetGalley, so I could read this without having to wait until its US publication date.

I was given The Killings at KingFisher Hill by Sophie Hannah as an early read promotion. Having never read Agatha Christie, I thought I would give the legendary Hercule Poirot a try. UGGGGGG, I tried hard to get through this book but had to make myself stay awake and to finish the book. I even skipped chapters, which I never do. Lots of non-sense conversations to read through and I am pretty sure the were several times I was jut re-reading the same conversation over and over again. This was just a book that I couldn't get into.
Thanks to NetGalley, Sophie Hannah, Harper Collins-William Morrow for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

#TheKillingsatKingfisherHill #NetGalley

In this new adventure of Hercule Poirot and narrator, Inspector Edward Catchpool, they are off to visit Kingfisher Hill Estates by motor coach. Poirot had received a letter from Richard Davenport to come and investigate the death of his brother, Frank, but they must come under the guise of "Peepers" game aficionados. Even before they get to the estate, a young woman is distressed with fear because of a threat if she sits in a certain spot on the coach and another woman confines to Poirot, a story that she murdered someone.
When arriving at Kingfishers all the people there act as if the tragedy of the death did not exist. Until another death occurs and now Poirot needs all of his "little grey cells" to untangle what everyone is hiding.
This classic type mystery bring into play all the characters and how they are related to the final and unusual conclusion.
Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for this e-copy of "The Killings at Kingfisher Hill".

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Hercule Poirot is back in fine form with his superb attention to detail. He and his devoted partner, Lieutenant Catchpool, are traveling by motor coach to the wealthy Kingfisher Hills to investigate the murder of Frank Devonport. Before the journey even begins, a strange woman refuses to get on the motor coach for fear of being murdered. Once on the coach, another woman confesses to Poirot a strange tale of murder. In regards to the killing of Frank Devonport, there is a woman already in jail who has confessed to this crime. These three women remain with us through the telling of this story. When Poirot and Catchpool arrive at Kingfisher Hills, there is a cast of family members and friends that each present their own opinions and motivations for the crime. Poirot is constantly reminding Catchpool to think carefully and look at the clues. I felt that I needed that reminder as well. I often missed some insignificant detail that led directly to an important clue. It took a bit at the beginning of the story to meet all the characters, and then keep them straight. Once I was into the story, it moved at a good pace. In spite of the slow beginning, it was an enjoyable read.

I have mixed feelings about the book. As a Christie's devoted fan I enjoy having a more stories of H. Poirot's successes thanks to S. Hannah, but I have to confess that I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to. At first look everything was there - a good mystery, H. Poirot, twists, less clever assistant... but I didn't like the characters of the book, because they weren't likable - a truly awful group of people so it was hard for me to be emotionally engaged when reading. And a few things in the plot were, in my opinion, so improbable that it spoiled the whole pleasure of reading.
It lacks for me the charm of Christie's novels.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

This is the first time I've read a Poirot book by Sophie Hannah. I adore the British Cozy Mystery genre and am always happy to find stories using the classic characters.
In this story we have the closed set of suspects, the country manor, and the role of Captain Hastings now filled by a Scotland Yard inspector (Catchpool). Clues are scattered throughout the story (Is the book on the coach significant? Who is the crying woman?). Poirot's assignment is to determine whether a confessed killer actually committed murder.
Things move along at a leisurely pace, and everything is tied up nicely at the end. I found the story a little more complicated than I recall from the Christie stories, and I was expecting the sidekick (Catchpool) to be a little more on the ball than Hastings, but overall it was an enjoyable read that will resonate with readers of the genre.

The relationship between Peirot and Catchpool brings a lighter side to this mystery thriller. It is a classic format, multi-layered, not obvious whodunnit. The cast of characters have secrets, mutual distaste for each other and are for the most part highly unreliable. It was an easy read and medium paced.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is styled after the original Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories. Sophia Hanna has followed this style perfectly. The story is dialogue based in a tell me style versus a modern day show me style of writing. There are numerous red herrings thrown into this tale of murder like in typical Christie stories.
I thought this was a slow burn but that is not unusual for this style of writing. I thought it was a true homage to Hercule Poirot with his quirks and ways of deduction. I enjoyed this very much.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this advanced copy. The opinions are my own.