The Monogram Murders
I have to admit that when I
first heard there was going to be a new Poirot book, I was slightly dubious.
But that was before I realised it was Sophie Hannah who would be writing it. I
love Agatha Christie, I love Poirot, and I love Sophie Hannah. What’s not to
like?
So as the time of the
release date got nearer, I got more intrigued about this book and was thrilled
when HarperCollins offered to send me a review copy. I wasn’t disappointed when
it arrived – I loved it and read it in one sitting.
Sophie Hannah made some
crucial decisions in the writing of this book, which I think are at the heart
of why it works so well. Firstly, she gave Poirot a new sidekick/narrator in
the form of Edward Catchpool. This gives a sense of freshness to the narration,
and sits well with the blending of Sophie Hannah’s voice and Agatha Christie’s
voice.
But Catchpool is not just a
device to show the reader how clever Poirot is, he is a real character with a
past and concerns of his own. Why is he so haunted by the murders he has to
investigate, and why is he so troubled by the hands of the dead. ‘Hold his hand, Edward.’
We also find Poirot living,
not in Whitehaven Mansions, but in the lodging house of Mrs Blanche Unsworth.
It turns out that Poirot is lying low in order to give his formidable mind a
rest. This results in his meeting Catchpool, but also takes him out of the
environment in which readers are used to seeing him. It works well because had
he been left in Whitehaven Mansions, the reader would have been expecting
Captain Hastings or Miss Lemon to turn up with every turn of the page.
As you’d expect of an Agatha
Christie, and indeed a Sophie Hannah, there’s a murder with an ingenious twist
to be investigated in this novel. Why have three guests at The Bloxham Hotel
been murdered and left with monogrammed cufflinks in their mouths? Who is PIJ
and why was a note left at reception saying, ‘May they never rest in peace’?
It’s an engrossing mystery,
a complex and satisfying plot, and a great tribute to the Queen of Crime. I
highly recommend this novel to lovers of Agatha Christie and Sophie Hannah
alike. It is a truly great crime novel.
Thanks very much to the
publishers for a review copy of this book.
You can find out more here.
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