Closed Casket - Sophie Hannah

photo courtesy: amazon.co.uk

Hannah brings Poirot back to life.

I love Agatha Christie's work and Suchet's Poirot has been my companion on many a lonely cold evening. Therefore you can imagine a heightened sense of excitement on hearing that Hannah was writing a series based on the favourite detective .

I have read Hannah before and enjoyed some of her books. She has a different style that needs getting used to but once you do, it is a great reading experience.

I loved her Kind of Cruel my latest read of all her books was eager to find out how she handled a detective who has been immortalised into the minds of whodunnit fans.

Gist:

It is a classic Christie style set up. A large house where a murder is committed and there is a list of suspects to choose from. A famous writer calls on Poirot because she suspects threat to her life after she declares changes to her will. Poirot comes down with his friend Catchpool (instead of trusted Hastings) and is right in the middle of action as events unfold.

What works:

• The essence of Poirot is the same. His Mon ami and nest ce pas interjecting his English sentences are a delight to behold.

• The list of suspects is varied and the motives outlined offer it a great layer.

• As usual Hannah draws up complex personalities while retaining Christie like characters like the cook and other usual suspects.

What doesn't:

• Hannah's style is a complex yet intriguing one. The only trouble is that it needs some getting used to. It expects a lot from the reader but it pays to stick with it. So there are bits and parts can get a bit dragging in places. 

Overall a great read. I love Poirot and was so happy to see him resurrected through Hannah's attempt. I will be looking for the other books featuring the detective.