Excerpt of my review for NPR Books:

Let me start by saying I mean no disrespect to Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. They are the lure, there is a reason they get top billing. (And while I have never fantasized about being Poirot, I have more than once wished I was Miss Marple.)

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the latest in the Poirot franchise — and it does deserve the name of franchise in the best sense of the word. Crime writer Sophie Hannah has taken over Agatha Christie's pen; this is her fourth Poirot novel. Poirot is as great, if not greater than other superheroes who get franchises — Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker. Fishlegs Ingerman.

But it is the sidekick in Kingfisher Hill — Scotland Yard's Inspector Edward Catchpool — who deserves your attention. Catchpool is Hannah's creation, and at first glance he is made in the mold of an earlier Poirot sidekick, Captain Hastings. Both are youngish, bland, easy-going; as solid and welcoming as a good piece of toast.

Like Christie's Hastings, Catchpool is a stand in for those of us of subpar intellect — i.e. anyone who isn't Poirot — as we journey alongside the detective through the various stages of the mystery. But I have good news. You are closer than you think. Poirot is gaslighting you...

3.5 stars

Is there really any debate about Agatha Christie being the queen of mysteries? I have only read a couple of her books and have enjoyed them very much but there is also a dated quality about them which was one of the reasons that I was excited to read this ‘New Hercule Poirot’ mystery from Sophie Hannah.

I haven’t read any of the ‘new’ Hercule Poirot mysteries before but I am familiar with his eccentric character and was really looking forward to this one.

One thing that grabbed my attention was that it had some hints of one of Christie’s classic novels, Murder on the Orient Express, so I was eager to check this one out and see a more modern take on this classic character.

Summary
The world’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot—the legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile—returns in a delectably twisty mystery.

Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. There is one strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there from the rest of the Devonport family.

On the coach, a distressed woman leaps up, demanding to disembark. She insists that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. A seat-swap is arranged, and the rest of the journey passes without incident. But Poirot has a bad feeling about it, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered in the Devonports’ home with a note that refers to “the seat that you shouldn’t have sat in.”

Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And can Poirot find the real murderer in time to save an innocent woman from the gallows? (summary from Goodreads)

Review
Having read the classic Christie novels with Poirot, my biggest fear was that Hannah would not do the eccentric character justice. I did think that she did a nice job capturing his character and giving him a bit of a modern spin but there were little things that I felt didn’t stay true to the classic character. Though overall I think she did a nice job paying homage to the queen of mystery while providing her own take on the character. I think readers should try and keep an open mind when reading this new series, Hannah isn’t Christie and I am glad that she is taking on this series with the intention of bringing her own voice to Poirot. But it is hard for readers to keep the two separate. I tried to keep an open mind overall I enjoyed the book for what it was, a modern take on a classic character.

The mystery itself was fun and read very quick for me. I liked that it was a little more twisty than the classic Christie novels but yet the author kept some of the things that I love about Christie such as the house party/train party crime scene and characters. Sometimes it felt like there was a lot going on but I found the story and mystery exciting and engaging enough to keep reading. I wasn’t sure who the killer was until the reveal so that kept me interested.

While this is a series, I didn’t have a hard time following along or anything. I haven’t read the other books in the series so this was a first for me and it’s the fourth one. I didn’t feel lost or unconnected to the characters at all. I am looking forward to reading other books in this series and I think it was a nice detective story and it helped me escape into a new world with familiar characters.

Book Info and Rating
ebook, 320 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2020 by William Morrow (first published August 20th 2020)
ISBN 0062792393 (ISBN13: 9780062792396)
Free review copy provided by publisher, William Morrow, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Genre: detective novel, mystery

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is a good take on Agatha Chrisitie's Poirot. An interesting story and compelling read.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the fourth book in Sophie Hannah’s New Hercule Poirot Mystery series. In this installment, Poirot and Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Catchpool embark on a journey to Kingfisher Hill estate to investigate the murder of Frank Devonport on behalf of his brother Richard Devonport. Although his fiancée confessed to the murder, Richard is convinced she is innocent, and he pleads with Poirot to find the real murderer. Along with his request comes an odd condition: the rest of the Devonport family must not find out the real reason for Poirot’s and Catchpool’s visit. On their journey to the estate, things become even stranger, and the two men find themselves with not one but two bewildering mysteries.

Overall, I enjoyed The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. The undercover aspect was amusing, although rather short, and I found myself laughing out loud several times. For the most part, the mystery was well thought out and the cast of characters kept me engaged. The author does a decent job at capturing Poirot’s unique personality and mannerisms, but at times the character seemed a bit off. The ending was somewhat disappointing, and I found the motivations for some of the characters’ actions to be a little unrealistic. That being said, I was in the mood for a cozy read, and this one definitely hit the spot. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers, and Sophie Hannah for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the 4th book in the new Hercule Poirot mysteries by Sophie Hannah. Released 15th Sept 2020 by HarperCollins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Despite not being in any way reminiscent of Dame Agatha's oeuvre, this is undeniably a well written, well plotted, readable mystery in the fashion of the golden age. Read on its own merits, it does admirably and I enjoyed it a lot. The characters are classic, archetypal even, rich society matrons, captains of industry, spoiled socialites, village busybodies, salt-of-the-earth charwomen, butlers, maids, and others in service, and Poirot and Inspector Catchpool (Capt. Hastings v. 2.0) rounding out the dramatis personae.

The plotting is rather slow, built up over time rather than explosive. The narrative arc is deliberate - stately even, and the denouement is less of a crescendo than an inescapable inevitability when it finally comes. There were a number of outlandish plot twists which interfered with my suspension of disbelief (no spoilers - never fear), but in the end, the plot threads resolve, clues are deciphered, mysteries are solved, and Poirot sallies forth in search of the next mystery.

I love golden age British mysteries and this one fits in quite well as an homage to the genre. I've read Christie's canon many many times and I liked this book a lot more when I wasn't trying to read it as a Poirot mystery or find similarities with Christie's original work.

Four stars. Not Christie, but quite readable.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Killings at Kinfisher Hill is the fourth mystery that Sophie Hannah has written with the permission of the Agatha Christie estate. The books feature Hercule Poirot. They are stand alones so can be read in any order.

This book, along with the others in the series, have an old fashioned feel. They have some Christie trademarks with traditional settings, intricate plots and some interesting characters. Readers know that with the help of his “little grey cells,” Poirot will solve the case.

There are a number of threads to the story. In one, a young woman refuses to initially board a coach because she has been told that she will be murdered if she sits in seat seven. What will happen to her whether she sits there or not?

Poirot has a conversation with a mysterious woman on this same coach. She tells him that she has murdered someone and regales him with the tale while remaining anonymous. Who is she? Did she do what she said? How will Poirot find out?

Then there is Helen. She has confessed to a murder but it is not clear that she actually killed the victim. Did she? Why if she did, and why confess if she did not?

And…who is the second murder victim? Why were they murdered? HOw does this connect with the first murder in the story?

Thank goodness that Poirot is around to bring order to the case and the reader’s world. Fans of traditional mysteries and/or Agatha Christie will enjoy this case. Can your “little grey cells” figure it out?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this enjoyable read. All opinions are my own.

Hercule Poirot has been summoned to the estate of Kingfisher Hill. Richard Devonport wrote to him to ask for help. His brother Frank had been killed, and his fiancee Helen had confessed to the murder and is about to be hanged. However, Richard is adamant that Helen had not killed his brother. He needs the help of the greatest crime solver in the country to save his beloved by figuring out who killed Frank.

Poirot, not one to travel to a puzzling crime scene on his own, insists that he is accompanied by Inspector Catchpool. But their adventure starts even before they can reach Kingfisher Hill, as the coach that they are taking from London to the estate is stopped shortly after they leave. A woman insists that the coach pull over so she can disembark.

Poirot speaks to the distraught woman outside the bus and finds out that she is upset because she had been told she would be murdered if she sat on the seventh seat back on the coach, and once she got on the bus, that was the only seat left. Poirot uses his power of persuasion to get her back on the bus, and he offers to sit in the seat she had been so fraught over.

As the journey continues, a series of odd events happens to Poirot and Catchpool, and they decide to investigate the strange occurrences as soon as they are able. But first, it is on to the mystery at Kingfisher Hill.

But as the days go on, and the investigation of Frank Devonport is in full swing, the two men find that some of the strange occurrences from the coach journey may be related to the man’s murder, especially when the upset woman from the bus is found murdered herself.

It is a magnificent mystery, and only the great mind of Hercule Poirot can put the pieces together and find the evil minds behind the crimes.

The genius of Agatha Christie lives on through the pen of Sophie Hannah in The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. Just as deliciously twisty as the original Christie mysteries, this new Poirot is filled with so many twists and turns, so many questions and clues, that it’s nearly impossible to deduce who the killer is before the man himself puts it all out in front of you.

I loved getting lost in this book. The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is a fascinating, thrilling roller coaster of a story, and I had so much fun trying to gather all the evidence and see if I could beat the great mind of Poirot. (If you’re wondering, I couldn’t.) Fans of Dame Agatha Christie and anyone who just loves a great thrill ride of a novel should add this to your bookshelf. Just make sure to set aside lots of time for it, because you won’t want to put it down once you start it.

Egalleys for The Killings at Kingfisher Hill were provided by William Morrow through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I'm loving the new Hercule Poirot books by Sophie Hannah, but out of the four books, this one was not my favorite. While The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is a solid, clever mystery that keeps you guessing it does drag a bit to its fantastic conclusion.

Sadly, Catchpool is just not our friend Hastings but provides a decent foil/partner to Poirot. It felt like there were clues on every page, with many, many red herrings. Figuring out what mattered and who was reliable was near impossible. The ending was a bit farfetched, but the clues were there and it was satisfying. If you don't expect Agatha Christie, and no one but the original will ever be the Queen of Mystery, you won't be let down. Ms. Hannah does the character proud, but this is the least "Christie" of any of her Poirot books yet. Still, I will be pre-ordering her fifth offering without even a hint of complaint.

I received a digital copy of The Killings at Kingfisher Hill from NetGalley in return for my honest review. While I would have happily paid for this delicious story featuring my favorite Belgian detective, I am grateful for HarperCollins Publishers' generosity.

I found Sophie Hannah's The Killings at Kingfisher Hill: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery rather hard to get into, but it does end up as a complex puzzle for our detecting duo to solve, with a rather surprising conclusion.

Poirot's friend, Scotland Yard Inspector Edward Cathchpool, tells the story which opens in 1931 London. He and Poirot journey to the Kingfisher Hill country estate, where Frank Devonport has been murdered. His fiancée Helen admitted to the killing and will soon be executed.

Frank's brother Richard (now engaged to Helen) hires Poirot to prove her innocence, but then someone else claimed to have committed the murder.

Though I didn't find the story engaging, it is quite a puzzler.

I have had Sophie Hannah on my want to read list for awhile now. Thank you to Scene of the Crime and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. The author does a wonderful job of capturing Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and I once again entered his world with a variety of characters, a fascinating murder mystery, and the wonderful way that Hercule Poirot conducts an investigation. Wonderfully written book. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

What do you do when two people confess to the same crime, claiming the other is innocent? You turn to Hercule Poirot, of course! Hannah bring the second-most famous sleuth back to life In this authorized revival of the series. Hannah has a knack for writing with the same psychological insight Christie possessed, as well as the dropping of clues that the savvy reader can piece together themselves. Recommended for readers who have worn out their copies of Murder on the Orient Express and The Big Four and need something new.

Fans of both Agatha Christie and Sophie Hannah will be celebrating the release of the newest Hercule Poirot novel by Sophie Hannah. I have read every one of Agatha Christie’s novels, all of Sophie Hannah’s Poirot novels, and some of Hannah’s other books. Of course there is only one Dame Agatha, but I have really enjoyed Ms. Hannah’s take on the classic character of Poirot. Inspector Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard makes a good narrator for Hannah’s series. This book takes place in 1931 and has Poirot and Catchpool traveling by motor coach from London to the Kingfisher Hill estate in Surrey. They meet two unusual women on their journey, one who says she is afraid of being killed and the other who confesses to a murder. Both are interesting puzzles to Poirot, but his goal is to reach Kingfisher to help Richard Devonport prove his fiancée did not kill his brother.

“The Killings at Kingfisher Hill” is at its heart a good old-fashioned murder mystery full of clues to the identity of the murderer, as well as many red herrings. I caught on to some of the clues, but wasn’t able to put them all together. Some of the things that occurred seem to come out of nowhere and nobody but M. Poirot would be able to figure them out. The book is evenly paced and suspenseful because of all the twists the author includes in the story. When Poirot called everyone together to dramatically announce the solution to the original murder, as well as the other puzzles discovered on their journey from London, I was completely surprised by what he revealed. All of the seemingly unrelated events came together, some in a more logical way than others. Overall, this is a very entertaining book, and I hope the New Hercule Poirot Mystery series continues.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Scene of the Crime Early Reads for this ebook. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Sophie Hannah has written a new Hercule Poirot mystery in the Agatha Christie whodunit form. Along with his friend, Inspector Edward Catchpool, Hercule is en route to Kingfisher Hill country estate in February 1931 to investigate the murder of Frank Devonport. Although Helen Acton, Frank's fiancee has confessed, her new fiance, Richard--Frank's brother--is convinced of Helen's innocence.
While taking transportation to the estate, Poirot and Catchpool encounter a frazzled young woman terrified to sit in a particular seat, claiming that harm will come to her. Due to change of seats, Poirot is now seated with a cold, arrogant passenger, who spins a tale for Poirot.
As they arrive at the estate, tempers rise, and Poirot and Catchpool must try alternative means to solve the crime. Naturally, Hercule Poirot shines again with powers of deduction and investigation.
This tale involves a great deal of misdirection and lying, as well as financial crimes and multiple murders. This was a quick read, and had lots of confusing twists to follow to the conclusion.
Thanks to Scene Of The Crime/Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinions are my own.

#TheKillingsAtKingfisterHill #SophieHannah #NetGalley

Once again Hercule Poirot and Detective Catchpool find themselves in the middle of a murder. Poirot has been summoned to an exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate to investigate the murder of the eldest son of the estate’s owner. His murderer has already confessed and sentenced to death, but the victim’s brother believes the murderer to be innocent. Poirot has been asked to keep their investigation a secret, but before they can even begin, their identities are revealed and they are asked to leave – only to return when a second murder occurs.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is the fourth book in the New Hercule Poirot series by Sophie Hannah. As in her previous books, Ms Hannah has captured the writing style and essence of Agatha Christie. While many of the characters are distasteful and some downright unlikable, nevertheless their personalities are fully developed, adding depth and interest to the story. The plot itself is well-written and a bit convoluted, just like the plots conceived by Agatha Christie. And, as always, M. Poirot is conceited and often obnoxious (but always very good at what he does).

I thoroughly enjoyed The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. But, likewise, I also enjoy the writing of Agatha Christie. People who don’t particular like this type of mystery or style may not be as fond of Ms Hannah’s book as I am. However, even those less enthusiastic readers will have to admit that the author has certainly written a book that is reminiscent of that acclaimed mystery writer.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

A great story! I love that the author took over writing this series. It is such a pleasure to keep bringing these characters to life. The stories are true to Agatha Christie's stories. I loved how this twisty and turning story left you guessing to wonder what happened next. A great easy mystery that was very enjoyable. Thank you to Scene of the Crime and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

It's a daunting task for an author to take such a beloved character out of the hands of it's original author and to breathe new life into it but I think Sophie Hannah does a remarkable job at doing just that. With it's convoluted and sometimes confusing plot, this new Hercule Poirot mystery has the feel of an Agatha Christie original.
In this one Poirot and his sidekick detective Catchpool are called upon to solve the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport. Hired by the brother of the deceased to clear his fiance after she has confessed to the murder, the pair must weave their way thru this labyrinthine story filled with clues and red herrings and more murders to ultimately solve the crimes. Told from the perspective of the often bumbling and confused Detective Catchpool, this one is filled with plenty of unlikeable characters and suspects.
All in all I found this to be an enjoyable throwback to the classic crime mysteries of the past and recommend it to all you nostalgic Agatha Christie fans.

Thank you to the author, the Scene of the Crime Facebook group, Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC to read, review and enjoy.

Thank you so much, William Morrow, for my e-arc

I think this like the fourth book in the series, which I wasn’t aware of, however, I felt like this could be read as a standalone since it didn’t feel like I am missing anything. And since I haven’t read the other three books in this series, I really couldn’t justify if the setting is different or whatnot. Anyway, I found the characters intriguing; the plot and setting are satisfactory. It has many twists and turns and a whodunit vibe, making it an interesting read.

Another great Poirot story! I love that Sophie Hannah took over writing these and keep bringing these characters to life. They are still true to Christie's style. This one in particular kept me guessing until the end and I love how all the little details are weaved together to reveal the truth and the killers! Amazing! Hoping there's another one in the works soon!

Having not read Hannah nor Christie (seemingly one of the few people on earth!), I read this without scrutinizing (e.g., does Hannah's rendition of Poirot measure up to Christie's, are the setting and dialogue up to Christie standards, etc.). This is the fourth book in Hannah's series and I believe it can be read as a stand alone (I'm unaware of what the previous books entail). I felt the story had too many elements - many which weren't disclosed as bread crumbs we could use to uncover the murderer(s). The plot got complicated in the middle which bogged down the pacing. Master crime solver Poirot adroitly put all the puzzle pieces together while thwarting misdirection from various characters along with chastising his colleague, Inspector Catchpool to keep up. I could relate to Catchpool's lack of skill. If I were a more experienced reader of Christie/Hannah, my 'spidey sense' would've been honed to ferret out the facts. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

There was certainly skepticism when Sophie Hannah published her first Agatha Christie Estate-authorized continuation of the Hercule Poirot series. Many readers were hesitant to pick up The Monogram Murders, fearing that their beloved character would be tarnished. As the positive reviews started to stack up, minds opened, and it was clear that Sophie Hannah also cherished Poirot and would do nothing to harm his reputation. The success of that first continuing novel led to others which were more widely well-received. Now, with The Killings at Kingfisher Hill, Sophie Hannah presents what might be the most Christie-esque volume in this continuing series so far.

Once again, Sophie Hannah allows her invented Inspector, Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard, to serve as the narrator of the novel. This imposed distance from Poirot is such a brilliant way to explain any differences in writing style that most assuredly exist between Christie and Hannah, but it remains vital that Poirot still act/react/think in his trademark manner. Sophie Hannah never lets the reader down in the area.

The first quarter of The Killings at Kingfisher Hill take place on a luxury coach bus traveling from London to the Kingfisher Hill estate. This may seem like a long time to devote to the journey, but what happens on that transport proves to be extremely important for both Poirot and Catchpool. As they are traveling, a woman on the bus becomes distraught, certain that if she remains in her particular seat, she will be killed. With the other passengers anxious to reach their destination, Poirot offers to change seats with the concerned woman – opening up the opportunity for Catchpool to talk with her in greater depth.

So, why are Poirot and Catchpool even on this bus? It seems that in a covert operation, Poirot has been summoned to investigate the recent death of Frank Davenport. It would seem that Frank’s brother’s fiancée, Helen Acton, has confessed to the crime and awaits execution; however, Richard Davenport is convinced that Helen is innocent. Upon arriving, Poirot must keep his true reason for being there a secret as he tries to figure out what caused Frank to fall to his death. Things go as planned until a second death throws everything into question.

Sophie Hannah packs her plot with quite a few unexplainable developments; challenges that only a mind such as Hercule Poirot’s would be able to navigate. The traditional setting of the estate village proves delightful for readers, even as the actions on the ground grow more and more troubling. Sophie Hannah proved in Closed Casket that she is masterful at crafting motives that are outside-of-the-box, so readers are well prepared for The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’s resolution to be anything but standard fare.

One fascinating element used within the novel is this idea that the Davenports and a family friend are involved in the creation of a board game in rivalry with the recent introduction of Monopoly. This firmly grounds the story in its historical period and proves to be a nice distraction from the crimes at hand. Rest assured that through it all, Hercule Poirot enchants with his quips to and criticism of Edward Catchpool. Readers are rooting for Catchpool the entire time, knowing with certainty that Poirot is always one step ahead – of not just Catchpool, but ahead of the reader as well.

All in all, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill is another successful outing for Poirot, Catchpool, and Sophie Hannah. Readers are sure to enjoy this one and will be hoping for more adventures still to come.