Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah-299 pages


Hercule Poirot and his sidekick from Scotland Yard are invited to Lady Playford's Irish mansion.  Both are puzzled as to why.  True to form, there is a murder that only Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells are capable of solving.

I enjoyed this book very much.

Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah

Closed Casket: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah --- 299 pages

Hannah's second attempt to resurrect Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in this follow up to The Monogram Murders (2014).  Alas, I am still underwhelmed.

Granted the plot is intricate and as improbable as any Christie original, but the characters are all unpleasant, the dialogue is inane, and Edward Catchpole is no substitute for Captain Hastings. Hercule Poirot is just limp, like a shirt that's gone through the wash too many times, a caricature of a caricature.

This manor house murder is not my cup of tea.  Others obviously don't agree.

Click HERE to watch a Youtube video of Hannah talking about Closed Casket.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus.