London, England 1930. After a pleasant lunch out, Hercule returns home to find not one, but two angry people. They're angry about the letter Poirot has sent them, accusing them of the murder of Barnabas Pandy. Neither of the visitors knows Pandy. The trouble is - either does Poirot. And he most certainly did not send any letters.
Those familiar with Poirot will recognize his habits, mannerisms, speech, deduction process (beware the typewriter with the faulty 'e') and more. What missing for me is Captain Hastings. He has been replaced with Scotland Yard detective Edward Catchpool, whom we met in previous Sophie Hannah Poirot books. I've been on the fence about him. He serves as the obligatory sidekick and foil for Poirot, but has a lesser role in this book than the previous. Who I am quite taken with is Fee, the waitress at Poirot's favorite bakery. I hope this character continues to grow in future books.
I really enjoy the 'old style' of solving mysteries - the deductions, reasoning, following the clues, interviews and that seemingly innocuous clue tucked into a paragraph along the way. Christie - and Hannah - force the reader to pay attention. And I always enjoy that final 'reveal', uncovering the whodunit and how Poirot got there.
Those looking for a book written as Agatha Christie won't find it in Closed Casket. But those looking for a classic mystery written in the style of Christie will enjoy this book. I did. Read an excerpt of The Mystery of Three Quarters.
2 comments:
It's been a while since I read a Hercule Poirot mystery, this sounds good.
It's not Christie, but I thought Hannah captured Poirot really well!
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