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    The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery
    The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery
    The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery

    Written by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie

    Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Hercule Poirot's quiet supper in a London coffeehouse is interrupted when a young woman confides to him that she is about to be murdered. She is terrified—but begs Poirot not to find and punish her killer. Once she is dead, she insists, justice will have been done.

    Later that night, Poirot learns that three guests at a fashionable London Hotel have been murdered, and a cufflink has been placed in each one's mouth. Could there be a connection with the frightened woman? While Poirot struggles to put together the bizarre pieces of the puzzle, the murderer prepares another hotel bedroom for a fourth victim…

    Since the publication of her first novel in 1920, more than two billion copies of Agatha Christie's books have been sold around the globe. Diabolically clever, packed with style and wit, The Monogram Murders is a splendid addition to the world's biggest-selling series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateSep 9, 2014
    ISBN9780062350671
    The Monogram Murders: The New Hercule Poirot Mystery
    Author

    Sophie Hannah

    SOPHIE HANNAH is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous psychological thrillers, which have been published in 51 countries and adapted for television, as well as The Monogram Murders, the first Hercule Poirot novel authorized by the estate of Agatha Christie, and its sequels Closed Casket, The Mystery of Three Quarters, and The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. Sophie is also the author of a self-help book, How to Hold a Grudge, and hosts the podcast of the same name. She lives in Cambridge, UK.

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    Reviews for The Monogram Murders

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      Not nearly as elegant as the Dame herself. Perhaps Ms . Hannah's next book will be better.
    • 2/5
      I'm giving this two stars instead of one for only these reasons: it contains some good, thought-provoking writing; it has a few well-drawn, interesting characters; and because of the first chapter. This was released a few days before the book itself and reading I had that same feeling as when settling down with an original Christie mystery, or watching the Poirot TV series: the feeling of entering a familiar, exciting world full of adventure and mystery. I thought it would be so wonderful if the rest of the book was as "Christie" as this first chapter.

      Unfortunately, the rest of the book is definitely Sophie Hannah. Poirot is portrayed convincingly and endearingly enough, but his detective skills are not up to par. I didn't feel there was any method or thoroughness in the way he, or the Scotland Yard detective who is his partner in this case, investigated the murders. One glaring example: there is no mention of the police checking the crime scenes for fingerprints! Since the people involved in the crimes are also not said to have worn gloves or wiped the stuff they touched, it means that had the police performed the basic routine of checking the fingerprints of these people against those found on the scenes, the case might have been solved from day one! I know fingerprints usually feature in Christie mysteries as false clues, but at least the police there are conscientious about investigating them and the murderers are smart enough not to leave them...

      Nowhere is this "new Poirot" as disappointing, however, as in the denouement of the mystery, which is after all what Agatha Christie is most famous for. It's true that I didn't guess who committed the "monogram murders", but only because I expected something rational and coherent. The solution was preposterous and involved the characters acting in a way that made no sense whatsoever! It was like the opposite of a Christie, where and apparently baffling and complex murder is shown to have a simple, logical reason... Oh, well, there is only one Agatha Christie.
    • 5/5
      Very well written and superbly narrated. Even more twisty-turny than Christie. My one complaint is that Sophie Hannah used the classic Hercule Poirot phrase “little gray cells“ a couple of dozen times more in this one novel than Dame C ever did.
    • 4/5
      Hercule Poirot is back--or is he? Avid fans of Agatha Christie's detective with the famous "little grey cells" might hesitate to pick up a novel that presumes to resurrect one of literatures' most popular characters, particularly since his creator was so adament this not happen that she killed him off herself. Should you choose to put these qualms aside and pick up Sophie Hannah's version of Poirot, you will be disappointed as, at the same time, you quickly turn pages. One has to admit Hannah has some skill. She remains fairly faithful to Poirot's style and mannerisms, and her plot is intriguing. But there's that indefinable something missing. And this reader was troubled by small errors, such idioms that probably were not in use in 1929 (years before Christie did Poirot in), when The Monogram Murders is set. Would Christie have a Scotland Yard policeman, in this case the narrator of the tale, be so willing to defer to Poirot and so worshipful of him? Most troubling is a convoluted, overly long denounement (nearly 70 pages) that leaves readers wondering if it's worth rereading such a large chunk of the book to make sense of the ending. But with characters so slightly developed, one really doesn't care who the perpertrator(s) might be. Had Dame Agatha penned this novel, readers definitely would care.
    • 1/5
      This is a terrible reincarnation of Christie's, Poirot/Scotland Yard motif. Hannah has reduced Poirot to a bore. And the detective a neurotic idiot. The plot is stupid, and way over done and repetitive. In fact, all of the characters are idiots; and the constant condemnation of the Church and religion inconsistent with Christie's tradition. If Hannah set out to produce a novel, completely contrary to the works of Agatha Christie, she has well accomplished her goal.
    • 2/5
      "It is passable ... but not as anything like the work of the late Dame Agatha Christie. I do not agree with Christie's grandson's assessment (see back cover) . It was not what I had hoped for and thought that like the 'acting of some of the characters in the story line,' this Poirot was a pretender. That said, it is readable but I doubt I would go for more of the same. I found some parts confusing, e.g. I may be wrong but it is not made clear early on that a precipitating event had happened quite some time before the telling of this story." I reviewed elsewhere and wanted to repeat it here. The reason I gave 3 stars is that I did not want to be hard on the author giving room for improvement down the road. That said, I think that Christie's grandson giving approval for this under "Agatha Christie" may have been a mistake. I also looked at reviews for the actual author, Hannah, and was surprised to find numerous 3 star or less ratings on her works under her own name. Checking other reviews, some very well written with a rational approach, in good conscience I had to change my stars to 2 as some think a book is good if it has 3 stars. I was too kind previously.
    • 1/5
      I was skeptical, and I was right to be. The characters weren't right, and the language was awkward.
    • 3/5
      I just don't know what to say. I was so eager to read new adventures of Hercule Poirot and was thrilled to get my hands on this book. I'm sorry to report that I didn't love it. It was a little more than okay but also a little less than a "like". I didn't take to Catchpool at all and as a substitute for Hastings, he falls terribly short. He has none of Hastings' endearing qualities as an accompaniment to Poirot. He's supposed to be a proper police investigator but there's no evidence of that in his personality or method. I wanted Japp to show up and flog him for good measure. Poirot was rendered in a way that I found very superficial to what I'm used to. And I can't quite put my finger on it. This is the first encounter I've had reading Poirot where he actually annoyed me. I'm still shocked about that! They murders and the backstory were well done and I thought the suspects were rendered well. Oddly, the one I found most memorable was the hotel manager, Lazzari. He reminded me of the railway director Bouc from Murder On the Orient Express.

      As just a mystery, I liked the twists and turns and did feel this worked on that level. As a Poirot story, woefully short of my expectation. Perhaps I should not have had any expectations but as the cover has 'Hercule Poirot' & 'Agatha Christie' splashed across it (and Christie's family/estate approved this work), I did so... there it is. Now that I know what this is, I'll likely read the next in the series because a good mystery is still worth the read in my book life. I'd recommend this to mystery lovers but would recommend with my aforementioned caveats to Poirot and Christie fans.
    • 2/5
      On its own, this is a weak novel. The mystery wasn't believable, the repeated depiction of "true love" as unhealthy obsession got old very quickly, and the ending, while tying up the mystery's loose ends, failed to really satisfy. None of the characters grew in the course of the story. The Scotland Yard detective should never have lasted 6 months as a beat cop, let alone been promoted as highly as he was. He was foolish, ineffectual, and unable to handle the work set before him. The main character seemed to be in contact with him purely to give him a new contact in Scotland Yard.

      As a Poirot mystery, I'm alternately annoyed with and embarrassed for the author. We almost never see Poirot's bon vivant outlook - always he is angry or stern. The author captured his speech patterns, but very little else about the detective. Other than being told the date, the text is remarkably free of temporal reference. There's little to no mention of anything that establishes when the story takes place. That made it hard to know what to expect culturally and technologically - things very relevant in a mystery story.

      I fear the Poirot/Catchpool relationship is supposed to be the basis of a whole series of novels. Please, please, whoever gets to decide this, don't do it! Inspectory Japp, at his most obnoxious, is more agreeable than Catchpool. Superintendent Spence would never have allowed such a pathetic creature of Catchpool to sully the ranks of Scotland Yard. Having to watch Catchpool flounder about beside a Poirot grown constantly cranky will have a terrible effect on the little grey cells of Agatha Christie fans.
    • 4/5
      Agatha Christie The Monogram MurdersBy: Sophia Hannah Pages. 320Harper Collins September 2014Copy Courtesy of TheReadingRoomReviewed By: tkWorld re-known investigator Hercule Poirot is on holiday. A well deserve break from his usual routine. However, his vacation is disrupted by a female in distress. Someone is trying to kill her. With the help of Edward Catchpool his flat mate, they embark on a murder mystery of intense proportions. I was transported into the world of Agatha Christy. Sophia Hannah story is captivating. I found Poirot’s mannerisms to be annoying as ever. His OCD, and his secretive ways will keep you on edge to the very end. You just have to love him. Poirot’s flat mate, Inspector Edward Catchpool is my favorite character. His humor, realisms, and warmth bring amazing insight to the investigation. Agatha Christie was one of a kind. I enjoyed this story very much, and feel that Sophia Hannah is being compared to her is an injustice. I don’t feel the author is trying to write like Agatha, but to honor her in keep the characters alive for this generation of readers. Many young readers avoid the classics. Hopefully this novel will peak their interests to go further into the Agatha Christie novels, and more.4/5
    • 3/5
      Good mystery with plenty of twists. Poroit was true character. Well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      I did actually enjoy this book after initial reservations. The beginning and the denouement crackle, but in between is a lot of what feels like padding, as if a reasonable 250 pages were expanded to 380 somewhere along the line. Its because I am not a died in the wool Christie fan that I did like this book. My exposure to Poirot has been almost exclusively the TV series, so I had no axe to grind for canonical purity. If the middle was a grind, then the ending is electric, incredibly detailed plotting reaches a satisfactory conclusion, with the requisite "Now I've gathered you all here" moment handled very well. One annoying aspect is the requisite PC Plod, Catchpool, who narrates parts of the story, he is really fingernails on a blackboard, intensely irritating. Apart from that, it was readable, not great literature by any means, but an enjoyable, if lengthy, diversion.
    • 4/5
      Well done! I am very happy with this light version of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. Nothing like the originals but if you do not look for it to be it will be enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the novel as long as I didn't concentrate on Poirot as "the Hercule Poirot" as originally created by Agatha Christie. Edward Catchpool as a sidekick/friend/detective is just not a believable character to have caught the attention of "the Poirot" unless Catchpool is a novice or apprentice.

      The mystery itself is intricately woven and it's interesting to discover what clues you catch and what clues you miss as the reader matches wits with Poirot. It's doubtful though that I'll try another title by this author.
    • 4/5
      It may not be an Agatha Christie orignal, but Sophie Hannah presented the Agatha fandom with an astounding piece of writing!This was the first book that introduced me to the world of Agatha Christie and her famous fictional detective Hercule Poirot. I was stupefied when I first read this book. The plot, the setting and character development - everything seemed prim and perfect. However, when I reread this piece after reading one of dame Agatha's originals, I realised that Sophie Hannah's presentation of both Poirot and the plot seemed to be a bit 'modern-ish'.Anyway, the story is indeed very Agatha-like, so I would love recommend it to any reader.
    • 3/5
      The Monogram Murders is a new mystery featuring Hercule Poirot; it’s narrated not by Captain Hastings, but by police officer Edward Catchpool, a friend of Poirot’s who is with Scotland Yard. As the story opens on February 7, 1929, Poirot is in Pleasant’s Coffee House when a young woman – whose name turns out to be Jennie – catches his attention. It’s apparent she’s in distress and Poirot tries to help. But she leaves the coffee shop in a rush and he’s left to worry about her.Shortly after, Hercule and Catchpool are called to the scene of a triple murder – three people, seemingly unrelated, all poisoned, all with a monogrammed cufflink in their mouths, found at the same hotel, but on different floors. Of course, our sleuths try to find a link among the three victims and they’re soon led to a small town where all three once lived; all were embroiled in a scandal some 15 years earlier involving a vicar and his wife, now buried in the churchyard. To call this plot complex is gross understatement. There are so many layers, it’s hard to keep track of them all – but Hercule and his young helper persist, of course, to the bitter end. When I picked up this book, I was looking for a new Hercule Poirot mystery written in the style of Agatha Christie. No way! It was about 100 pages too long, way too convoluted and with a resolution that was unsatisfying at best. I’ve read every Hercule Poirot novel Dame Agatha wrote -- and she would never have written Monogram Murders!Too bad – such promise!
    • 1/5
      As I was reading this book I couldn't help questioning why do this? Why try to recreate a fictional character many years after the character's and the author's demise? I must first say that I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan. I have read every book she wrote, and some more than once. The books are wonderful-complex, tricky mysteries, wonderful characters and unusual settings. Why would Ms. Christie's descendents give their approval for another author to try to recreate the great Hercule Poirot with a new mystery book? And why would they pick an author that is not that well known to do it.? There are so many wonderful authors out there that have created mystery series with wonderful characters of their own, and these characters are recognizable to large numbers of people who are mystery aficionadoes like myself. I have never heard of Sophie Hannah, and after reading this parody of a book, I don't want to read any of her other books either. This mystery was so convuluted and confusing that I totally lost interest about halfway through. And Poirot was not the Poirot that I know and love and all. This character was a cariacature of the the wonderful Belgian detective. For example the "real" Hercule would not touch coffee. He was a tea and tisane drinker and would not drink any other hot beverages. In this book we first see this Poirot sitting in a coffee house enjoying a cup of coffee. I knew from there that this was no Agatha Christie writing this book. Don't waste your time with this book. It's a real disappointment.
    • 5/5
      The narrator did a fabulous job. Good story line too! Quite imaginative
    • 4/5
      I don't expect a writer to be able to fool me into thinking that I am reading the original, just so it is an approximation of the same "feel." Hannah normally writes psychological thrillers, and that comes into play a bit, especially with Edward Catchpool and his grandfather, which was utterly irrelevant.Catchpool is the greatest problem with this book. I am guessing that Hannah was trying to combine Hastings and Japp. Catchpool is completely unsuited to be a policeman: he runs away from the scene of the crime, owing to a childhood trauma, a cul-de-sac that just points out that he is in the wrong line of work. If Hannah wants to explain something, she ought to explain why he tried to be a policeman, and why he hasn't been fired yet. Otherwise, he is channeling Hastings, but Hastings was an amateur. Japp never seemed as totally incompetent as Catchpool.I also wonder whether in 1929 the adultery of the person whose initials are on the monogram would be taken so lightly by our heroes. We are supposed to understand that the person was wonderful, just wonderful, but the main thing that we know about is the infidelity. The spouse would seem to be a more tragic figure.The plot is extremely convoluted, which the reader may or may not like. Not a bad book, but not one that would inspire me to read a new series. I would probably try a second book by Hannah.
    • 4/5
      On reading the first chapter, all I could think was "oh, this is not Agatha Christie". Hannah's writing is much wordier and descriptive. It isn't as light on its feet. But by the end of the chapter, I was hooked despite myself.It was an enjoyable read. However, I found the conclusion so complicated (the REAL culprit changed several times) that I already cannot remember who actually did the deed(s). It left a foggy feeling on an otherwise clear Poirot-style mystery. Christie's gift was in (usually) revealing even the most convoluted schemes in a way that seemed like the sun coming out. This was more like digging down toward a solution but just getting muddier.That did not stop me reading the sequel, and it was really nice just to see a little Poirot again. Possibly the brightest benefit was the introduction of Catchpool, Poirot's inspector sidekick for Hannah's line. He was well-written and a good narrator, and he had great chemistry with Poirot.
    • 3/5
      Not too bad, given that Agatha Christie is long dead. However, Hercule Poirot is back and Sophie Hannah does a decent job of capturing the nuances of Poirot's character. Worth a read.
    • 1/5
      I am trying very hard to read this book but there are so very many things wrong with it that I would not know where to begin. It is almost a parody of the real thing.I have read all of the Christie books and this is not worthy of having her name on it. I agree with those who are saying that the character of Poirot is a caricature of the real thing and the Catchpole character is unbelievably bad. I am glad I borrowed this book instead of buying it.
    • 3/5
      If you are trying to solve the murders before you get to the end of the novel, you no doubt will end up frustrated and aggregated. There are so many twists and turns, lies and deceits, and complications and characters that trying to keep everything straight is impossible. Even more maddening is when Hercule Poirot, in trying to teach detective Edward Catchpool the fine art of deducting, poses questions but withholds the answers! Still, the answers – when they finally are disclosed – are fascinating. But more than once, I found myself thinking, “What just happened?” and rereading a section. Convoluted and complicated at times, and perhaps a bit too wordy, Hercule Poirot remains true to his character, right down to his little grey cells.
    • 4/5
      Agatha Christie created some of the most memorable and beloved characters ever to populate a mystery novel - Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. The first Poirot novel was published in 1920 and the last in 1975. Almost forty years later, Sophie Hannah was tapped to write a new novel featuring this iconic detective, with the Christie estate's blessing. “Sophie Hannah’s idea for a plot line was so compelling and her passion for my grandmother’s work so strong, that we felt that the time was right for a new Christie to be written.” —Mathew Prichard, grandson of Agatha Christie The Monogram Murders is set early in 1929 London, England. Poirot is taking a wee sojourn at Mrs. Blanche Unsworth's boarding house. He's also become quite enamored of the coffee at Pleasant's Coffee House. One evening, a young woman rushes into the coffee house and declares that "...It's too late. I am already dead, you see, or I shall be soon. I can't hide forever." Well, Poirot's 'little gray cells' cannot ignore this declaration and as he is sitting pondering her words later in Mrs. Unsworth's drawing room, another resident - Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard is also pondering....on the murder of three people at the Bloxam Hotel. Poirot's little gray cells and powers of observation cannot resist the lure of such a case - and he joins Catchpool in his investigation. Hannah has chosen to narrate The Monogram Murders from Catchpool's viewpoint, as he writes down the case. There is of course, going to be much speculation as to the result of bringing a beloved character 'back to life.' I think Hannah did a good job. She doesn't try to completely recreate Christie's style, but instead introduces her own new foil - Catchpool. I'm not completely sold on him though - I found him to be a bit pedestrian, considering he is with Scotland Yard. But, he does provide Poirot with the slate needed to display his powers of deduction. The Monogram Murders is rife with red herrings, misdirection, twists and turns. This is a mystery that demands the reader's full attention. (I missed many a clue and found myself flipping back to reread) Hannah's plot was intricate and involved, but I found myself a bit disappointed with the ending, as there was one last plot point never fully closed. Those looking for a book written as Agatha Christie won't find it in The Monogram Murders. But those looking for a classic mystery written in the style of Christie will enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      I feel pretty strongly about what I have called elsewhere "coat-tails" writing. Nevertheless I was interested to see whether Sophie Hannah could capture anything like the spirit of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. I guess that is what a lot of Agatha Christie readers want to know, and I have decided to try to judge THE MONOGRAM MURDERS on its own merits, as far as I can.The setting is February 1929 in London. According to the Hercule Poirot chronology, this is thirteen years after Poirot left Belgium and arrived in England as a refugee. In 1925 he "officially" retired, at the age of about 61. So he is really at the height of his deductive powers, has been working privately, but has not been very satisfied with the kind of work he has managed to get.Here are the stories set around this date. 1926 MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD THE MURDER ON THE BLUE TRAIN 1929 "The Third Floor Flat" "The Underdog" "Wasp's Nest" 1930 BLACK COFFEE (play by Christie) "The Second Gong" (Expanded with new ending as "Dead Man's Mirror") "The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest" (expanded and updated as "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" in the fifties)The story is narrated by a young Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Edward Catchpool. He and Poirot have rooms in a London lodging house belonging to Mrs Blanche Unsworth. From the lodging house Poirot can see his own apartment house, where he normally lives, but he has spread the rumour that he has gone on vacation out of London. The narration has been completed it seems some time after the events. I found the placement of the story in the Poirot chronology interesting and that probably worked better than later in Poirot's life.I considered several things as I read this book: had the author captured Agatha Christie's style? Did I recognise this Hercule Poirot? Did the plot hold together?Well, there were glimpses of the original Hercule Poirot - there was his faith in his own ability to solve the case logically, and his disparagement of others like Catchpool who could not match his abilities. He played his cards very close to his chest, not wanting to share his knowledge or conclusions. But there was little description of Poirot's physical appearance, not much sense of his dapperness or fastidiousness.The plot worked well enough but was rather more convoluted than an original Christie, resulting in a slightly longer book. There were passages that I could not envisage Christie having written. Christie had a sparer style than displayed in this novel. Some parts of the story seem almost theatrical particularly when Poirot gathers a large audience of the staff at the Bloxham hotel so that he can confront the guilty persons. During the story we hear different interpretations of what has happened, and much depends on the timing of when things happen. Red herrings abound. So it is very easy for Catchpool and the readers to become a little confused.Worth the read? Yes, you really do want to know what actually happened and all is not revealed until the very end. But I don't want to see another: I for one don't want THE MONOGRAM MURDERS to be beginning of a string of pseudo-Christies.
    • 4/5
      I bought this at a book signing. Sophie Hannah, a great Christie fan (as am I) made it clear that she didn't set out to replicate Christie, as no one could do that, but wrote the book as a tribute to her. I think she achieves her aim quite well. Matthew Prichard gave his consent because he wanted people to start reading his grandmother again, and they are.Poirot is as fussy, abrasive, wily, and ultimately as kindhearted as he is in the originals, although there, the similarities end. The sidekick – Catchpole – is a Scotland Yard detective. He's more Hastings bumbling, than Japp, but decent and well-meaning. He's there only to narrate, Poirot runs the investigation, the police don't really feature. At 373 pages, it's long but engrossing. With so many oddities to explain, the denounment is possibly a bit too long and rather complicated, but clever for it, and unexpected. There are enough footprints throughout to make it solvable, but mostly with hindsight. This is a cosy murder mystery which requires your full attention.Don't expect to read Christie, because you won't, nor were you intended to. The Monochrome Murders, is a good Christie-esque read, which, in my opinion at least, is better than some of its reviews suggest.Nina Jon is the author of the newly released Magpie Murders - a series of short murder mysteries – and the Jane Hetherington's Adventures in Detection crime and mystery series, about private detective Jane Hetherington.
    • 3/5
      Overly complicated.
    • 3/5
      I was looking forward to this but it was disappointing. Can't put my finger on it but for me it didn't work. I didn't like the police detective I kept expecting him to turn out to be the murderer.And the resolution was extremely complicated.
    • 4/5
      Can the empty shoes of Dame Agatha Christie be filled with substance? Can the life of her Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot, be portrayed well enough by another to read as Dame Agatha's lost manuscript? A resounding yes! for the brilliant plot and execution of story provided by author Sophie Hannah. The syntax and rhythm are so perfect that one hears in their mind the voice of British actor David Suchet deftly delivering Hercule's lines throughout the story.As in a typical Christie plot, there are twists, turn and red herrings along the way. Poirot's fastidiousness, punctilious punctuality and superior "grey cells" ring out loud and clear as ever before. This was a delightful, couldn't-put-it-down mystery with all of the charm of the original Christie novels. I certainly hope this is not the last we'll hear of our resurrected Poirot from this extremely capable author. Well done Madame Hannah!I am grateful to Goodreads' First Reads, author John Rector and publisher Thomas and Mercer for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity did not, however, influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.Synopsis (from book's back cover):Hercule Poirot's quiet supper in a London coffeehouse is interrupted when a young woman confides to him that she is about to be murdered. Though terrified, she begs Poirot not to find and punish her killer. Once she is dead, she insists, justice will have been done. Later that night, Poirot learns that three guests at a London Hotel have been murdered, and a monogrammed cufflink has been placed in each one's mouth. Could there be a connection with the frightened woman? While Poirot struggles to put together the bizarre pieces of the puzzle, the murderer prepares another hotel bedroom for a fourth victim.
    • 4/5
      This is the first Agatha Christie mystery written by Sophie Hannah with the blessing of the Christie Estate. She has done a good job in turning out a book most fans will likely enjoy reading."I did not want to talk about the Bloxham Murders ever again. What I wanted - needed - was to write about them, to set down on paper every detail of what had happened. It mystified me that I was so eager to do the latter and so reluctant to undertake the former? Why should writing about a thing be so different from speaking about it?"These are the words of Edward Catchpole, a Scotland Yard detective (no rank is assigned to him) and narrator of "The Monogram Murders".Beside narrating Catchpole is officially the investigating police officer, but actually plays the role as Hercule Poirot's unofficial "assistant" while providing him some official standing in the investigation. Three people are found dead from poison in three separate rooms at the posh Bloxham Hotel in London in 1929. It's a classic closed room murder mystery and it's up to Poirot to find the murderer. Of course, there's a cast of intriguing characters with the reader not knowing who can be trusted. There's a complex backstory that shows the three victims in a bad light. Catchpole is presented as a young inexperienced police detective with Poirot as his mentor teaching him to use his little grey cells. The interplay between them is one of the best things in the book.It's a good read and I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery story.