#Review #Audiobook The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah

This is the 4th Hercule Poirot story written by Sophie Hannah. It is narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

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About the book

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?

Review

Poirot is on his way to investigate the death of Frank Devonport at the behest of Richard Devonport. He is travelling with his companion and police detective, who is a really good sidekick by the way. Their attention is drawn by the antics of a young woman who seems particularly distressed and also convinced that someone is intent on killing her.

Her behaviour and insistence on swapping seats sets a series of events in motion that garners Poirot's attention and gets the little grey cells bouncing, however he isn't quite prepared for the surprises awaiting him at the esteemed Kingfisher Hill residence. A mystery on the way to solve a mystery - only Poirot can find himself in such a complex situation.

I have to say the more Hannah writes Poirot the more her voice sounds like Christie. Listening to the audiobook actually gives the listener or reader a better feel for said voice, because the narrator has the characters down to a fine art, especially Poirot. Julian Rhind-Tutt is an excellent choice.

I look forward to reading the next in the series and can only hope that eventually someone will revive the series in film or tv format featuring the stories of Christie's famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot with Hannah at the helm of the ship. I miss Suchet and this gives me Suchet-Poirot vibes.

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By: Sophie Hannah, Agatha Christie, Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt, Series: New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, Book 4, Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins, Unabridged Audiobook, Release date: 20-08-20, Language: English, Publisher: HarperCollins.

Read The Mystery of Three Quarters (Hercule Poirot #3) by Sophie Hannah.

Read Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah

The New Hercule Poirot Mysteries #3 - The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah

I have to hand it to Sophie Hannah, she has got the whole Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot and 1930s vibe down to a fine art. Instead of trying to replicate Christie's style and characters, Hannah gives her readers the feeling they are wandering around in the mind maps and plots of the grande dame of crime, whilst infusing the story with her own style and sense of humour.

I imagine it is both exciting to be the face of the new Poirot and incredibly difficult to live up to such high expectations. Sophie Hannah does so with great panache.

In this third new mystery featuring Poirot, the most famous detective in the entire world (his words), finds himself in the midst of a mystery about the author of a series of poison pen letters. Hercule Poirot himself has accused multiple people of murder, of killing the same man. He has written, signed and sent these letters himself.

The accused, start popping up all over the place to threaten, shout and berate him for his thoughtless accusations. Just one problem, the pedantic Belgian with the meticulously groomed moustache has never heard of the supposed victim, the recipients of said letters and he certainly hasn't accused anyone of 'the murder most wicked' - well at least not lately. Luckily there is nothing Poirot loves more than a criminal trying to pull the wool over his eyes.

Three Quarters is step back into time and it gives the reader a sense of nostalgia. It is the typical Poirot crime mystery readers love to immerse themselves in. Hannah gives her readers the Christie of old but stamps her mark on it with confidence, which makes for a great read.

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Pub date: 23rd August 2018
Publisher: Harper Collins

Read Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah

Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah

I do appreciate a story with a few hard facts or home-truths.The only downside is that I tend to want to go on about it when an author makes a particularly valid point.

We live in an era where the majority of media outlets is no longer focused on reporting the truth or any semblance of it.

Instead fiction becomes fact, fame and notoriety are more important than reporting what really happened. Everyone wants their 15 minutes of celebrity.

The 21st century has seen the rise of TV showmen and women, as opposed to the revered journalists of the 20th century. Nancy Grace is a great example of this gaudy and dangerous phenomenon, and one that is mentioned in the story.

In this scenario the guilty party is discovered and proven guilty by trial via public opinion. In the end it doesn't matter whether there isn't enough evidence to prove they did it, because the TV viewers have already been told they are guilty. This anything but objective opinion continues on through to the courtroom.

Cara has decided to escape reality and the uncomfortable stress at home by treating herself to a few days in a five star spa hotel in the US. The tired and upset Cara accidentally stumbles upon a man and young girl, only to find out the next day that the young girl in question has been dead for quite a few years. Did she imagine it, is someone having a laugh or is it just a case of mistaken identity? Did she see Melody?

What emerges from this one simple question is a myriad of crimes and even more unanswered questions. Guilt isn't a clear concept in this story. Would you commit a crime to prevent another? Do you believe the court of public opinion instead of checking all the available facts? Do two wrongs make a right?

I'm sure this story will make readers wonder about the choices they would make if confronted with the same situation. Begs the question whether, in a world full of police states and dictatorships, some of us have to be strong enough to be vigilantes, because the justice systems fails victims on a regular basis.

It's a read that gives plenty of food for thought.

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