FROM her own admission Sophie Hannah would say she has not tried to mimic or replicate Agatha Christie's style in this new Hercule Poirot offering and even if she had, I would not be the person to tell you how it compares.
This book is my first step into Agatha Christie's tales and because of this I have judged it entirely on its own merit.
Through the narration of Mr Catchpool, Poirot is described as an articulate and precise man who rises to the challenge of intrigue and forgets not even the smallest of details.
Between Poirot and Catchpool we get a marvellously winding mystery that despite their two very different styles, and possible competencies, leads to a curious mystery that had me guessing right until the end.
The story had an antiquated quality, which is relevant due to the 1920s setting and focuses heavily on the uncovering of faux alibis and treacherous pasts and, regardless of the purpose of the book, I now want to pick up an original Agatha Christie novel.
9/10
Review by Sarah Scoffin
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