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A review by bioniclib
The Monogram Murders by Agatha Christie, Sophie Hannah
4.0
I must admit, I went in skeptically. I've been burned before by someone taking over the reigns of a great detective. Turns out my fears were unfounded.
What makes the great Hercule Poirot, well, great, is how rich a character he is. In this story, the narrator, Det. Catchpool, is the dunderhead that makes us, the reader, feel less dunderhead-ish because he's as lost as we are. Which is how Poirot can get away with calling people morons but not come across as a egotistical jerk.
This story centers around three people found dead in three hotel rooms with monogrammed cuff links in their mouths. Hence the title. I'll spare you the rehash of the plot and just tell you why Ms. Hannah was so successful.
Dame Christie's Poirot stories always focused on the clues. Unlike some mystery writers, she always presented the reader with pivotal clues right away. Oh, she withheld some in the name of plot twists for sure, but you had most of the clues up front. Next, she always had people tell their version of what happened and Poirot would get all Grammar Nazi on them and pick apart not just what they said but how and what words they used. Then there's the fact that this happens multiple times; false reveals if you will. After that, she had seemingly irrelevant comments or observations turn out to be what Poirot needed to solve the thing. Finally, she has Poirot have a grand ol' time revealing how everything was done, making everyone look stupid in the process, but not pulling anything out of a hat to get things to fall into place.
I'm pleased to inform you that Ms. Hannah does all of these things just as well. I don't think this plot reaches the lofty heights of The Murder of Rodger Ackryod or Murder of the Orient Express, but that's not an indictment on her skill, which is plentiful, but rather a proof of how great a writer Dame Christie could be. But I, for one, am pleased to see the late Christie's detective in such capable hands.
I would recommend this book to even folks that haven't read a Poirot book before. While not the same as Christie's works, it may be more accessible to newer readers. Each writer is a product of their times and that fact may make it tough for newbies to break into Christie's works right away. I can see this serving as a stepping stone to those.
What makes the great Hercule Poirot, well, great, is how rich a character he is. In this story, the narrator, Det. Catchpool, is the dunderhead that makes us, the reader, feel less dunderhead-ish because he's as lost as we are. Which is how Poirot can get away with calling people morons but not come across as a egotistical jerk.
This story centers around three people found dead in three hotel rooms with monogrammed cuff links in their mouths. Hence the title. I'll spare you the rehash of the plot and just tell you why Ms. Hannah was so successful.
Dame Christie's Poirot stories always focused on the clues. Unlike some mystery writers, she always presented the reader with pivotal clues right away. Oh, she withheld some in the name of plot twists for sure, but you had most of the clues up front. Next, she always had people tell their version of what happened and Poirot would get all Grammar Nazi on them and pick apart not just what they said but how and what words they used. Then there's the fact that this happens multiple times; false reveals if you will. After that, she had seemingly irrelevant comments or observations turn out to be what Poirot needed to solve the thing. Finally, she has Poirot have a grand ol' time revealing how everything was done, making everyone look stupid in the process, but not pulling anything out of a hat to get things to fall into place.
I'm pleased to inform you that Ms. Hannah does all of these things just as well. I don't think this plot reaches the lofty heights of The Murder of Rodger Ackryod or Murder of the Orient Express, but that's not an indictment on her skill, which is plentiful, but rather a proof of how great a writer Dame Christie could be. But I, for one, am pleased to see the late Christie's detective in such capable hands.
I would recommend this book to even folks that haven't read a Poirot book before. While not the same as Christie's works, it may be more accessible to newer readers. Each writer is a product of their times and that fact may make it tough for newbies to break into Christie's works right away. I can see this serving as a stepping stone to those.