Disappointing

I found this book hard going and struggled to finish it. I loved the previous books but not this one. The story is weak, characters uninteresting and it felt more like I was listening to a stage play, with no momentum, dull location, just all talk.

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A disappointing conclusion

I love Poirot and I am excited every time I hear a new story will be released. Sadly every time one is released I have the same feeling at the end, disappointmen. The author does some great things and her Poirot and his sidekick Catchpool are both great characters. The story is paced well and builds but every time the solution is a let down and this was the worst by far for me. it leaves me with a feeling of why did I bother.

The performance is great, so good it elevates the story. Sadly the mystery seems a step too far for the author.

If there is another Poirot I'll of course buy it again as I live in hope that one day the mystery will equal the characters and the performance.

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Still very good

The weakest of the four new poirot mysteries, but still an interesting listen with a strong performance and characters I found easy to visualise. Will look forward to a fifth

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Hannah is getting more Christie with each book

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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Great narration as always but let down by story

Brilliant narration. I’ve listened to a few from this series now and this was my least favourite. I just felt it was really complicated to listen to and I found myself switching off a little.

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Great Narrator

The story is pretty good, however, it is performed by a fabulous narrator who is always brilliant ....

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7 people found this helpful

Enjoyable

I love Christie's Poirot, and have read all the stories many times. I think Sophie Hannah captures the character of Poirot very well. His new sidekick Inspector Catchpole is likeable and effective. The story is good and the narration works well. Recommend for Christie fans and fans of classic mysteries in general.

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Brilliant story telling

Kept me gripped from start to finish. Loved all the twists and turns. A definite must read.

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A bit slow paced but worthwhile

As with other books by the same author, don't expect an Agatha Christie pace or ingenuity of plot. But a worthwhile listen, especially with the superb narration, which makes this worth the time.

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2 people found this helpful

Not the most logical plot.

This is another book in this series with an illogical and rather over complicated but ultimately lightweight story going all around the houses and ending up nowhere very interesting. The characters are all pretty unlikeable and because they have little depth they have few redemptive or appealing qualities. I may be being harsh about these stories, but I feel they have missed the wit and humanity of Poirot, and Catchpole is portrayed as too much the clod. I really wanted to like this series, but I struggled. maybe because I wanted it too much. Having said that I have listened to all the books in the series, and found the narration brought the books to life far more than the words he is speaking. There are worse books out there than this.

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2 people found this helpful