I’ve always been suspicious of this range of books - Christie’s originals are generally excellent, but there are plenty other new writers producing works with a golden age sensibility, so why create a facsimile of the past?

And now I realise it’s because they’re really rather good, and act as a fitting continuation of Christie’s work, capturing Poirot perfectly, as well as populating a big house with a load of ‘characters’ to be suspicious of. What more could I really want? A dependable sidekick in Inspector Catchpole, a stupid policeman in inspector Mackle, murder, twists, many Christmas trees and a traditional denouement in the library to expose the killer. Loved it.

Sorry to Sophie Hannah for my initial dismissive views - I’ll be back to the early books now.

Although this is not my favourite genre, I enjoy reading books of this genre occasionally if they are well written.
This novel is extremely well written, believable and written in the style of Agatha Christie.
Ideal reading over the Christmas holidays.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reading copy for honest review.

A really great read. I have really enjoyed all in this series by Sophie Hannah. She faithfully adapts her writing style to Christie’s style and it was a joy to read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to a review copy.

Sophie Hannah has done another amazing job of creating a new Hercule Poirot story. As in her previous Poirot mysteries she captures the spirit of Christie’s original work. There are twists and turns and the traditional denouement which I thought was slightly unlikely but Silent Night is well worth a read this Christmas.

I really enjoyed this, much more than any of the other Sophie Hannah Poirot books. It kept me gripped and I’m starting to like Catchpool as I really missed the trusty Hastings to start with. While it’s not Christie it def managed to keep me guessing and the few red herrings along the way helped with the suspence too. I found the reveal at the end a little long winded tbh but all in all it was a thoroughly good read. It’s always good to be in the company of our beloved Poirot. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy.

Catchpool is looking forward to spending Christmas with Poirot until his mother sails in with plans of her own. Before long a reluctant Catchpool is accompanying his clever friend to Norfolk, on the trail of a killer with no motive. Staying in a house that is slipping into the sea, they contend with bickering siblings, a reluctant cook, and a dying host. Will they manage to unravel the mystery before Christmas day?
Hannah’s Poirot and Catchpool are every bit as fascinating and urbane as Christie’s (possibly better?), and her tightly controlled plot keeps the reader on their toes until the very end. I could not put this book down (I’m writing this at 1.32am), and will be seeking out the previous Hannah Poirot titles first thing tomorrow. Or rather, later today!

“And life contained no greater struggle, for me at least, than time spent in the company of my mother. I was already trapped in the cast-iron tradition of joining her for a summer holiday in Great Yarmouth … Nothing would induce me to add a winter ordeal to my filial burden. I knew that if I indulged her once, Mother would expect it to happen every year without fail.”

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night’ by Sophie Hannah. I accompanied my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

This is the fifth in the New Hercule Poirot Mysteries commissioned by the Estate of Agatha Christie. I have read two of these new mysteries with the other two waiting in my Kindle library. Based on my reading, I feel that Sophie Hannah has done a brilliant job of capturing the essence of the originals combining intricate plots, plenty of suspects, and the classic denouncement where Hercule Poirot gathers everyone together for the grand reveal.

On New Year’s Eve, 1931 Inspector Edward Catchpole of Scotland Yard writes up details of a recent case. On 19 December he and Poirot had been asked by Catchpole’s mother, Cynthia, to investigate the murder of a man in the apparent safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward. She insists that Edward and Poirot stay with her at Frellingsloe House, a crumbling mansion by the coast.

Cynthia wants them all to be together for the festive period while Edward is keen that Poirot solve the case as quickly as possible so they can return to London for the quiet Christmas that they had originally planned. He really wants to avoid Christmas with Mama.

It appears that Cynthia’s friend Arnold Laurier, who owns Frellingsloe House, is terminally ill and is to be admitted to that same hospital early in the new year. His wife, Vivienne, is convinced that he will be the killer’s next victim, though she refuses to explain why. No further details in order to avoid spoilers but be assured that it’s a delightfully twisty case in the traditional Golden Age style.

I have been a fan of Sophie Hannah’s crime fiction for a number of years. I feel that she was a great choice to write these new mysteries as she is very respectful of her role in continuing the legacy of Agatha Christie.

Overall, I found ‘Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night’ an engaging mystery that kept me guessing until the fussy Belgium detective gathered all to reveal whodunnit. Will Catchpole manage to escape the horrors of Christmas with his mother? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Hercule Poirot’s ‘Silent Night’ places a murderous twist on the most wonderful time of the year.

It is absolutely no secret that I am a huge, huge fan of Agatha Christie. Sophie Hannah has picked up her torch and continued her legacy in the best way. I love her new Poirot stories and ‘Silent Night’ is no exception. This is tense, atmospheric and includes all of the best elements of the locked room mystery we have come to know and love. It just has that Golden Age touch, but with a thoroughly modern twist within it.

This is exquisitely plotted, with layers upon layers of secrets, lies and connections that are eventually revealed to us. As always, Poirot seems to be that one step ahead of us with his ‘little grey cells’ noticing every minute detail. Hannah has woven a tight, intense and enjoyable story that I devoured. The set-up is incredibly intriguing and Hannah ensures it pays off in every possible way. There are some deceptions and fabrications going on - it is a complex plot but never feels overwhelming or beyond our grasp.

The setting perfectly matches this with the crumbling cliffs of Norfolk as our backdrop. They serve as dramatic metaphors for the crumbling family relationships within that dark and brooding house. Everything is not as it seems. These are such tangled and complicated relationships, with their own darkness and manipulation hidden within. As a character driven reader, I loved how Hannah elevated the stock character tropes. They all flourished from their supposed stereotypes and became three-dimensional and deeply human people.

Hercule Poirot’s ‘Silent Night’ flickers ominously like a candle in the night, transforming those Christmassy lights into shadows of darkness and death.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. Man, I really tried to read this. I swear I read the first 15 pages at least 3 times, but I just could not make myself read any further. I love Poirot, and Hannah continues to fail to capture his true nature over and over again. I can't believe the Christie family continues to let her desecrate my man, Poirot. I am going to give it another shot, eventually, but I remember the previous Poirot's Hannah wrote, and it makes me really rethink picking this one back up. 3 stars because I DNF.

I have read a few of Sophie’s Poirot books, and I really enjoy them. I like the character Catchpool and I’m glad he was also in this one. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot as I don’t want to spoil it but I thought perhaps the reveal was strung out a bit and did take awhile to get there. Overall it is a good read and would definitely recommend it. Thank you #netgalley

Poirot is back with his trusty side kick Inspector Edward Catchpool they are asked to investigate the murder of a patient in a Norfolk hospital.
This festive mystery is well written and has an interesting collection of characters .
Poirot only has a week to find the murderer. Can he do it?
Plenty of suspects and another murder takes place and it looks like Poirot may have lost his touch .
I didn’t guess the murderer and I really enjoyed the mystery Sophie Hannah has done it again!
Looking forward to the next Poirot story from Sophie Hannah’s little grey cells!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

It’s been many years since I read an Agatha Christie mystery so cannot make any fair comparisons. I did, however, enjoy this book, which is just the right sort of comfort read for the darker days of autumn and winter. The detective Hercule Poirot and his sidekick Edward Catchpool are persuaded by the latter’s mother to join her for Christmas in Norfolk and help solve a murder at a nearby hospital. They stay with his mother’s friends in a decaying mansion which is at risk of falling into the sea. The hosts are Arnold and Vivienne Laurier, their two sons and their wives, their in-laws, Terence and Enid Surtees, who appear to be working as handyman and cook, along with two lodgers, a local doctor and a curate. The relationships between the house’s eccentric inhabitants provides plenty of scope for conflict and intrigue and although the reader is easily able to identify the clues to the mystery, the resolution still brings a few surprises.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Poirot has been involved in several festive cases and Sophie brings him into a further in her new novel. The Belgian supersleuth and Inspector Edward Catchpool investigate a man’s murder in a hospital ward, staying with the latter’s mother and her friends in a crumbling mansion. Nothing about the case pleases Poirot – in many ways, it seems almost impossible and certainly improbable – but he has less than a week to solve it if he wants to enjoy December 25 at home. Will he do it? Well, this is Poirot you’re talking about… Clever, so, so so clever, you’ll be impressed by the denouement.

I enjoyed this gentle murder mystery set prior to Christmas 1931 where Hecule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are called to investigate the murder of a man in a Norfolk hospital ward. They are to stay in a crumbling mansion on the Norfolk coast - Arnold the owner is due to stay in the hospital after the festive season and his wife is worried that he will be the next victim.

Poirot has a week to solve the murder before anyone else is put at risk.

I have not read any of Sophie Hannah’s Poirot mysteries but I felt that she has caught the essence of his character. I enjoyed the friendship he has with the Inspector. I did not take to any of the other eccentric characters but they were well drawn.

Nor did I foresee the ending - so an enjoyable read all round!

A good story, well-written, and a great way to while away an evening. It's not quite Agatha Christie, although it is definitely the next best thing, and the clever plot and entertaining characters already make me want to read the next Poirot novel from this author.

Poirot is my favourite, Sophie Hannah is my favourite, what's not to love?

I particularly enjoyed the psychological bent to this one, with Edward Catchpool's mother providing the entry point into the mystery.

Catchpool himself is great: though he has all of Hastings' goodness and innocence and none of his more annoying traits, he still remains a character in his own right, with his own complexities and foibles.

And Hannah has, as always, managed to capture so many of Agatha Christie's habits, themes, motifs and idiosyncrasies while bringing her own distinctive flavour to the mix.

This is overall a really satisfying read. My thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a well-crafted mystery, written very much in the style of Agatha Christie, and is a good, fun read. Although it is mainly set in a country house, it cannot be classed as solely a “country house” murder mystery. It is certainly an intriguing mystery. The plot moves along quickly enough, and the characters are mostly well developed, although the two principal policemen are unbelievably thick! In retrospect, I realised that there are enough clues in the book for a more careful reader to suspect the murderer well before the end. Four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

I love Sophie Hannah's work and Agatha Christie so was excited to read this and to get caught up in the mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. Man, I really tried to read this. I swear I read the first 15 pages at least 3 times, but I just could not make myself read any further. I love Poirot, and Hannah continues to fail to capture his true nature over and over again. I can't believe the Christie family continues to let her desecrate my man, Poirot. I am going to give it another shot, eventually, but I remember the previous Poirot's Hannah wrote, and it makes me really rethink picking this one back up. 3 stars because I DNF.

Sophie Hannah's little grey cells are working brilliantly again in this new Poirot book. I wasn't 100% convinced by the motive, but I love her writing and the characters she brings to life.
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book