The Mystery of Three Quarters - Mystery Review

About The Mystery of Three Quarters

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (August 28, 2018)

The world’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot—the legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and most recently The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket—returns in a stylish, diabolically clever mystery set in the London of 1930. “We Agatha Christie fans read her stories--and particularly her Poirot novels--because the mysteries are invariably equal parts charming and ingenious, dark and quirky and utterly engaging. Sophie Hannah had a massive challenge in reviving the beloved Poirot, and she met it with heart and no small amount of little grey cells. I was thrilled to see the Belgian detective in such very, very good hands. Reading The Monogram Murders was like returning to a favorite room of a long-lost home.” — Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

 Hercule Poirot returns home after an agreeable luncheon to find an angry woman waiting to berate him outside his front door. Her name is Sylvia Rule, and she demands to know why Poirot has accused her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, a man she has neither heard of nor ever met. She is furious to be so accused, and deeply shocked. Poirot is equally shocked, because he too has never heard of any Barnabas Pandy, and he certainly did not send the letter in question. He cannot convince Sylvia Rule of his innocence, however, and she marches away in a rage. Shaken, Poirot goes inside, only to find that he has a visitor waiting for him — a man called John McCrodden who also claims also to have received a letter from Poirot that morning, accusing him of the murder of Barnabas Pandy... Poirot wonders how many more letters of this sort have been sent in his name. Who sent them, and why? More importantly, who is Barnabas Pandy, is he dead, and, if so, was he murdered? And can Poirot find out the answers without putting more lives in danger?

My Thoughts:  To be honest I was really torn on reading this series.  I’ve been a huge Agatha Christie fan for years and years and I’ve read everything she’s ever written multiple times so how can someone else voice Hercule Poirot???  But then I saw that not only had the Agatha Christie estate given permission for Sophie Hannah to continue the series but had also given her access to Christie’s notebooks and other sources.  So I decided to take a deep breath and give it a try.  I wasn’t crazy about the first one but I really enjoyed the 2nd book and this third mystery really continued that trend. I think the author was very smart in giving us a new narrator so the fact that the voice is different isn’t quite as jarring as it would be if the narrator was supposed to be Captain Hastings.  It also helps that I really like the new narrator, Scotland Yard Inspector Catchpool.  He has a very practical straightforward nature that works well with Poirot’s more meticulous manner.  The mystery itself is intriguing and unique.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting new pieces of the puzzle and being able to watch Poirot use his “little grey cells” again.  While I wouldn’t confuse this with Christie, Hannah’s version of Hercule Poirot feels like Poirot.  If you’re a Christie fan I think you’ll enjoy it and if you’re not a devoted Christie reader but enjoy a good mystery than I think you’ll really enjoy this one too!  I’m so glad I took the chance on this series and am hoping that Sophie Hannah continues it.  Rating: Very Good