There’s always an enormous amount of anxiety when a beloved intellectual property is being handled by someone other than its creator. It’s incredibly rare, especially in fiction, for a new author to capture the subtle nuances that the original writer imbued into their work. If anything, the best strategy is always to move forward with confidence instead of trying to pay constant lip service to the older works. This has worked well for Sophie Hannah, who has added to the canon of Agatha Christie's beloved detective Hercule Poirot mysteries for several years now. Her latest effort, THE KILLING AT KINGFISHER HILL, is a testament to her ability to capture Christie's rightly well-regarded voice.

World-renowned detective Hercule Poirot has been sent a letter about a recent murder at the renowned Kingfisher estate. The murder is apparently solved, as someone has already confessed, but the victim’s brother implores Poirot to clear the confessor’s name and find the real killer. Accompanying Poirot is his friend, Police Inspector Cathpool, and their journey to Kingfisher takes a bizarre turn when on the ride there a woman claims that she is about to be murdered. Coincidence? I can say with confidence that you won’t be able to predict where the plot goes, as Hannah proves she can masterfully weave a mystery with the best of them. What struck me as I read was the lack of red herrings in the course of the story; every single event only deepens the puzzle and never feels superfluous. This is a story that deals more with bitterness and the unpleasant truths of the human condition, rather than explosive action.

Sophie Hannah's prose feels like it’s out of the past in the best way possible; almost like it was written during Agatha Christie’s golden age. For some people, the term “old fashioned” can be derogatory, but it feels like a compliment in this case. Hannah clearly has an affection for this bygone era and it shines through on every page. Her prose is only matched by her command of the novel’s characters. Cathpool functions as a perfect audience surrogate, being in awe at Poirot’s mental feats and annoyed at the man’s inability to turn off his deductive mind. Poirot himself comes off as surprisingly human, both elated at the chance to unravel a mystery but haunted by the fact that he must see the worst humanity has to offer. 

In terms of flaws, it’s difficult to pinpoint them. The novel flows so well and doesn't feel overlong, even if there are moments where you’re craving the big reveal. The biggest defect is the most obvious one, which is that despite her clear talent and knowledge of Christie’s work, Hannah can’t manage to find that elusive quality that defined the original Poirot mysteries. It’s not entirely fair to view this a problem, Christie was such a once in a generation artist that someone can’t be expected to completely recreate her brilliance. That’s the inherent problem when trying to continue a prodigies work, but Hannah comes quite close.

THE KILLING AT KINGFISHER HILL will absolutely please any fans of Agatha Christie, mysteries, or great fiction. For newcomers, this book will most certainly convert you and will lead you to seek out the wonderful novels that inspired it.