Closed Casket

This story is bonkers

The story makes no sense at all. Even the initial set up is mental. But the reading - ah! Perfection. He nails it. If anyone else had read it I'd have given it two stars.

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Fell for it again!

Of course I want another Poirot story! Please couldn't this be the one? Nope. Awful. Silly, contrived, not worth the listen. The narrator does well but can't save this poor story.

14 sur 14 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Meh....

No Agatha Christies were cloned or dug up and revived in the production of this novel. A bit drier than an actual Christie authored Poirot adventure. And she can be dry AF!

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where is Captain Hastings?

The plot is quite complex but the characters are not. They are very static and one dimensional-as a result, it is difficult to identify with them. The character who is the least interesting, unfortunately, is that of the newly added sidekick for Poirot, – – Catchpole. He lacks the naivete and amusing dim-
wittedness of Captain Hastings and, although he's constantly referred to as being very smart, nothing he does or says seems to be very intelligent.

4 sur 4 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

I enjoyed this

Keeping in mind that my exposure to Hercule Poirot has been primarily through PBS dramatizations, I enjoyed this rendering. It seemed fairly consistent in terms of environment, tension and complexity, but Poirot's final explication of who did what leading up to "whodunnit " was a bit drawn out.

7 sur 8 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Narration is GREAT!

I picked up this book because of all the hype and I was intrigued of the plot and twists. Was expecting a bit more action and maybe less characters but just because of the narration I kept on listening. The book itself an enjoyable cozy mystery.

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Really Really Good

Great narration. Compelling characters and story line. Very much in the Christie tradition. Ms Sophia's dialogue captured Hercule to a Tee.

4 sur 5 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Strong Performance can't rescue a ridiculous story

I kept reading because I had invested time for the setting up of the stories and characters, but I won't be looking for this author again. Almost none of the characters were likable, and when you find a nurse who theoretically has a good mind and good training hopelessly in love with a man she knows to be a pathological liar, and caricatures of Agatha Christie types, you get pretty disgusted. The reader is excellent, but it was a good thing this was on sale, and even then I was disappointed.

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Trying to recreate Christie is not for the weak.

This is not Agatha Christie. It cannot be. She died. It is however, an attempt to recreate her work by people who cannot possibly do it.
Sophie Hannah tries to fill an impossible task - to write as Agatha Christie does - it's like trying to be the next Einstein. It cannot be done. But, she should be lauded for the attempt.
Hastings is not here, instead we have Catchpool, who writes about Poirot as he would. People complain that it's not perfect, but it isn't mean to be. Catchpool writes as he sees and feels. He sees Poirot differently than Hastings, and has a weaker ability to convey the story. Of course, it's going to be different.
It is though, an enjoyable tale told by someone outside of literary canon. If you don't accept that, you will not like this book. If you can accept it, you will enjoy this alternate, imperfect, view of Poirot and his abilities.

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Bad Poirot

Would you try another book from Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie and/or Julian Rhind-Tutt?

Definitely Julian Rhind-Tutt, the narration was flawless. I’ve read every Agatha Christie and loved them all, wouldn’t read something else by Ms. Hannah

Would you ever listen to anything by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie again?

Agatha yes, Sophie no

Have you listened to any of Julian Rhind-Tutt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but this is flawless

Any additional comments?

The Poirot character is nothing like Agatha’s. He simply complains a lot and sparingly talks about grey cells. The male characters use the phrase “old boy” so much it made me very aware this wasn’t written by someone who lived in the era. It’s like what people think men of this time sounded like.

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