“Silent night… Murderous night. All is lies. All is… Blight?”

My adoration for crime thrillers stems from my parents own copies of classics by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sawyers and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have grown up surrounded by clever detectives all my life and of course I had to give Sophie Hannah’s Christmas mystery novel the chance it deserves.

Synopsis

The fifth novel in The New Hercule Poirot Mysteries written by Sophie Hannah features everyone’s favourite Belgian detective and his recent partner-in-crime Inspector Edward Catchpool spending the leadup to Christmas investigating a murder in a Norfolk hospital wing.

Coerced by Cynthia Catchpool (the inspector’s merciless mother), Poirot and his companion visit a crumbling estate on the Norfolk coastline in order to prevent another death. Cynthia’s friend, Vivienne Laurier is convinced that her husband Arnold is next to be killed by whoever killed Stanley Niven — a man with “a sunny nature”— despite there being no apparent connection to her husband, other than that they would have become neighbours when Arnold moved into the hospital for end-of-life care.

Much to his wife’s dismay, Arnold plans to become an amateur detective in his dying days and figure out who killed his would-be-neighbour. Thus she puts Poirot and his trusty sidekick to work but in the hopes of avoiding any further harassment by his mother, Inspector Catchpool insists on having the mystery wrapped up by Christmas Eve at the latest.

While there seem to be very few people who would have wished Stanley Niven dead— other than a disgruntled customer during his career as a postman, many would seem to benefit from the death of Arnold Laurier. Soon, Poirot and Catchpool have a vast array of suspects and it quickly becomes apparent that not all is merry and bright at Frellingsloe House this Christmas.

The Little Grey Cells

“I do not need to rely on luck, monsieur. I have the little grey cells… They never let me down.”

In my humble opinion, there are very few detectives who are better than that of Hercule Poirot. His shrewdness, subtle humour and extraordinary powers of deduction make him a remarkable character but a great Agatha Christie novel is only as good as its ensemble of suspects to further explore the depth of human psychology — particularly the lengths someone may go to keep a secret.

There’s Arnold’s doting wife Vivienne, his two sons who are always at odds with one another, their wives —Madeline and Janet —who also happen to be sisters at war, the Surtees —embittered staff who are also Madeline and Janet’s parents, and Frellingsloe’s two lodgers—Felix Rawcliffe and Dr Osgood. All of whom are eccentric, baffling and wholly unlikeable!

With the theme of family dynamics at the forefront, readers will become engrossed in the hidden resentments built up in this seemingly idyllic setting. For the reader, it becomes a game of back-and-forth between the many thought-out characters in order to figure out the killer before Poirot’s hallmark reveal.

Now That It’s There

“No energy is conserved if you take the ‘Now that it’s there’ approach. There is little that taxes the brain more than forcing it to deviate from its customary ways of thinking and imagining.”

Written in the first-person perspective of Inspector Edward Catchpool, the reader can almost feel like a passenger alongside Poirot on his investigations — similar to that of Captain Arthur Hastings. While Catchpool acts as the Watson to Poirot’s Holmes, the inspector is crucial to the investigation thanks to his connections, quick-thinking, and appropriate irritation with his mother’s meddlesome schemes — not to mention his hilarious framing of the story with the intent to prove the great Hercule Poirot wrong. His thoughtfulness and tenacity blend perfectly with Poirot’s eccentricities culminating in a comradery of mutual respect with a thirst to find justice for all.

Agatha Christie’s Legacy

“You are his inspiration, Monsieur Poirot. He claims to be well versed in your methods.”

Though no one could outdo Agatha Christie — no matter how hard other writers try, crime writer Sophie Hannah has taken on the Herculean task and perfectly encapsulated not only Christie’s voice but Poirot’s character. Reading this novel alongside classics such as Murder on the Orient Express or Death on the Nile, one could barely tell the difference. It is clear when reading the novel that like the audience, Sophie Hannah is a fan of Agatha Christie. It is written in her own style through her character of Catchpool but Silent Night remains a Poirot book through-and-through.

Final Thoughts

While it is the latest installment in the continuation series and it is probably recommended to go through the series in order, Silent Night also works as a stand-alone book, to be enjoyed on a cold winter night as Christmas approaches.

Reminiscent of being welcomed into the arms of an old friend, Hannah’s novel evokes notes of a classic mystery thriller sprinkled with some Christmas cheer. You will find yourself transported to December 1931 and like me, whizzing through this nostalgic book in just a few days with determination to find out if you could be as good a sleuth as Poirot (I certainly like to think I am and I imagine most writers do). Though some like to believe crime thrillers like this to be literary fluff, this book is much more than just a whodunnit. As Frellingsloe is destined to fall into the sea, it reflects the erosion of the uppercrust society and the fragility of the Laurier family.

I am without a doubt that not only are Agatha Christie and Poirot’s legacies secured but Sophie Hannah’s is deservedly as well.

“Let the wise reader be the judge on whether or not secrecy was the motive.”