Hercule Poirot's Silent Night by Sophie Hannah Narrator: Julian Rhind-Tutt
Series: New Hercules Poirot Mysteries #5
Published by HarperAudio on October 24, 2023
Genres: Historical Mystery
Length: 8 hours, 58 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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It’s 19 December 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are called to investigate the murder of a man in the apparent safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward. Catchpool’s mother, the irrepressible Cynthia, insists that Poirot stays in a crumbling mansion by the coast, so that they can all be together for the festive period while Poirot solves the case. Cynthia’s friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital and his wife is convinced he will be the killer’s next victim, though she refuses to explain why.
Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to escape from this nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, someone else – someone utterly ruthless – also has ideas about what ought to happen to Hercule Poirot . . .
In fall of 2023, I first read this book out of order as a new release for the New Hercule Poirot Mysteries series. I vowed then and there I was going back for the whole series and chose to borrow them as audios from the library. I made good on this series reading binge and arrived right back where I started. I was determined to make a thorough finish of it all and listened to Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night on audio as a re-read.
Oddly enough, though I knew what the solution was, I’d forgotten some of the details and discovered that this time around when I wasn’t focused so much on whether Sophie Hannah’s Poirot was a good rendition of the original Christie Poirot that more of the story leaped to my notice.
Edward Catchpool is a favorite character and my heart went out to him. He really had no desire to follow his mother’s wishes to solve this case and stay with her friends, strangers to him, for the holidays in their draughty house with no servants and really badly cooked meals, people sniping at each other, and their host in his final days. He went along with Poirot to inspect this mystery of the murder at the nursing home nearby and he tolerates his pushing mother and all the rest.
Gasp, how could I forget Catchpool and his Christmas tree ornament placement philosophizing and that horrendous maneuver his mother pulled to get her way about something. Outrageous seems to happen in each of these books and I have a good time with that aspect. The case is sad in the reveal, but the reader gets plenty of time to cotton to the truth even if it seems so stunning to be true.
All in all, I think, I enjoyed my re-listen much better than the first time around and really hope there are more installments to come.
Narration:
Julian Rhind Tutt was sensational vocalizing all the cast and especially Catchpool and Poirot. I’ve come to really appreciate his style and tone for the series.
Listen to the clip: HERE
About Sophie Hannah
Sophie Hannah is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling writer of crime fiction, published in forty-nine languages and fifty-one territories. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. In 2014, with the blessing of Agatha Christie’s family and estate, Sophie published a new Poirot novel, The Monogram Murders, which was a bestseller in more than fifteen countries. She has since published three more Poirot novels: Closed Casket, The Mystery of Three Quarters and The Killings at Kingfisher Hill, all of which were instant Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers. Her next Poirot novel will be published in October 2023.
Sophie’s murder mystery musical, The Mystery of Mr E – co-written with her friend and composer Annette Armitage – is currently being filmed and will be released as a movie in 2023. The film is directed by Martyn Tott and produced/made by Landrigan Entertainment Ltd. In 2013, Sophie’s novel The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. She has also published two short story collections and five collections of poetry – the fifth of which, Pessimism for Beginners, was shortlisted for the T S Eliot Award. Her poetry is studied at GCSE, A Level and degree level across the UK. She has published a self-help book called How to Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment – The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life.
Sophie has recently helped to create a Master’s Degree in Crime and Thriller Writing at the University of Cambridge, for which she is the main teacher and Course Director. She is also the founder of the DREAM AUTHOR coaching programme for writers. She lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I read out of order all the time. I hope the other books you read in this series are good.
Haha! Yes, sometimes it works out great. Thanks, Mary!
So glad you enjoyed this one. I love a good mystery 🙂
Oh yeah, I really hope she writes some more of these.
I had a library lend of one of these books, but I wasn’t able to get to it before it expired. You’ve just reminded me to request again. Happy to hear this was even better the second time around.
I think its a fun series and was glad to get it in order finally to see how it developed. LOL, I’ve had to request the loan again a few times after time got away from me. Hope you get the chance at it again.
I’ve found I enjoy this series more when I stop comparing it to Christie’s Poirot. I love Catchpool as a detective though there are several in the series that I haven’t read. This one looks good and you have me curious about the Christmas tree ornament philosophizing. I’m looking forward to picking this one up.
Yes, that is exactly the way I started appreciating the series- letting it stand as its own. Glad to meet another fan. 🙂
I love Hercule Poirot!
Its fun to have her writing more Poirot.