Today’s #TalkTuesday interview is also our #TeaserTuesday and First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, all of which feature Agatha Christie’s The Mystery Of Three Quarters . A joint effort by Elise and I! Enjoy!
Incidentally, Hannah comes from my home town, which always leaves me a little bit fangirly… especially when you think about what she has achieved! lol
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The Sophie Hannah Interview:
Agatha Christie’s The Mystery Of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah brings to life the famous detective Hercule Poirot. Those who grew up on her novels will once again be treated to mysteries written in her style. Anyone who has not read the famous novelist will enjoy the plot.
Hannah explains she took on this project, “because I was excited about the creative possibilities. I saw her style as eloquent, clear, and simple with challenging plots that are more like intellectual puzzles. This is my third and I will have a fourth one coming out. Since I am a massive fan of Christie, I wanted to make sure I got everything correct so I went back and did my homework. I re-read all the Poirot novels from a more analytical point of view. I had read my first book at the age of twelve and had finished all her books at the age of fourteen. Because he is such a legendary character I did not change him, loving him as he was. It is the same old character seen through new eyes. What I did change was the narrator.”
As in the previous novels Hannah created, Inspector Edward Catchpool from Scotland Yard, narrates the story. This allows the book to be in her voice instead of mimicking Christie’s narrator Hastings. Set in the 1930s, readers find Poirot confronted by Sylvia Rule who demands to know why he sent her a letter accusing of murdering Barnabas Pandy. Perplexed, he is trying to understand what she is talking about when he is confronted again by John McCrodden with the same accusation. The next day, two others, Annabel Treadway and Hugo Dockerill also come forward with similar letters. It accuses each of killing Barnabas Pandy, a 94-year-old, found drowned in his bathtub in Combingham Hall three months earlier. The reactions of each ranged from anger to contempt to sorrow to apologetic. Annabel Treadway is distraught at the accusation, since Pandy was her grandfather and tells Poirot that his death was ruled an accident. Deciding to get to the bottom of this mystery the famous detective decides to gather all to uncover who did what to whom and why, while observing their reactions.
Hannah noted, “I always thought of Poirot as brilliantly clever, kind, loyal, methodical, with a strong passion for justice. He is fascinated by the human psyche and interested in how people behave. Catchpool is clever, nice, faithful, and helpful. He is being mentored by Poirot on how to solve the cases. They contrast with the four accused of murder. Annabelle is obviously sad about something and that piques Poirot’s curiosity. Sylvia is self-righteous and a know it all. John has this adolescent attitude about his father, always blaming him for something. Hugo is a bumbling, absent-minded type.”
This story delves into how people can harm one another. How lies can take root in people’s heads as truths. The theme has characters stubbornly clinging to old grudges. Hannah will continue this theme with a self-help book, How To Hold A Grudge, out in January that allows people to hold on to their negative feelings as long as they forgive and find inner peace.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Mystery of Three Quarters (New Hercule Poirot Mysteries #3)
by Sophie Hannah (Goodreads Author),
The world’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot–the legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Expressand most recently The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket–returns in a stylish, diabolically clever mystery set in the London of 1930.
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?
Teaser Tuesday
and
First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros
Every Tuesday Vicki @ I’d Rather Be at the Beach now hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where readers share the first paragraph of a book that they are reading or plan to read soon.
The Mystery of Three Quarters(New Hercule Poirot Mysteries #3)
Looking forward to visiting your blogs and seeing what your Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, are this week!
Luv Sassy x
x
I haven’t read any of the Agatha Christie mysteries written by modern authors – maybe I should! 🙂 It certainly sounds as though Sophie Hannah has taken great care to make her Poirot true to the original.
I love Agatha Christie, but I haven’t read any by today’s authors. I’m a bit hesitant to because I don’t want them to ruin what I love about her novels. But I like the opening page and it sounds like Sophie has done her homework. See what book I’m featuring at Girl Who Reads
I’ve been meaning to give this series a try. Thanks for reminding me about it!
I have read only one of Sophie Hannah’s Agatha’s novels. It was okay, but I’m a huge Christie fan and can’t quite bring myself to reading any more of her copiers.
Oh, I understand, It’s hard for some fans – knowing it’s not her. I quite like the way it feels like we’re keeping her work alive.
I love Agatha Christie so I’m hesitant to try the new authors.