'Closed Casket' is the new Poirot novel

Yesterday at the Frankfurt Book Fair, it was announced that Sophie Hannah has been commissioned to write her second Hercule Poirot novel. Publication will be in September 2016, the 126th aniversary of the appearance of Hercule Poirot.
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Comments

  • shanashana Paramaribo, Suriname
    >-)
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    What a stupid Idea.
  • What a stupid Idea.
    If a new book encourages new readers to buy Christie's books that can't be such a bad thing. Sophie Hannah has had to change her whole approach to writing a Poirot story. It's interesting to attend her talks and listen to her approach to the difficult task.

    Martin Edwards archivist (soon to be President) of the Detection Club has been promoting The Golden Age of Crime novels, via the British Library. This has resulted in novels by authors that have been long forgotten are available once again, we are lucky that Cristie is still as popular as ever and people are enjoying her work. 

  • shanashana Paramaribo, Suriname
    @Dr Sheppard, that's odd. If AC's work on it's own IS still that popular why was there the need to go and attract "new readers" ?!?
     #-o I can't make heads or tails of this anymore, sorry. 

    For the record, I do support the idea of keeping the readers interested in AC's OWN work.
    =D>
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Dr Shepperd taking in all I have heard about The Monogram Murders I can't see that that The Book is likely to encourage new Christie readers and from what I have heard as someone on here said anyone who wants to read Christies after reading The Book will not be served well but I repeat I gave not read the book and if The Writer had chosen a Character who AC hadn't killed off I would applaud the idea.
  • Tommy_A_Jones 
    You could always attend The International Agatha Christie Festival in September 2016 and actually speak to fans of The Monogram Murders!

    It's also about time you read the book and then you would be able to analyse the story and make a fair judgement from your point of view. It has been doing well in the  local library when I have inquired. You could also pick up a used library copy from Amazon for 1p plus postage.

    The Monogram Murders is placed in the period when Christie worked on Miss Marple, 1929. If Christie had written a Poirot book set in the period of 1929 and HarperCollins published after it after Curtain, would that prevent you from reading it?


  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

    Dr Sheppard

    I am not Able to Attend the Festival for reasons I don't wish to go into here Secondly I don't wish to read the Book which I don't approve of, It might be brilliant AS A BOOK I am not saying it isn't just that I don't believe it should ever have been Written because Agatha Christie Killed off Poirot and Agatha Christie is the only person who should in my view Authorize the Writing by someone else of a Book with Poirot, I have stated over and over again that if Sophie had chosen another Character Miss Marple or Bundle or Battle for instance to have as the lead Character I would applaud the idea but I do not want to waste my time reading a book I Fundamentally disagree with, If you enjoyed it I am very pleased fpr you but I will not ever read it or any others the Writer Writes featuring Poirot, I dpn't quite understand your last point If Agatha Christie had written a book and Harper Collins had Published after of course I would read it Curtain was published years after it was written wasn't it? And I have read that. 

  • New Poirot?It's a nightmare. Please, make it stop. I love Christie's work, but only her work!
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    LiopoldoAtila, If I could LIKE that comment as on Facebook I would :-)
  • Dr.SheppardDr.Sheppard Oxford, UK

    I have just purchased a full ticket to the Agatha Christie Birthday Celebrations on 15th September in Torquay. Part of the programme will be Sophie Hannah reading an extract from the new Poirot Novel Closed Casket, which I am looking forward to.

    I was at an Agatha Christie conference on 20th June, held at Exeter University, where Sophie was a Keynote speaker, and she read a chapter from the new book. Poirot again teams up with Edward Catchpool, but there is an intriguing murderer 'that challenges Poirot's theories'. Sophie had a copy of the American paperback with her, from which she read the extract and it certainly captivated the audience and there were many questions from the enthusiastic fans. Can't wait to read it on 6th September.

  • Do events such as the Exeter University conference get publicised on this website? 

    In seeking to qualify what is Christie's legacy, I wonder what fellow forum members will think if I say that, in this day and age, Poirot is rather like the television character Dr Who. He can come in all different guises, and change his character completely, and it still fans are enthusiastic about 'the brand' as some have called it.  Just as it doesn't actually matter who act as Dr Who, it doesn't matter a great degree who writes the Poirot story: it is still 'the' not 'her' (as in Sophie Hannah) new Poirot. He is a bit like Father Christmas now, too. Anyone can be him, and we still love him for all the warm and nostalgic associations.?? I'm not sure a university is quite the just setting for a conference, however, because it suggest a certain set of academic conventions, in terms of authenticity and primary sources.










  • Dr.SheppardDr.Sheppard Oxford, UK
    @Griselda The Exeter University's Christie conference is not advertised on this website. If individuals would like the information I am happy to supply it. Last month was the third one they have held. The university holds a number of original Agatha Christie associated documents in its film archive. While I was there the library had some fantastic documents on display, regarding the making of the film 'Agatha' (1979) with Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave. Regarding the conference, it is really a place for academics to 'read' their papers on the topic of Agatha Christie - some discussions are quite crazy! As I know the organiser I get sent an email with details about two months before it takes place; 1st year it was 3 days, 2nd year 2 days, this year 1 1/2 days.

    I thought the use of 'her' might be more acceptable to individuals that feel 'the' should only be associated with Agatha Christie herself. Anyway, the plot for the new book sounds interesting; Sophie had to give the audience a little background to the story, as the chapter she read was from the middle of the book.
  • My copy of Closed Casket arrived yesterday; it's 371 pages long, however, that is with a larger font than the normal hardback book. It is a real page turner. I've almost finished reading it; perhaps the most noticeable thing is the change to the character Edward Catchpool; he appears to have grown up and matured so that the story, which is narrated by him, is much more enjoyable. More to follow
  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom
    Pleased to hear that you like Closed Casket so far @Dr.Sheppard. Would love to hear your review of the story once you've finished it.
  • Closed Casket is going to be a best seller. This is a much more polished story by Sophie Hannah than The Monogram Murders. Poirot and Edward Catchpool are invited to Clonakilty, County Cork, South West Ireland to prevent a murder, at the home of Lady Athelinda Playford. At the evening meal, something strange happens that disrupts the family gathering, and so begins a murder mystery that almost baffles Poirot. The local police are about to arrest someone but are persuaded by Poirot to pause, while he carries out further investigations. It seems that the murderer is found in the act of killing someone who has been dead for some hours. 
      In this novel, Sophie Hannah has developed the relationship between Poirot and Catchpool and the story is much more enjoyable to read, Catchpool appears to have matured in his ability to solve a crime. There are all the usual aspects of the Christie story that fans will love, and as you might expect, there is the gathering of all possible suspects where Poirot explains how he solved the crime, however, at 41 pages, it is perhaps a little too long. This is a story that all Poirot fans will enjoy and should read. Congratulations to Sophie Hannah. I can well imagine there will be a further story to come.
  • Dr Sheppard, I think you should really transfer this thread to the 'Not Agatha Christie' section - because it isn't her, and that's why this thread, from start to finish, reads like you trying to badger members into liking Sophie Hannah's books. Read the signs, that the fans who are currently posting are not really interested.

    Perhaps the current following of this site are more serious in their fanship than you give them credit for being. If I went to a book club to study and discuss the works of Shakespeare, I would not expect to be handed the graphic novel version of Macbeth. We like Agatha Christie - that's why we like discussing her books. 
  • Griselda said:
    Perhaps the current following of this site are more serious in their fanship than you give them credit for being. If I went to a book club to study and discuss the works of Shakespeare, I would not expect to be handed the graphic novel version of Macbeth. We like Agatha Christie - that's why we like discussing her books. 
    I much prefer a long-lost Agatha Christie story being discovered.

    And I think there should be more discussions on the books. I've been reading NEMESIS as of late and I've been adding onto a post from the book on the Miss Marple forum, trying to revive the discussion but there hasn't been much feedback. 
  • @Griselda, you make an interesting point about the graphic novel (of which there are some Christie stories in this form), my own research and interest is the AC novels, however, you will find Christie fans discussing the film adaptations and TV dramas on this site. So, as the Closed Casket is being promoted on this site by AC Ltd, it is the correct place to discuss it - particularly with fans of Christie and her famous detectives.

    The previous threads to this discussion has had 134 views and 17 comments (to date) and the thread to The Monogram Murders has 1.3K views and 97 comments. People are interested.

  • Note: Add to the above, the second discussion entitled: Monogram Murders..The New Poirot Mystery, had 3.8K views and 130 comments.
  • The Monogram Murders discussion gets more comments and views then a discussion on an actual Agatha Christie mystery like "Nemesis" which is generating little views and comments. I've been reading it and wanted to discuss it with someone but I'm not getting much feedback at all. Something is wrong with this picture.
  •  Nemesis is a rather unsatisfactory novel, I feel, ChristieFanForLife. There is usually an unambiguous moral certainty at the heart of the Christie novel and a sense of where good resides. However, with this one, although the frailties of the sisters are well-drawn,  I am not sure whether we are supposed to think Jason Rafael's son is a good'un or a bad lot: someone who would have been good for Verity - or not. This aspect doesn't affect the fact that murder is wrong, but it does give the impression that Agatha Christie is not on home ground with this novel: not truly understanding the younger characters of the story. However, the sense of loss and waste of young life is very strong and poignant. I think that new film adaptations could successfully bring out new angles. I will read it again and comment on what I think of the style.
     
  • @Griselda, can you post that insight comment on Nemesis in this post here on this link?  http://community-archive.agathachristie.com/discussion/457/nemesis/p1
  • Have you finished reading it yet. If so what did you think? What about Open Casket?
  • Have you finished reading it yet. If so what did you think? What about Open Casket?
    @Colonel Bantry see my previous comments. 
  • CrookedQuinCrookedQuin California, United States
    I am reading the novel right now. It is better than the monogram murders, but it's still not great. I'd give it so far 6.5/10
  • I am reading the novel right now. It is better than the monogram murders, but it's still not great. I'd give it so far 6.5/10
    A good early review, don't forget to give us a final thought.
  • CrookedQuinCrookedQuin California, United States
    @Dr.Sheppard I posted a review on the All Poirot Novels forum
  • Sophie Hannah read a chapter from the new novel Closed Casket in an hour session at the International Agatha Christie Festival and explained some of the character developments she had made since writing The Monogram Murders. She made a definite character change to Edward Catchpool, giving him the title of Detective - i.e. a police officer who has the skill and authority to review the murder of individuals; the character is also more mature and believable - able to assist Poirot to solve the crime. She discussed the inclusion of red herrings and considered the fact that not all her readers would see or fully understand the clues she had included for the reader to assist them in their attempt to solve the crime along with the two detectives. The lengthy conclusion by Poirot in revealing how he solved the murderer, was planned and was comparable with some of Agatha Christie's novels and she hoped that the reader would enjoy the effect. Since the launch, only a week ago, the reviews have been very favourable and it is expected that the book will feature in the Sunday Times Top 10 book sales list.
  • CrookedQuinCrookedQuin California, United States
    @Dr.Sheppard That's cool! I enjoyed the book and I'm glad it might inspire others to read Christie, and I'm glad the reviews have been favorable. 
  • AgathasmykidAgathasmykid British Columbia, Canada
    Not to sound like a broken record, however I am still not a fan of the cover having Agatha's Signature in really large printing.  It should be changed to say something like "Approved by the Christie estate" instead. 

    We have no idea what Agatha Christie would have thought about this, well in a way we could make a guess based on the fact that she killed off Poirot.
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