I love Agatha Christie, but I’m not always sure about how I feel about other writers using her beloved characters. There’s so much depth and humour in Christie’s Poirot that I think it’s so hard to get the right pitch.
However, ‘The Last Death of the Year’ is the closest I’ve read to a ‘proper’ Christie book, even among Hannah’s other books. The character of Poirot is well judged – he’s set in his ways and pompous, but also kind of endearing in his despair at the state of the house’s kitchen and chaotic chef. The sidekick and narrator – Inspector Catchpool – is Captain Hastings under another name. And the closed circle of suspects/victims in a remote house (here on the Greek island of Lamperos) is classic Christie. The whole plot hinges on who was where and when – who is lying and why?
The setting is interesting – the Lamperos house is home to a range of people who have all been drawn there by the shared values of the commune, specifically total forgiveness in all situations. It opens up questions about what the people are running from that they need forgiveness for – and there’s suspicion and speculation aplenty. There’s also romantic intrigue and jealousy, all of which adds fuel to the fire, with the ultimate result being ‘the last death of the year’. Poirot and Catchpool are left to investigate in a house with a floorplan that becomes familiar to readers, seeking a murderer in a small group of guests who slowly reveal their true colours.
It’s a fun read, starting from trying to identify a murderer from a list of New Year’s resolutions and moving onto the tension of waiting for a midnight death as the year turns to 1933. The characters are a strange mix and there’s plenty of red herrings to keep any armchair sleuth busy.
I’d recommend this to Christie fans or anyone who enjoys Golden Age crime – it’s engaging, well plotted and nice to see Poirot on a new case.
Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book – opinions are entirely my own.
Header photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
