Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night

Hercule Poirot and Inspector Catchpool are looking forward to their Christmas plans together when all is overturned by Catchpool’s mother hectoring them off to Norfolk. There they find an estate about to fall into the sea, a family at odds, and several murders—all of which intrigues Poirot’s little gray cells. This fifth in Hannah’s authorized new series of Poirot cases (after The Killings at Kingfisher Hill) offers fans of the detective and of Agatha Christie’s Golden Age crime novels the pleasures of a slowly unfolding case, a large cast of classic characters (including a bumbling local inspector), red herrings, and out-of-the-blue developments, plus plenty of chances to guess the culprit. Hannah has had plenty of time to craft the Poirot of her series and hits a good balance between Christie’s take, the David Suchet TV adaptation, and her own sensibility. Catchpool shines in this outing, pulling forward the action and dealing with his own past and present.