Putting this back on the "to read" list, since the first two chapters annoyed me beyond all logic and reason. It could be pandemic lockdown, it could be Hannah's whacko approach to Poirot. You be the judge.

Poirot and hysterical people in a country estate and several murders - easy read to pass the time

Red herrings, twists and turns, lots of lies, confusing motivations and a long list of characters make ‘The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’ by crime writer Sophie Hannah the type of book you need to read when fully alert. Fourth in Hannah’s series of continuation Hercule Poirot mysteries, I finished it with mixed feelings.
Direct comparisons of Hannah and Christie seem unfair as these are continuation novels. Christie was a highly accomplished author who balanced likeable characters with dense but ultimately solveable crimes, while at the same time making the novels appealingly comfortable to read. If ‘The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’ were a standalone novel featuring an unknown detective, it would be free of these comparisons. I enjoyed ‘The Mystery of Three Quarters’, third of Hannah’s Poirot novels, and will continue to read this series. It has also given me renewed impetus to re-read the Christie originals.
The complications start at the beginning. Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are about to board a char-a-banc for Surrey and the exclusive Kingfisher Hill development, when they encounter not one but two women passengers behave strangely. One fears she is about to be murdered on the bus if she sits in a specific seat. The second woman confesses she has killed someone. Christie’s novels always have options – for victim, and murderer – but the options here did seem rather full-on with numerous characters introduced or mentioned in quick succession with none fully-formed in my mind. At one point I felt as Inspector Catchpool does, ‘My mind blurred, then went blank.’ So many possibilities in quick succession made me long for Christie’s more leisurely pace. True to character, Poirot is totally in charge of his investigation. He tells Catchpool, ‘Once one has a point of focus, all of the other details start to arrange themselves around it.’
Throughout I felt two steps away from the action because the murder has happened before the book begins. We are told the story of Poirot’s investigation by Catchpool and hear much of the necessary information as told to Poirot by third parties. Hearsay. I longed to be in the moment as it actually happened, or at the very least immediately afterwards – I think here of Poirot in ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Evil Under the Sun’ and ‘Death on the Nile’.
‘The Killings at Kingfisher Hill’ wasn’t quite what I expected.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ ( )

The Killings At Kingfisher Hill (2020) (New Poirot #4) by Sophie Hannah, Agatha Christie. When I reviewed Ms. Hannah’s 2016 effort at a Poirot novel (Closed Casket) I said that Poirot himself did not seem to be his old self. I must reiterate those sentiments here. Our formidable little hero talks and talks and talks, asking questions, having his Scotland Yard assistant (so it appears throughout the novel) Inspector Catchpool also ask a series of interminable questions. Catchpool appears denser than the normal Inspector, and far meeker also. Why would he relinquish all control of this investigation to his friend without a hint of resentment. It makes me wonder how Catchpool ever rose to the rank of Inspector.
Frank Devonport as fallen from the balcony of his parents palatial home and died. Of the several people who were on the balcony, or had access to it at the time of his death, only his fiancé rushes down the stairs and confesses. She is tried and sent to prison where she is awaiting execution.
Then, on a bus trip to Kingfisher Hall, where the “murder” took place, Poirot and Catchpool are confronted by a young woman who tells them she has been threatened if she sits in a particular seat. Poirot insists on trading seats and finds himself sitting next to a mysterious woman who then confesses to a murder that she has gotten away with.
Wow?
What follows is coincidence after coincidence, lies upon lies and a twisted set of family and friends that could only be found in a murder mystery. I know that without all the deceptions there would be no mystery, but here the issues being lied about seem, to the most part, so picayune.
A second murder occurs which the reader should be able to solve right away, and yet another murder is presented in hindsight that helps explain all the proceedings, but the entire series of rationales feel forced and the amount of coincidences again feel not to be believed.
I can not recommend this novel, rather I refer you to any from Ms. Christie’s extensive catalog to read and enjoy. ( )

I've been a huge Agatha Christie fan for years with a personal goal of eventually reading everything that she has written (I've got a ways to go in case you are wondering). I was delighted to hear that Sophie Hannah was continuing the Hercule Poirot series so I jumped at the chance to read this one. I say this with all respect to Christie and her work - I really couldn't tell the difference. Hannah has written such a well crafted mystery that I believe Christie would have appreciated herself. This isn't a book that you will fly through as it is definitely a slow burn. But it was such an enjoyable ride that this author took me on that I didn't mind the slower pace. I can honestly tell you that I suspected every character besides of course Poirot and Inspector Catchpool. There was a variety of characters to suspect and I'm not sure that I liked any of them. But I did enjoy reading about them and trying to guess if they were the ones behind it all. And to my delight, I didn't see the ending coming at all. Looking back, I almost felt like I should have but I didn't. This was such an amazing tribute to Christie's work and I cannot wait to go back and read the other Poirot books that Sophie Hannah has written!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am excited that we have more Poirot books to look forward to thanks to this author! If you are a fan of Christie's books or are a mystery reader, I definitely think that you should give these a try. I haven't yet read the earlier Poirot books that Sophie Hannah has written and it didn't matter in the slightest. I would say you could probably treat these as standalones almost but I'm planning on reading those other books now as well! Definitely recommended!

Bottom Line: An enjoyable mystery that felt like Christie wrote it herself. I can give it no higher praise!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own. ( )