Sophie Hannah has now written six novels in her series continuing the adventures of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. The latest—The Last Death of the Year—begins on New Year’s Eve 1932 in an exotic locale with a quirky collection of suspects.
Following on directly from last year’s release (Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night), which was a Christmas themed mystery, The Last Death of the Year begins as Hercule Poirot and his trusted friend from Scotland Yard, Edward Catchpool, travel to the Greek Island of Lamperos for a vacation stay at “The House of Perpetual Welcome.” Once again, our narrator is Catchpool and he has no idea that Poirot has ulterior motives for their stay—but readers will know that it has something to do with murder. Doesn’t it always with Hercule Poirot?
The nine residents of this luxurious villa are members of a cult-like community led by Nash Athanasiou. This group that calls themselves Very Good Friends practice a “religion” that is based around the principle of forgiveness. Residents must learn to forgive everyone and anyone for anything and everything they do. All seems to be going well until a death threat makes its way into the New Year’s Resolutions of one of the residents.
In typical Sophie Hannah manner, the wording of this threat is confounding. (Let’s face it, readers are unlikely to find a writer whose plots more often revolve around seemingly impossible situations that result in murder.) In this case, the perpetrator threatens to commit a murder that will be “the last and first death of the year.”
This puzzle—and the eventual death of one of the Very Good Friends—set Poirot and Catchpool off on another investigation. Turns out everyone at “The House of Perpetual Welcome” has a secret and a compelling reason for taking up residence in this isolated place. But which secret was dangerous enough to kill to keep? And might others perish as a result?
Much of The Last Death of the Year involves the interviewing of suspects, with red herrings galore muddying the water. While the residents are not exactly likable people, they are never less than fascinating. The Last Death of the Year gets increasingly complex as the novel continues and more threads are revealed. The ultimate solution—while convoluted—is satisfying and the motive(s) believable.
Fans of Sophie Hannah’s other work will be delighted to see the introduction of Konstantinos Kombothekra, a relative of a character who appears in her Simon and Charlie series. It is unclear if there will be more books in this Hercule Poirot sextet, but The Last Death of the Year does a good job of feeling like a satisfying conclusion, without closing the door completely. Pick up this novel and get ready to spend another holiday with Poirot, Catchpool, and Sophie Hannah.
BUY LINKS: The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah
Disclaimer: A e-galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
