The Monogram Murders marks the return of Hercule Poirot. No, he hasn't been reimagined or resurrected or brought into the 20th Century. The Christie estate authorized Sophie Hannah to write new Poirot novels set during his classic inter-war period. The first one finds him "vacationing" in a boarding house within site of his flat and near a small restaurant which serves magnificent coffee. It's while waiting for his new friend (and fellow resident of Mrs. Blanch Unsworth's house), police detective Edward Catchpool, that Poirot first encounters Jennie Hobbs. She's nervous, and lets it slip that she fears for her life, which of course catches Poirot's attention. Meanwhile, Catchpool is investigating three murders at a nearby hotel where each of the victims was found with a monogrammed cuff link in their mouth. The crime was a bit contrived, but Hannah captures the Christie feel and I'm ready to binge the next three books. I'd also like to see this adapted for TV - in part because I saw Rupert Grint in every scene with Catchpool.
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