The Last Death of the Year
Sophie Hannah
288 pages
Published October 28th, 2025
William Morrow
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This is the sixth instalment of the New Hercule Poirot mysteries series by well-known crime writer Sophie Hannah. I read the previous one, Silent Night, two years ago, and did remark in my review of it that I probably wouldn’t continue the series, because I had found both Poirot and the narrator so irritating, but I was offered this by the publisher and figured I’d give her a second go. Which turned out to be a mistake: it was slow – so much talking! – with a preposterous plot, ridiculous reveal, and a horrible cast of characters.
Told from the point of view of Poirot’s bumbling friend, Scotland Yard Detective Edward Catchpool, a creation of Hannah’s for this series, this has them journeying to a rundown house on small Greek island at the request of the leader of a small religious group of English and American expats who are wealthy enough to not have to work and preach a doctrine of forgiveness above all else. After playing a parlour game with a sinister twist, one of them is found dead, but the local police do not believe any of the inhabitants could be guilty. Can Poirot solve the baffling crime before the end of his “holiday”?
My word this was tedious. Catchpool is a hopeless detective, so in awe of (or is that in love with?) Poirot that he brushes off the constant put downs of his so-called friend. The cast of suspects are all equally unlikeable, and their mission on the island is never really explained. Neither is the reason for Poirot being there in the first place. Catchpool goes round in circles interviewing the suspects and believing everything he’s told, until finally Poirot gathers everyone together (of course) to explain who did what to whom and why for reasons which make no sense whatsoever. I didn’t enjoy this, but slogged in to the end in the hope of a clever twist. Alas there wasn’t even that. Not recommended.
I received a free Advance Review Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. The Last Death of the Year Is available now.
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