As seen on my blog: 
 Confession #1: I have never, in my entire existence, read, sat next to, or lingered near an Agatha Christie book. Although, I have in my possession ONE Sophie Hannah novel (that I haven't read yet). Confession #2: I didn't like this book. Confession #3: I have nothing to compare 
 The Monogram Murders 
 to, a.k.a. I have no idea if this book was written in true Christie form. Confession #4: I still didn't like this book. 
 Three people are murdered at a snazzy local hotel. The killer is still at large. Or are they? Hercule Poirot, and his Watson-esque sidekick, Catchpool, set out on a slightly convoluted goose chase to gather facts and rule out suspects. They get THISCLOSE to figuring it out, and BAM! Wrenches are thrown in. Truths are revealed to be lies. Who possessed the greater motive for murder? It won't be who you think it is, but Hercule and Catchpool will spend about 20+ pages telling you who it was, and why. 
 I didn't dislike the entire thing. I actually quite enjoyed the first 3/4 of 
 The Monogram Murders 
 . I was following along rather excitedly with the age-old puzzle of "find the murderer." I wasn't particularly drawn to the slow pace, or even the quirks of the beloved Hercule Poirot, but Hannah kept me engrossed right up until she exploded into what felt like a three-week long reveal. It was excruciating, and not even the kind that's worth it in the end. That's not to say that her writing wasn't up to par, because there was a flow that existed in the narrative that carried my attention to exactly where she needed it. It just got lost after that point, and I found myself glazing over whole paragraphs, and at times, even skipping pages. 
 The Monogram Murders was my very first foray into "author resurrecting author", and to say that I disapprove of the idea is unfair, because I don't. I feel as though I should have at least read a classic Christie novel before diving into this one, however, that may have also made things worse. For what it's worth, the characters in The Monogram Murders were distinct, and cleverly placed to create an air of mystery, and intrigue. I admit that I enjoyed the side characters a hell of a lot more than the two main ones, and wish that we got to hear more from the likes of Fee Spring, or even Dorcas the maid. This novel held a lot of potential, but sadly, fell horribly short in the end. 
 Recommended for Fans of: Sherlock Holmes, Mystery, Crime/Detective fiction, Historical Fiction.