The Last Death of the Year

 Sophie Hannah, who is the official Agatha Christie appointed author, has published her newest Hercule Poirot Mystery, The Last Death of the Year.

Hannah who has been writing her own mystery series was honored by the Christie family and estate to be the designated author to continue writing the Hercule Poirot  series of mysteries.  She has done a great job continuing to bring us the wonderful detective Poirot's life and murders that he continues to solve.  

This time Poirot and his friend, Police Investigator Edward Catchpool, are visiting a Greek Island for New Year's Eve in 1932.  Though Catchpool is enjoying swimming off the island of Lamperos after a difficult Christmas with his mother, this is not just a vacation, there will of course be a murder to solve.

Gathered on the island is a unusual group of guests.  This small community has come together to form a possible cult or religious group.  They are all attracted there by the idea that they will be forgiven any sins they have committed and do not have to reveal their past.

Using the theme of New Year resolutions the group decide to play a game after dinner writing their resolution for the new year, putting it in a bowl and having everyone guess who wrote which resolution.  

The most threatening resolution someone makes to perform "the last and first death of the year."  Now Poirot reveals to Catchpool why they were invited to this weekend party.  Someone's life had been threatened.  

Poirot and Catchpool must get to work and solve the last death of the year before anyone else can be killed.  They must investigate all the guests and also some of the members of the Lamperos community to see who could have been angry enough to commit murder.

An entertaining mystery though maybe not quite as intricate as Agatha Christie would have been.