reader_jwd reviewed The monogram murders by Sophie Hannah
Review of 'The monogram murders' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
Tedious, obvious, implausible, over-long, and frustrating.
Are we supposed to feel sympathy or is there some deeper story behind the narrator? Not in this volume although there are hints aplenty that he's got something going on. But by the time of his second angst-ridden soliloquy a quarter of the way in this reader is already looking for the real story to return. He's still at it right up to the denouement though.
It is pretty obvious who we should suspect early on; but the way Hannah tries to convince the reader that we should look elsewhere, by the time the solution is (finally) revealed, we just want it to be over. How many variations on "but it couldn't have happened that way" do readers need spelled out in detail to be convinced that this Poirot is the best? Surely at least one of these, that add little except to drag …
Tedious, obvious, implausible, over-long, and frustrating.
Are we supposed to feel sympathy or is there some deeper story behind the narrator? Not in this volume although there are hints aplenty that he's got something going on. But by the time of his second angst-ridden soliloquy a quarter of the way in this reader is already looking for the real story to return. He's still at it right up to the denouement though.
It is pretty obvious who we should suspect early on; but the way Hannah tries to convince the reader that we should look elsewhere, by the time the solution is (finally) revealed, we just want it to be over. How many variations on "but it couldn't have happened that way" do readers need spelled out in detail to be convinced that this Poirot is the best? Surely at least one of these, that add little except to drag things out, should have gotten the editor's blue pencil. The narrator expresses some of our frustration with these and its the only sympathy we have for him..
And the number of extras who have some vital clue to be added to the mix but who then wander off the stage never to appear again - again this reader wonders why the author bothered. It is not like we wonder if they will re-appear to add anything useful. On the final occasion when they do appear Poirot quickly moves on and the reader knows they really are going to add nothing to the narrative but filler.
The smart coffee house waitress? Is this some foreshadowing of future adventures? Sorry, she should have had a bigger role in this if you wanted us to believe that. How she and all the other extras finally exit the "I guess you are wondering why I called you all here" stage is never explained; just another frustration.
And Pirot's identification by coffee flavors? Eye-rolling. I was hoping this #1 might continue the Christie tradition. Sadly, this seems a poor substitute for the originals.
