Review: The Mystery of Three Quarters

The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I chose this book because I liked Sophie Hannah’s writing style from How to Hold A Grudge, heard her Poirot books were good, and this was the first one available at the library. At first I was unsure if she caught Christie’s style but then realized she had Poirot’s dialogue and thoughts down pat. The rest not like Christie mimicked but her interpretation.

Because this was book three, I was a bit lost with her new recurring characters. Eventually, I understood that Hannah needed to introduce a new copper and a new sidekick for Poirot. She did explain who they were but not fully. I realized I'd need to read book 1 in her Poirot series to get to know Catchpool and Spring properly and hopefully remember their names better, too.

Hannah throws us directly into conflict with Poirot satisfyingly caught off guard. She then builds the conflict character by character with the title hovering a mystery in the back of mind. Hannah stuffs the story with details such that you're not sure which to hang on to and which to let go of. It's a cognitive tsunami!

It feels like this puzzle she's set has no parameters. It keeps unfolding like an endless origami being opened up. Interestingly, she draws the characters not as static people but ones with ever-revealing aspects that teach about life. In fact, having read her non-fiction book How to Hold a Grudge, I can see her ideas being spoken through some of the characters. It's a facet that adds more dimensions to the mystery.

I eventually understood the title. It helped that Poirot explained it! Ha! I don't remember this book as well as I do Kidd's because the language didn't lend itself to easy visualizing. I also found it difficult to adjust to the alternating third person and first person. I wasn't sure I liked this idea of Catchpool being like Poirot's Watson. I'd have preferred the book to remain in third person. Yet Catchpool writing it allows Hannah not to have to crawl into Christie's mind to portray Poirot; instead she can create her perspective through Catchpool.

I was completely wrong in my predictions. I could not remember in writing this review two months after I read it who the killer was . . . until I gave myself thirty seconds to think on it. One image pulled another image pulled a third image and ah-ha, I remember! And then more and more about the character and why returned. Hannah contained a profound lesson in the why.

This is a Poirot book that entertains, engages, and provokes thought and discussion (if you're lucky enough to have someone in your life to share the book and your thoughts with). I very much liked the premise of this mystery.

View all my reviews