Book Review: The Last Death of the Year (New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, #6) by Sophie Hannah

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The Last Death of the Year (New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, #6)  by Sophie Hannah and Agatha Christie  opens with Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool arriving on the island of Lamperos in Greece on New Year's Eve in 1932. Poirot has been requested by the leader of a religious community to investigate the threat against one of its members, but just a short while later, another resident is found dead after a New Year's game threatened this member's life. I'd like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this mystery. I've been a long time fan of Agatha Christie and her Hercule Poirot series, so learning I'd receive a copy of Sophie Hannah's new book based on this series made me absolutely giddy. A digital copy was provided to me in exchange for my honest review. Sophie Hannah has done a fabulous job of recreating Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series and keeping a similar style of writin...
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Book Review: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

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book review of in cold blood truman capote
On November 15, 1959 in Holcomb, KS, four members of the Clutter family were murdered at their home. There are few clues and no motive that the police can find. Truman Capote takes a look at the murders that Perry Smith and Dick Hickock were convicted for in his non-fiction / true crime book In Cold Blood. 

What made me pick up a non-fiction book such as In Cold Blood? I don't recall why it interested me, but I'm sure it came up somehow in a book club discussion at some point. Not knowing anything about the story or the author, I wasn't sure what to expect when I read it. The brutality of what happened to the Clutter family is absolutely horrifying, and the reasoning behind it was truly awful. You'll have to read the book to find out.

The first two-thirds or so of In Cold Blood was a fast paced and interesting read, but the last third of the book was painfully slow, so much so that I put the book down for several years before picking it up again and finishing. I was surprised to learn that hanging was still a form of capital punishment in the 1960's. It seems so barbaric, especially when Capote was describing one of Smith's and Hickock's cellmates taking something like twenty minutes before dying.

I gave this book three out of five stars for the reasons stated above. It isn't for the feint of heart. If you enjoyed In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, then you may like Helter Skelter Vincent Bugliosi or Seven Days of Rage: The Deadly Crime Spree of the Craigslist Killer (48 Hours Mystery) by Paul LaRosa.


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