Hercule Poirot is alive and well in The Monogram Murders

I was dubious when I heard modern crime writer Sophie Hannah was approved by the descendants of Agatha Christie to resurrect her detective Hercule Poirot, beloved by many.

So dubious I avoided it on its release in 2014. I read positive reviews, which mentioned Hannah's chops as a crime writer, her love of all things Poirot and her faithful promise she  would cut no corners in dusting him off for a new case.

This was good enough for the family, but inexplicably still not good enough for me, so I just eyed it suspiciously in bookshops every time I passed it, stroking the cover creepily but still not quite trusting.

I love Poirot, OK?

Dipping my toe in, I assessed Hannah's skills by reading her Kind of Cruel, which I found highly satisfactory, twisty and mucky like all good crime.

Finally took the plunge on The Monogram Murders and - ! - was not disappointed.

This has the wit and psychological insight Hannah clearly already commands, and that obviously made her an ideal choice for the project.

It's also, more importantly, so spot-on rendition of Poirot that - and I feel disloyal, but - I just can't tell the difference. I can actually hear David Suchet speaking the lines. The rhythm, the cadence, the humour; all perfect.

It's uncanny, as though the Belgian detective, quirks, mannerisms, wardrobe and all, has stepped prissily from the yellowed pages of Agatha Christie into another woman's book, where he is rendered in loving, lifelike detail and doesn't even have the grace to look embarrassed.

Strait-laced young detective Catchpool makes a good solid foil, just the kind Poirot needs to shine. The murders, too are very Christie. Three corpses are found laid out in three different rooms of the same hotel, each with a monogrammed cufflink in his or her mouth.

The plot is full of classic Christie tropes and features, though I will not say what they were for fear of spoilers, and is quite as convoluted and macabre as Christie at her nastiest.

Yet nothing feels contrived or formulaic. It does not feel exactly like Christie and yet I could not put my finger on any difference. You can feel the confidence and the the fun the author has had, and it is infectious. A joy to read.

I've caught up just in time - the family must have been happy, too, because her second Poirot mystery, Closed Casket, is now on shelves. Hurrah!