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Detective Hercule Poirot was on hand at the launch of Sophie Hannah's The Monogram Murders (HarperCollins) last night (8th September), solving a murder in London's Ritz Hotel.
Rooms at the Ritz were turned into "the Bloxham Hotel", the setting for the Hannah's book, the first ever Agatha Christie novel continuation novel, featuring her famous Belgian creation, Poirot.
Interactive theatre company RIFT immersed guests into the plot of the book, pulling guests into a bedroom where a body had been discovered by a maid. Around the venue, other actors manned roulette table and served drinks, before Poirot was called upon to solve the crime.
Recreating the fictional Bloxham was part of an extended marketing campaign for the book, released today (9th September). A website for the hotel has revealed its sordid history, while the publisher worked with holiday review and bookings sites Trivago and Secret Escapes to post fictional reviews of stays.
Speaking at the event, Matthew Pritchard, Agatha Christie's grandson, said the estate had agreed to the book only because of Hannah's "obvious respect" for the Christie's work. He said: "The very first time we met her, she showed an obvious respect, and dare I say it, love for the work. It was obvious. From every page in the book there drips knowledge of Agatha Christie and Poirot, and it is that knowledge and respect which stood Sophie apart. We were not only delighted with the book, but extremely grateful for it."
Hannah said that while writing the book, she had felt like a trusty sidekick to a great detective. She said: "Fans of Agatha Christie and crime fiction in general will be familiar with that trusty combination, the genius, and their sidekick. For the last year, I feel as though I have been living that, as a sidekick who can point to, and illuminate, the genius of Agatha Christie."
The writer will undertake a series of appearances to promote the book, with planned events during Cheltenham, Birmingham, London and Guildford literary festivals, and during Agatha Christie Week, held 14th-21st September in Torquay.
L-R: Hilary Strong, m.d. Acorn Productions, Mathew Prichard, grandson of Agatha Christie, Sophie Hannah and Kate Elton, executive publisher HarperCollins.