Cambridge author writes new Hercule Poirot novel

Crime writer Sophie Hannah says she is a "superfan" of Agatha Christie's work

A murder mystery author said she felt like "Poirot's sidekick" after being asked to pen a new Agatha Christie novel.

The book, called Hercule Poirot Silent Night, is based in Norfolk and sees the Belgian detective investigate the murder of a man in a local hospital.

Crime writer and poet Sophie Hannah, from Cambridge, said she was a "superfan" of of the prolific author, Agatha Christie.

"I don't think anyone can really step into her shoes, she will always be the reigning queen of crime," she said.

"But what I saw my job as being was to create new challenging, exciting, fascinating mystery puzzles for Hercule Poirot to solve."

The opportunity to write the novel came during a meeting between Ms Hannah's literary agent and publishers Harper Collins, when her name was suggested.

Before she wrote crime fiction, Ms Hannah wrote poetry and since 1992 she has spent time travelling around the world and the UK performing her work.

She said she relished the chance to get Poirot working on a murder again.

"I saw myself almost as being Poirot's sidekick now that Agatha is no longer with us," she said.

"She can't create mystery puzzles for him to solve anymore and he does love to show off his little grey cells so I try to tax him to the maximum."

'Everything is improved by adding amazing music'

In recent days, her musical murder mystery adaptation was released on Amazon Prime - a genre of writing she had not explored until she was inspired by watching her daughter's school performance of Romeo and Juliet.

She said: "I started thinking to myself everything is improved by adding amazing music, then I thought, I write murder mysteries, I love musicals - why don't I try and write a murder mystery musical?

"The Mystery of Mr E started life as a school play."

She hopes the musical will one day make it to London's West End and the Broadway stage.