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Available
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Publication
Thornwillow Press (2019).
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML: Soon to be a major motion picture sequel to Murder on the Orient Express with a screenplay by Michael Green, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh alongside Gal Gadot�??coming February 11, 2022! Beloved detective Hercule Poirot embarks on a journey to Egypt in one of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries. The tranquility of a luxury cruise along the Nile was shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway had been shot through the head. She was young, stylish, and beautiful. A girl who had everything . . . until she lost her life. Hercule Poirot recalled an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: "I'd like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger." Yet under the searing heat of the Egyptian sun, nothing is ever quite what it seems. A sweeping mystery of love, jealousy, and betrayal, Death on the Nile is one of Christie's most legendary and timeless works. "Death on the Nile is perfect." �??The Guardian "One of her best. . . . First rate entertainment." �??Kirkus Reviews… (more)
Media reviews
Lecturalia
Linnet Rideway es una joven agraciada y millonaria que lo posee todo. Su amiga, Jacqueline de Bellefort, no menos hermosa aunque pobre, sólo tiene amor de su prometido Simon Doyle. Sin embargo, Simon acaba casándose con Linnet. El nuevo matrimonio inicia un crucero por el Nilo a bordo de Karnak y
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durante el viaje, que habría de haber sido el mejor viaje de su vida, Linnet muere asesinada. Tras su asesinato se suceden otros que serán investigados por Hercule Poirot, que viaja en el mismo crucero. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
A wealthy young newlywed is murdered on a honeymoon cruise on the Nile. Did her killer really believe he or she could get away with murder with Hercule Poirot as a fellow passenger?
This is at least the second time I've listened to the audio version of the book. I've read it at least once, and I've
David Suchet is the perfect reader for a Poirot mystery. He's played Poirot on television for so long that his voice is what I hear mentally when I read a Poirot novel. Poirot sounds like Poirot, and, equally important, the other characters don't!
This is at least the second time I've listened to the audio version of the book. I've read it at least once, and I've
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seen a couple of television/film adaptations. Since I knew from the beginning who the murderer was and how the murder was carried out, I was able to pay close attention to Christie's plotting of the crime. She knew exactly where she was going with the story, and she carefully laid out the clues to the crime as well as quite a few red herrings, yet does it so naturally that even careful readers will miss many of them the first time through. Many writers try and fail to do what seems almost effortless for Christie.David Suchet is the perfect reader for a Poirot mystery. He's played Poirot on television for so long that his voice is what I hear mentally when I read a Poirot novel. Poirot sounds like Poirot, and, equally important, the other characters don't!
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LibraryThing member davidabrams
The Best Damn Agatha Christie Novel Period
With what I'm about to say, I feel like I'm walking out onto an empty stage, stepping up to a microphone, and facing a thousand pairs of dubious eyes. The lights are hot, there's sweat on my forehead, and I can hear a somewhat hostile murmur rippling
"Ladies and gentlemen, Death on the Nile is the best novel Agatha Christie ever wrote."
Then I step back, arms held defensively in front of my body as I wait for the pummeling storm of rotten tomatoes.
This is not just some stunt to get you to listen to me. I sincerely believe Agatha's 1937 novel stands head and shoulders above the rest of her canon. Yes, it's better than Murder on the Orient Express, superior to And Then There Were None and greater than The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. However, I don't blame any of you for maintaining your equally passionate opinion that one of those (or any of her other 80 novels) is the best mystery. The Church of Agatha Christie is large enough for readers of many beliefs to live in harmony.
Like a delta on the titular river, Death on the Nile is where all the tributaries of what we love about Agatha Christie come together. In these 350 pages, plot, character, pacing, and literary style converge into one energetically satisfying murder mystery. You want an "impossible" murder? You got it. You want an international cast of suspects who all seem to have reliable alibis? You got that, too. You want an exotic locale? Coming right up. You want a romantic subplot that raises a lump of happiness in your throat when deserving couples finally pair up at the climax? Yep, that's here, too.
By the time Death on the Nile was released, Agatha had been publishing books for seventeen years and she had perfected her formula to as fine a point as the waxed tip of Hercule Poirot's mustache. She had delivered into our hands ingenious crimes carried out in the trickiest manner possible and set in challenging locales—aboard a train (Murder on the Orient Express), in a snowstorm (Murder at Hazelmoor), during a bridge game (Cards on the Table), on an airplane (Death in the Air) and at a remote archeological dig (Murder in Mesopotamia).
As good as those novels were, however, they were just prelude for the symphonic masterpiece. Agatha took the best of everything which had worked so well in all of her previous novels and crafted a murder scheme so fantastic and absolutely perfect that the solution of the murder, when it's finally revealed by Poirot to the other stunned passengers of the Karnak, still takes my breath away—even after reading the book twice and seeing the 1978 movie at least four times.
I realize I have to hold my passion for this book in check, lest I let slip a spoiler for those who haven't read Death on the Nile. Let me just say this, then I'll move on: the complicated murder scheme is a psychological triumph on Agatha's part; here, more than any other novel, she delves far beneath the skin of her characters to give us a story where crime and motive fit like puzzle pieces.
The plot of Death on the Nile, when stripped down to the bone, goes like this:
1. Linnet Ridgeway and Jacqueline de Bellefort are good friends.
2. Linnet is rich and beautiful; Jackie is solidly middle-class and less dazzling.
3. Jackie has just been engaged to Simon Doyle and she brings him to meet Linnet.
4. It's love at first sight for Linnet and Simon.
5. They marry.
6. The jilted lover, Jackie, vows to make their life miserable.
7. Jackie stalks Simon and Linnet on their honeymoon cruise in Egypt.
8. In a fit of passion one night, Jackie fires a pistol at Simon, and he clutches his leg in agony.
9. That same night, as everyone is busy tending to Simon and Jackie, Linnet is murdered.
10. While nearly everyone had a motive to kill Linnet, according to the timeline and testimony of witnesses, no one appears to have had the opportunity to kill her.
These are the cold facts of the case confronting Poirot who, quite conveniently, has also booked passage on the Karnak. As always, he listens and watches and slowly gathers his clues—a velvet stole, a bottle of fingernail polish, the scorch marks around a bullet wound, a splash in the middle of the night.
By all appearances, Jacqueline de Bellefort was the most likely suspect. After all, she was the one who went around saying things like, "I want to hurt her—to stick a knife into her, to put my dear little pistol close against her head and then—just press with my finger." But yet, it also appears she couldn't have carried out her lover's revenge because she was under the watchful eye of reliable witnesses from the time she fired the pistol at Simon to the moment when Linnet's body was found.
If not Jackie, then who? Who spilled blood on the Nile? As Poirot tells us in the closing pages, "This was no spontaneous crime committed on the spur of the moment. It was, on the contrary, very carefully planned and accurately timed, with all the details meticulously worked out beforehand."
The same might be said of Agatha's construction of this novel. By the time we turn the last page, we realize that we have just witnessed something which is as intricate as the gears on a Swiss watch, as beautifully played as a Beethoven symphony. Bravo, Agatha, bravo!
With what I'm about to say, I feel like I'm walking out onto an empty stage, stepping up to a microphone, and facing a thousand pairs of dubious eyes. The lights are hot, there's sweat on my forehead, and I can hear a somewhat hostile murmur rippling
Show More
through the crowd. I tap the mic a couple of times—"Is this on?"—cough nervously, then announce in the boldest voice I can summon…"Ladies and gentlemen, Death on the Nile is the best novel Agatha Christie ever wrote."
Then I step back, arms held defensively in front of my body as I wait for the pummeling storm of rotten tomatoes.
This is not just some stunt to get you to listen to me. I sincerely believe Agatha's 1937 novel stands head and shoulders above the rest of her canon. Yes, it's better than Murder on the Orient Express, superior to And Then There Were None and greater than The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. However, I don't blame any of you for maintaining your equally passionate opinion that one of those (or any of her other 80 novels) is the best mystery. The Church of Agatha Christie is large enough for readers of many beliefs to live in harmony.
Like a delta on the titular river, Death on the Nile is where all the tributaries of what we love about Agatha Christie come together. In these 350 pages, plot, character, pacing, and literary style converge into one energetically satisfying murder mystery. You want an "impossible" murder? You got it. You want an international cast of suspects who all seem to have reliable alibis? You got that, too. You want an exotic locale? Coming right up. You want a romantic subplot that raises a lump of happiness in your throat when deserving couples finally pair up at the climax? Yep, that's here, too.
By the time Death on the Nile was released, Agatha had been publishing books for seventeen years and she had perfected her formula to as fine a point as the waxed tip of Hercule Poirot's mustache. She had delivered into our hands ingenious crimes carried out in the trickiest manner possible and set in challenging locales—aboard a train (Murder on the Orient Express), in a snowstorm (Murder at Hazelmoor), during a bridge game (Cards on the Table), on an airplane (Death in the Air) and at a remote archeological dig (Murder in Mesopotamia).
As good as those novels were, however, they were just prelude for the symphonic masterpiece. Agatha took the best of everything which had worked so well in all of her previous novels and crafted a murder scheme so fantastic and absolutely perfect that the solution of the murder, when it's finally revealed by Poirot to the other stunned passengers of the Karnak, still takes my breath away—even after reading the book twice and seeing the 1978 movie at least four times.
I realize I have to hold my passion for this book in check, lest I let slip a spoiler for those who haven't read Death on the Nile. Let me just say this, then I'll move on: the complicated murder scheme is a psychological triumph on Agatha's part; here, more than any other novel, she delves far beneath the skin of her characters to give us a story where crime and motive fit like puzzle pieces.
The plot of Death on the Nile, when stripped down to the bone, goes like this:
1. Linnet Ridgeway and Jacqueline de Bellefort are good friends.
2. Linnet is rich and beautiful; Jackie is solidly middle-class and less dazzling.
3. Jackie has just been engaged to Simon Doyle and she brings him to meet Linnet.
4. It's love at first sight for Linnet and Simon.
5. They marry.
6. The jilted lover, Jackie, vows to make their life miserable.
7. Jackie stalks Simon and Linnet on their honeymoon cruise in Egypt.
8. In a fit of passion one night, Jackie fires a pistol at Simon, and he clutches his leg in agony.
9. That same night, as everyone is busy tending to Simon and Jackie, Linnet is murdered.
10. While nearly everyone had a motive to kill Linnet, according to the timeline and testimony of witnesses, no one appears to have had the opportunity to kill her.
These are the cold facts of the case confronting Poirot who, quite conveniently, has also booked passage on the Karnak. As always, he listens and watches and slowly gathers his clues—a velvet stole, a bottle of fingernail polish, the scorch marks around a bullet wound, a splash in the middle of the night.
By all appearances, Jacqueline de Bellefort was the most likely suspect. After all, she was the one who went around saying things like, "I want to hurt her—to stick a knife into her, to put my dear little pistol close against her head and then—just press with my finger." But yet, it also appears she couldn't have carried out her lover's revenge because she was under the watchful eye of reliable witnesses from the time she fired the pistol at Simon to the moment when Linnet's body was found.
If not Jackie, then who? Who spilled blood on the Nile? As Poirot tells us in the closing pages, "This was no spontaneous crime committed on the spur of the moment. It was, on the contrary, very carefully planned and accurately timed, with all the details meticulously worked out beforehand."
The same might be said of Agatha's construction of this novel. By the time we turn the last page, we realize that we have just witnessed something which is as intricate as the gears on a Swiss watch, as beautifully played as a Beethoven symphony. Bravo, Agatha, bravo!
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LibraryThing member readafew
Excellent Poirot. This is probably one of the better and more intricate plots, Agatha Christie set for the sleuth. If you ignore the chance and likelihood of a particular cast happening on the same boat, it is a fun and ever twisting tale to find out who-dun-it.
Poirot is traveling on the Nile with
Poirot is traveling on the Nile with
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a boat load of tourists when a murder of a recently married, beautiful heiress is committed. On a boat load of strangers who would want to do such a thing? It's rather surprising what skeleton' s many of the passengers have in their closets. Show Less
LibraryThing member eheleneb3
This is my favorite Agatha Christie book. It is quintessential Agatha--no matter how many times you read it, you're still surprised at both the complexity and the simplicity of the ending. She finds a way to combine classic whodunnit elements with keen psychological insight and beautiful
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descriptions of Egypt and all its mysteries. A must read!! Show Less
LibraryThing member bolgai
Hercule Poirot investigates a triple murder that takes place on a ship taking a tourist trip up the Nile. The murder of an heiress, one of the richest women in Europe, is only the top of the iceberg of intrigue and secrets that obscure the truth and lead to more deaths.
I think that Agatha Christie
I think that Agatha Christie
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was at her best when it came to writing novels. Short stories didn't give her as much room to develop the plot and characters in that special subtle way of hers. I particularly liked this story because on the surface it is a mystery but underneath it all it is really a study in human character, the different types and manifestations of love and the role it plays in the lives of people. Show Less
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This is one of the most famous Agatha Christie novels, and like them all, it is a very good page turner, but it is not one of my particular favourites. While the Egyptian setting adds interest, the leading characters, especially the female ones, are more than usually irritating. The plot is more
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convoluted than is normally the case and the final resolution may strike some readers as a bit disappointing. Overall, a decent read, but not up there with And Then There were None or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Show Less
LibraryThing member exlibrisemk
One of my favorite Christies -- and I've read them all many times. Besides the plot and Poirot, the exotic setting and ambiance add to the enjoyment.
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Spoiler - look out!
I think because of the day and age in which I live, I figured out the plot pretty much as soon as the element of Linnet stealing Jacqueline’s man from her fell into place. Given what Poirot saw in the restaurant, it had to be true that they were in love and going to scam Linnet
Despite that, it was enjoyable to read. Christie conveys the genteel atmosphere of her time and place so well that I am jealous that I cannot experience it. It is also a joy to read about Poirot’s methods of detection. He’s so smooth and so arrogant, but humble when it suits him. The unraveling comes slowly, but picks up speed once he has the solution and sets things in motion so that those responsible ‘out’ themselves and have to answer for their crimes. Nicely done as usual.
I think because of the day and age in which I live, I figured out the plot pretty much as soon as the element of Linnet stealing Jacqueline’s man from her fell into place. Given what Poirot saw in the restaurant, it had to be true that they were in love and going to scam Linnet
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out of as much as they could. The motive is still a bit weak, but it was very obvious from the start.Despite that, it was enjoyable to read. Christie conveys the genteel atmosphere of her time and place so well that I am jealous that I cannot experience it. It is also a joy to read about Poirot’s methods of detection. He’s so smooth and so arrogant, but humble when it suits him. The unraveling comes slowly, but picks up speed once he has the solution and sets things in motion so that those responsible ‘out’ themselves and have to answer for their crimes. Nicely done as usual.
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LibraryThing member MerryMary
A lovely mystery with all the suspects isolated on a ship "barging down the Nile." Interesting look at British society of a certain time and circumstance. Christie knows her characters, and draws them with a fine pen, and occasionally a fine needle. A young heiress is murdered on her honeymoon
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after making enemies of nearly everyone she meets. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kellswitch
My second Agatha Christie novel and one of the best mysteries I've read in a long, long time. I found myself enjoying the long set up of the story instead of just jumping to the murder right away, it made me feel more invested in the characters and story especially since the details you learn early
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on in the book all end up playing a part in the end. I wasn't completely surprised by the ending, but then the more mysteries you read the harder it gets to not see some of the twists coming. Still the resolution to the murder was well done if a bit rushed at the end after such a long set up and was quite plausible. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
In which Hercule Poirot goes on holiday to Egypt and ends up on a Nile cruise with an immensely wealthy young woman, her newlywed husband, the husband's jilted lover who was also the wealthy lady's best friend, and an assortment of other characters with varying levels of interest in or connection
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to the central triangle. Someone gets killed, someone gets accused, someone else gets killed, someone else gets accused ... you know the drill. I think I must have read this one long ago in my high school Christie phase, because I was sure I knew who the murderer was even though I couldn't figure out how or why. It's a good one, made better by the absence of that dotard Hastings. Show Less
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This is the 3rd appearance of Colonel Race and although he has more to do in this case he really only appears because someone “official” has to be aboard to allow Poirot the authority to solve the mystery. Race is in the area working on a case of his own so he joins the tour group to aid
I enjoyed this book even though I figured out the solution to both of the cases early on. There were a couple of minor surprises at the end, though, about other characters. I am always surprised at how much I like Agatha Christie novels—they are usually easy and fast reads but while I’m reading them I don’t want to stop until it’s over—even when I know “whodunit.” She really had a knack for hooking the reader!
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Poirot. I enjoyed this book even though I figured out the solution to both of the cases early on. There were a couple of minor surprises at the end, though, about other characters. I am always surprised at how much I like Agatha Christie novels—they are usually easy and fast reads but while I’m reading them I don’t want to stop until it’s over—even when I know “whodunit.” She really had a knack for hooking the reader!
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LibraryThing member Dufva
Poirot, on vacation in Africa, meets the rich, beautiful Linnet Doyle and her new husband, Simon. As usual, all is not as it seems between the newlyweds, and when Linnet is found murdered, Poirot must sort through a boatload of suspects to find the killer before he (or she) strikes again.
If you
If you
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like murder mysteries and the quintessentially English "whodunnit", then this should certainly be a candidate on your "must-read" list. Show Less
LibraryThing member miscopia
This was my first Agatha Christie novel, and I absolutely adored it. Featuring an intricate cast of characters (all with possible motives) and a fast-paced plot, I could hardly put this book down.
I'll admit, I found Poirot to be a touch pompous. His deductive leaps in solving the case were huge
For a book with such a large cast of characters, they were all very well developed. I found myself continuously amused by Cornelia's suitors and Rosalie and Tom's love/hate relationship.
I highly recommend this novel for anybody looking for a fun, fast mystery with good character development and numerous subplots.
I'll admit, I found Poirot to be a touch pompous. His deductive leaps in solving the case were huge
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(particularly as most of the evidence could have pointed to any of the characters). However, there were just enough hints to make the chosen perpetrator believable. For a book with such a large cast of characters, they were all very well developed. I found myself continuously amused by Cornelia's suitors and Rosalie and Tom's love/hate relationship.
I highly recommend this novel for anybody looking for a fun, fast mystery with good character development and numerous subplots.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
This is a classic for a reason. Poirot is on top form as he uncovers the truth behind a series of murders on a boat travelling down the Nile, he also reveals the truth behind a series of jewel robberies and helps his friend Race capture a notorious gun runner. Almost perfect.
LibraryThing member Cecrow
It's been some twenty years since I last read Agatha Christie, but unlike some authors I've returned to after all that time, she's as good as I remember. I thought I had the whodunnit figured out well in advance in this case, but I was pleased to discover I'd fallen for an artful red herring.
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Mystery isn't typically my genre, but for Hercule Poirot I'll make exception. Not much setting here (compared to the detailed descriptions of Egypt I recently read in "Memoirs of Cleopatra" for example) so I think she might have made more of the exotic locale, but I love the early twentieth century period of her novels and the coy dialogue. Think I'll check out one of the many movie versions now when I've the chance. Show Less
LibraryThing member miyurose
What can you say about Agatha Christie? It's a winner, of course. There's a nice twist at the end of this, and Poirot says something rather interesting -- "love stories always end in tragedy". And I love the BBC audio productions.
LibraryThing member gward101
Death on the Nile has been lingering at the bottom of my 'to read' pile for some time - in fact ever since I picked it up on a whim at the airport on the way to a holiday in Egypt and then decided it would be too much of a cliche to be spotted reading it by the pool. The story, of course, needs no
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introduction - a multitude of large and small-screen adaptations have seen to that - however don't let that put you off giving the original a read. This was my first Agatha Christie book. Detective fiction isn't usually my thing, but I can honestly say I enjoyed it thoroughly. Great literature it probably isn't, but this was an author who knew how to construct a plot and how to get you to keep those pages turning. Show Less
LibraryThing member cranbrook
In Death on the Nile, Poirot, on vacation in Africa, meets the rich, beautiful Linnet Doyle and her new husband, Simon. As usual, all is not as it seems between the newlyweds, and when Linnet is found murdered, Poirot must sort through a boatload of suspects to find the killer before he (or she)
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strikes again Show Less
LibraryThing member Lizparker
One of Christies best, along with Orient Express and Ten Little Pigs. Set on a riverboat on the Nile, Egypt, Hercule Poirot is on holiday, when he meets socialite Linnet Ridgeway and her new husband Simon. When Linnet is murdered, her friend Jackie who was originally engaged to Simon before Linnet
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stole him, is the obvious suspect. When she is given an unshakeable alibi, it is up to Poirot to solve the mystery. I was given a lot of the original agatha paperbacks by my aunt when I was in primary school and fell in love with the old school imagery of england. I credit Christie, Enid Blyton and my Aunty Lilla for my love of reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member bridgetmarkwood
One of my Christie favorites. Love the adventure of the setting and, of course, the perfect mystery.
LibraryThing member Diccon.Bewes
Is this the best Agatha Christie ever? I think so, even with Poirot instead of Marple. Great plot, great characters, great location.
LibraryThing member InfinityOutlaw
Well, I'll start out by saying that I loved this book. If you want a good mystery, I've come to the conclusion that it's hard to go wrong with a good Christie book. Hey, even Doctor Who admires her. I've watched Agatha Christie stories on the BBC forever and after having read two of her other
But as this is not just a scenic tour of Egypt but a mystery novel, so let me move on to the mystery. The previous two books by Christie that I read left me baffled throughout as to who the murderer was and who everyone actually was. I had no clue until the truth was finally revealed. Now, I really loved this story and all its little details, but it didn't have as much mystery for me due to the fact that I had figured out from the very beginning before the cast even made it to Egypt who was going to be the main victim and who the murderer(s) would be. The only person I didn't have figured out before the reveal was the thief, and even then it was more a matter of forgetting about that bit of the plot entirely. Perhaps it was lucky guessing or good intuition on my part, but the 'whodunnit' part of the mystery was just a little bit too obvious to me. It was still fun to watch it play out though. It was enjoyable in its own way because of it, I got a great deal of entertainment watching Poirot and Race struggle to reveal what I had already figured out. Even though I knew who had done what for the most part, I will admit that I had not entirely figured out all of the how before Poirot made his grand reveal.
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novels, And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, I decided to pick this up because of it's setting in Egypt. I'm quite the fangirl of Ancient Egypt, so all the talk of it alone made the book quite fun. But as this is not just a scenic tour of Egypt but a mystery novel, so let me move on to the mystery. The previous two books by Christie that I read left me baffled throughout as to who the murderer was and who everyone actually was. I had no clue until the truth was finally revealed. Now, I really loved this story and all its little details, but it didn't have as much mystery for me due to the fact that I had figured out from the very beginning before the cast even made it to Egypt who was going to be the main victim and who the murderer(s) would be. The only person I didn't have figured out before the reveal was the thief, and even then it was more a matter of forgetting about that bit of the plot entirely. Perhaps it was lucky guessing or good intuition on my part, but the 'whodunnit' part of the mystery was just a little bit too obvious to me. It was still fun to watch it play out though. It was enjoyable in its own way because of it, I got a great deal of entertainment watching Poirot and Race struggle to reveal what I had already figured out. Even though I knew who had done what for the most part, I will admit that I had not entirely figured out all of the how before Poirot made his grand reveal.
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LibraryThing member LARA335
Atmospheric cruise mystery. Guessed early on 'who done it', but enjoyed the red herrings, and the reason for why the murder weapon was thrown away.
LibraryThing member smik
The scene is carefully set in DEATH ON THE NILE. We first of all meet Linnet Ridgeway, heiress, friend to Jacqueline de Bellefort. The latter has recently fallen in love with the handsome Simon Doyle. It very much looks as if Linnet Ridgeway will marry Lord Windlesham.
Hercle Poirot is again
In the next few pages the reader is introduced to the people who will be joining Hercule Poirot on his Nile cruise, and we learn, time having elapsed, that Linnet Ridgeway has recently married. As the blurb warns us, she has a number of enemies, and that makes her death inevitable. The novel is spent working out who the murderer is. Among the candidates is the person who has been stalking Linnet and her husband ever since they married.
Hercule Poirot is assisted in this task by Colonel Race who is looking for an arch criminal but has no further information about his identity. Between them they work methodically through the candidates.
It is obvious that Christie based the setting of the novel on her own travels in Egypt and on the Nile, although, as a blogger recently commented, the journey is now a bit different to what it was in the 1930s.
I found myself wishing that the edition of DEATH ON THE NILE that I read had had a diagram of the layout of the Steamer Karnak on which they were travelling. The layout of the cabins seemed important in working out who had the opportunity to commit the murder. It was clear that Christie had a clear vision of the tour boat herself.
As in many other Poirot novels, the Belgian's fondness for romance comes to the surface, and he does his best to foster romantic feelings of some of the young people in the novel, even to the point of tweaking the outcome of one of the minor crimes, something of which Colonel Race found it hard to approve.
Colonel Race plays the role of Poirot's sounding board and confidante. This is the role often played by Captain Hastings, or by one of the women with whom Poirot strikes up a friendship. But even then Poirot finds it difficult to explain to Race where his little grey cells are leading him, and his final explanations come as a surprise to Race.
Hercle Poirot is again
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dabbling in retirement, a man of leisure, with enough funds to travel. He is contemplating a trip to Egypt to escape a grey English winter.In the next few pages the reader is introduced to the people who will be joining Hercule Poirot on his Nile cruise, and we learn, time having elapsed, that Linnet Ridgeway has recently married. As the blurb warns us, she has a number of enemies, and that makes her death inevitable. The novel is spent working out who the murderer is. Among the candidates is the person who has been stalking Linnet and her husband ever since they married.
Hercule Poirot is assisted in this task by Colonel Race who is looking for an arch criminal but has no further information about his identity. Between them they work methodically through the candidates.
It is obvious that Christie based the setting of the novel on her own travels in Egypt and on the Nile, although, as a blogger recently commented, the journey is now a bit different to what it was in the 1930s.
I found myself wishing that the edition of DEATH ON THE NILE that I read had had a diagram of the layout of the Steamer Karnak on which they were travelling. The layout of the cabins seemed important in working out who had the opportunity to commit the murder. It was clear that Christie had a clear vision of the tour boat herself.
As in many other Poirot novels, the Belgian's fondness for romance comes to the surface, and he does his best to foster romantic feelings of some of the young people in the novel, even to the point of tweaking the outcome of one of the minor crimes, something of which Colonel Race found it hard to approve.
Colonel Race plays the role of Poirot's sounding board and confidante. This is the role often played by Captain Hastings, or by one of the women with whom Poirot strikes up a friendship. But even then Poirot finds it difficult to explain to Race where his little grey cells are leading him, and his final explanations come as a surprise to Race.
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Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1937-11-01
Local notes
Christie's classic mystery, printed letterpress, and bound in letterpress paper wrappers.
Kickstarter backed.
Kickstarter backed.
Other editions
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (Hardcover)