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Publication
Barcelona: La Llar del Llibre, 1993; 243, [5] p.; 18,5 cm (Nova terra; 130)
Description
It is Egypt in 2000 BC, where death gives meaning to life. At the foot of a cliff lies the broken, twisted body of Nofret, concubine to a ka-priest. Young, beautiful, and venomous, most agree that it was fate-she deserved to die like a snake! But at her father's house on the banks of the Nile, the priest's daughter Renisenb believes that the woman's death is suspicious. Increasingly, she becomes convinced that the source of evil lurks within their household-and watches helplessly as the family's passions explode in murder. . . .
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I'll acknowledge that Christie might have written more impressive novels, ones that might stand out more in the mystery genre and best act as an introduction to her work. But of all the Christie novels, and I've read a few dozen, including the most famous, this one is my personal favorite, and
All her other mystery novels were set in the present day of when they were published--this one is set in Ancient Egypt, as the Author's Note tells us, "on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 B.C." Renisenb, a young widow, returns to her family. When her father, Imhotep, a ka-priest, brings a beautiful young concubine, Nofret, into the household, she "touched off smoldering jealousies" which lead to murder.
According to the biography in the back of the text, Christie's second husband was an archeologist and after her marriage she spent part of each year in the middle east. So unsurprising that she conveys her setting very vividly and gives us a vintage twisty well-plotted mystery. But she also wrote what I found among her most memorable characters and an affecting romance. I find this book a treat to read.
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probably for the reason it's unique among her novels.All her other mystery novels were set in the present day of when they were published--this one is set in Ancient Egypt, as the Author's Note tells us, "on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 B.C." Renisenb, a young widow, returns to her family. When her father, Imhotep, a ka-priest, brings a beautiful young concubine, Nofret, into the household, she "touched off smoldering jealousies" which lead to murder.
According to the biography in the back of the text, Christie's second husband was an archeologist and after her marriage she spent part of each year in the middle east. So unsurprising that she conveys her setting very vividly and gives us a vintage twisty well-plotted mystery. But she also wrote what I found among her most memorable characters and an affecting romance. I find this book a treat to read.
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LibraryThing member mrtall
Death Comes as the End was quite a departure for Agatha Christie in some ways – it’s set on the upper Nile river 4000 years ago – but not in others. It’s in essence an Egyptian cozy, a murder mystery with a cast of suspects limited by culture and geography to a single extended family and a
The protagonist is a young widow who’s returned after her husband’s death to live in her family’s temple compound-cum-farm. Everything seems much the same as when she left eight years earlier – her three brothers are older, but their characters seem intact; her sisters-in-law feud as they ever did; and her father is older, and a bit more pompous, but still the same man. But then he brings home a little souvenir from a business trip: a hot young concubine who’s not at all interested in fitting in with her new ‘family’. And suddenly evil – and death – are unleashed into this peaceful environment.
I enjoyed the mystery here – it’s good solid Christie in terms of plotting – but I missed what I must acknowledge is my favorite part of reading AC: the charm of her characters and settings, particularly those from the 1930s-40s. So although I’d recommend Death Comes as the End to an experienced Christie reader, I’d never suggest it as a place to start on her work.
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few of its employees. The protagonist is a young widow who’s returned after her husband’s death to live in her family’s temple compound-cum-farm. Everything seems much the same as when she left eight years earlier – her three brothers are older, but their characters seem intact; her sisters-in-law feud as they ever did; and her father is older, and a bit more pompous, but still the same man. But then he brings home a little souvenir from a business trip: a hot young concubine who’s not at all interested in fitting in with her new ‘family’. And suddenly evil – and death – are unleashed into this peaceful environment.
I enjoyed the mystery here – it’s good solid Christie in terms of plotting – but I missed what I must acknowledge is my favorite part of reading AC: the charm of her characters and settings, particularly those from the 1930s-40s. So although I’d recommend Death Comes as the End to an experienced Christie reader, I’d never suggest it as a place to start on her work.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
After her husband's death, Renisenb has returned to her family home. It's not quite the same as it was when she left, nor is she quite the same person. The household is disturbed when her father, Imhotep, returns from a business trip with Nofret, a concubine about Renisenb's age. Nofret doesn't
Despite it's exotic setting in Ancient Egypt, the mystery plot is typical Christie. In fact, it's a lot like a country house mystery, with a family at odds with each other over an inheritance, and a couple of long-time retainers who may not be as loyal as they appear. I still marvel at Christie's ability to develop a plot and establish a setting largely through dialogue. The flow isn't interrupted with long monologues or lengthy descriptions. Highly recommended.
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waste much time setting the members of the household against each other. Imhotep is contemplating changes to his will when he goes on another business trip, leaving Nofret behind with his family. If he had taken her with him, she might have lived...Despite it's exotic setting in Ancient Egypt, the mystery plot is typical Christie. In fact, it's a lot like a country house mystery, with a family at odds with each other over an inheritance, and a couple of long-time retainers who may not be as loyal as they appear. I still marvel at Christie's ability to develop a plot and establish a setting largely through dialogue. The flow isn't interrupted with long monologues or lengthy descriptions. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
This book is an historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. It was the reason I read the book. Unfortunately, although set in ancient Egypt it could really have been anywhere. The setting was mostly an afterthought, and a bit of set dressing. I filled in a lot from my own store of reading and
The story is of a funerary priest, Imhotep, who is entering the end of his life. His job is to pray for, and conduct offerings for a dead noble. He has been given an estate and money to insure the upkeep of the tomb and the required rites. He makes a good living, and has responsibilities to his society. His wife died long ago, and he has 3 grown children, 2 sons and 1 daughter. He also has a sulky teen son who has not been recognized as an adult yet. His aged mother lives with him.
The story opens with Imhotep away at his estates in the north. His family is on the estate in Thebes, where the tomb is located. His grown daughter, Renisenb, has recently been widowed and returned to the family with her little girl. She is the POV character. Through her eyes we see her remember the family she thought she knew when she left it as a young girl. Now she is learning it as an adult. She thinks that all is the same, but little differences make her uneasy. She wants to settle into the safety of the past.
Her grown brothers are chaffing at the fact that their father doesn't allow them to make any decisions about running the estate; their wives are contending for status; the younger son is petulant because although he is their father's favorite, no one treats him with respect.
Reni just wants to return to a peaceful life, while she forgets the life she had with her dead husband. She is friendly with the man, Hori, who works with her father and is his business/accounting manager. He is a poorer distant relation, and while older than Reni, he is not as old as her father. She remembers him from her childhood. Another person in the house is a poor woman her mother brought home, Henet. She is not family, and not exactly a servant. She is a busybody, and is always reminding everyone how much she does for the family with no thanks. She has wormed her way into the good graces of Imhotep, but the others dislike her and wish she would be sent away. Esa, the aged mother sees all, and understands much.
When Imhotep returns home, he brings with him, a young beautiful concubine, Nofret. It sends the house into an uproar. She is mercenary and devious, but he only see her false front of love and softness. He also brings a young scribe from his northern estate who has spotted embezzlement there. He is being rewarded and promoted by being moved to the Theban estate.
After a time Imhotep is summoned north again, and he leaves Nofret behind, and enjoins the family to treat her well and care for her. During her time there she has upset, angered and injured most of the family members. Soon after Imhotep leaves, she is found dead at the foot of a cliff. At the top of the cliff is a path they use to travel up to the tomb and chapel that the family must care for and venerate.
Imhotep returns in great distress, and they bury her and try to move on. But suddenly family members begin to die, or fall deathly ill. The hunt is on to find the killer. Some think its one of them, but others think it is the unhappy ghost of Nofret, who died under mysterious circumstances, and yet nothing was done to find out how she died.
Reni, Hori and Esa try to solve the mystery and stop the deaths.
I read mysteries, and have read other Agatha Christie books. They are OK, but I am not a big fan. The small-English-village ones seem too cookie cutter. This book was rather simple. The writing and characters were OK, but again, simple. The mystery was interesting, but the cast of suspects was too small. I didn't hate it, but it just didn't grab me, and I really didn't care.
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knowledge about ancient Egypt, which caused me to be dissatisfied with the reading experience of this book.The story is of a funerary priest, Imhotep, who is entering the end of his life. His job is to pray for, and conduct offerings for a dead noble. He has been given an estate and money to insure the upkeep of the tomb and the required rites. He makes a good living, and has responsibilities to his society. His wife died long ago, and he has 3 grown children, 2 sons and 1 daughter. He also has a sulky teen son who has not been recognized as an adult yet. His aged mother lives with him.
The story opens with Imhotep away at his estates in the north. His family is on the estate in Thebes, where the tomb is located. His grown daughter, Renisenb, has recently been widowed and returned to the family with her little girl. She is the POV character. Through her eyes we see her remember the family she thought she knew when she left it as a young girl. Now she is learning it as an adult. She thinks that all is the same, but little differences make her uneasy. She wants to settle into the safety of the past.
Her grown brothers are chaffing at the fact that their father doesn't allow them to make any decisions about running the estate; their wives are contending for status; the younger son is petulant because although he is their father's favorite, no one treats him with respect.
Reni just wants to return to a peaceful life, while she forgets the life she had with her dead husband. She is friendly with the man, Hori, who works with her father and is his business/accounting manager. He is a poorer distant relation, and while older than Reni, he is not as old as her father. She remembers him from her childhood. Another person in the house is a poor woman her mother brought home, Henet. She is not family, and not exactly a servant. She is a busybody, and is always reminding everyone how much she does for the family with no thanks. She has wormed her way into the good graces of Imhotep, but the others dislike her and wish she would be sent away. Esa, the aged mother sees all, and understands much.
When Imhotep returns home, he brings with him, a young beautiful concubine, Nofret. It sends the house into an uproar. She is mercenary and devious, but he only see her false front of love and softness. He also brings a young scribe from his northern estate who has spotted embezzlement there. He is being rewarded and promoted by being moved to the Theban estate.
After a time Imhotep is summoned north again, and he leaves Nofret behind, and enjoins the family to treat her well and care for her. During her time there she has upset, angered and injured most of the family members. Soon after Imhotep leaves, she is found dead at the foot of a cliff. At the top of the cliff is a path they use to travel up to the tomb and chapel that the family must care for and venerate.
Imhotep returns in great distress, and they bury her and try to move on. But suddenly family members begin to die, or fall deathly ill. The hunt is on to find the killer. Some think its one of them, but others think it is the unhappy ghost of Nofret, who died under mysterious circumstances, and yet nothing was done to find out how she died.
Reni, Hori and Esa try to solve the mystery and stop the deaths.
I read mysteries, and have read other Agatha Christie books. They are OK, but I am not a big fan. The small-English-village ones seem too cookie cutter. This book was rather simple. The writing and characters were OK, but again, simple. The mystery was interesting, but the cast of suspects was too small. I didn't hate it, but it just didn't grab me, and I really didn't care.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
Murder in Ancient Egypt. Its an interesting deravation from Poirot, Miss Marple and the others. The eventual solution is a complete surprise as well.
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
The story starts in Egypt 4000 years ago, when death meant another meaning to life... when Renisenb returns to her father's house after the death of her husband, under the calm service of her family life there was secrets, revenge... and with her fathers new wife, Nofret, every bad feeling grows up
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and with it the killing begins... The killer surprised me! I couldn't guess! When I discovered Yahmose is the killer I was shocked! Show Less
LibraryThing member Deborah3553
Not really "usual" Christie. I found my copy in the youth or teen section of the library and I can see why. The characters were not as well drawn out as Christie's usual in Poirot or Marple. Interesting, mostly because Christie wrote it.
LibraryThing member Steph78
really quite dull - a sad disappointment.
LibraryThing member seldombites
This was a light and enjoyable read. However, it seemed to be populated by a cast of Englishmen who just happened to be living in Ancient Egypt. I feel that it could have been much more interesting if Ms. Christie had made the effort to create more believable characters.
LibraryThing member hmessing
Not your typical Agatha Christie...she based it on a papyrus fragment from Egypt. It tells the tale of an ancient Egyptian family whose members are dying one by one. She weaves in what is know of Egyptian religion and culture. Well done and a quick fun read.
LibraryThing member smik
I think I have rarely enjoyed a Christie title more than this one. But I don't remember ever reading it before and that may be the clue to why it felt so fresh.
I don't remember whether Christie ever gave a historical setting like this to any other novel.
She tells us in an "author's note" at the
The action of this book takes place on the West bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 BC. Both place and time are incidental to the story.
Any other place at any other time would have served as well: but it so happened that the inspiration of both characters and plot was derived from two or three Egyptian letters of the XI Dynasty, found about 20 years ago by the Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in a rock tomb opposite Luxor, and translated by Professor (then Mr) Battiscombe Gunn in the Museum’s Bulletin.
When Imhotep returns to his family in Thebes with his new concubine Nofret he unleashes forces for evil within the family that have lain dormant for years.
As the scribe Hori says to Renisenb, recently returned to the family home after the death of her husband, and having been away for 8 years:
You do not understand, Renisenb. There is an evil that comes from outside, that attacks so that all the world can see, but there is another kind of rottenness that breeds from within–that shows no outward sign. It grows slowly, day by day, till at last the whole fruit is rotten–eaten away by disease.
When Imhotep leaves again for three months, leaving Norfret behind, the forces are unleashed and the murders begin. One after another, family members whom the reader suspects of the first murder are themselves attacked or killed, until there are so few left to suspect. And then Christie plays her trump card.
I saw a fellow blogger comment the other day about how this was the best Agatha Christie title she had ever read, and I can understand why. The plot and whodunnit aspects are engrossing.
I don't remember whether Christie ever gave a historical setting like this to any other novel.
She tells us in an "author's note" at the
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beginning where the plot and setting came from.The action of this book takes place on the West bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 BC. Both place and time are incidental to the story.
Any other place at any other time would have served as well: but it so happened that the inspiration of both characters and plot was derived from two or three Egyptian letters of the XI Dynasty, found about 20 years ago by the Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in a rock tomb opposite Luxor, and translated by Professor (then Mr) Battiscombe Gunn in the Museum’s Bulletin.
When Imhotep returns to his family in Thebes with his new concubine Nofret he unleashes forces for evil within the family that have lain dormant for years.
As the scribe Hori says to Renisenb, recently returned to the family home after the death of her husband, and having been away for 8 years:
You do not understand, Renisenb. There is an evil that comes from outside, that attacks so that all the world can see, but there is another kind of rottenness that breeds from within–that shows no outward sign. It grows slowly, day by day, till at last the whole fruit is rotten–eaten away by disease.
When Imhotep leaves again for three months, leaving Norfret behind, the forces are unleashed and the murders begin. One after another, family members whom the reader suspects of the first murder are themselves attacked or killed, until there are so few left to suspect. And then Christie plays her trump card.
I saw a fellow blogger comment the other day about how this was the best Agatha Christie title she had ever read, and I can understand why. The plot and whodunnit aspects are engrossing.
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LibraryThing member raizel
I guessed whodunit. Based on one sentence. I also felt a distance between me and the characters. But I did get some idea of what living in Egypt was like millennia ago.
LibraryThing member JeffreyMarks
A mystery set in Ancient Egypt but the motives and people are much the same as they are today. An enjoyable read; however, the body count finally made the murderer fairly obvious. The last few crimes reminded me a bit of And Then There Were None in the way they are described without telling the
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name of the killer. Show Less
LibraryThing member Coltfan18
I liked this book that is a departure for Agatha Christie. It takes place in ancient Egypt where Imhotep has brought his concubine. She isn't liked and is found dead. This is both a murder mystery and a love story which I enjoyed.
LibraryThing member antiquary
Mysteries set in ancient Egypt have become fairly common --In now of at least two series --but as far as I know this was a first, written by Christie (whose husband was the archaeologist Max Mallowan, who worked chiefly in Iraq) at the suggestion of the Egyptologist S.R. K. Glanville and based on
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two genuine Egyptian letters from about 2000 BC. The idea is interesting but my dim recollection of the story is that it is rather grim. Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
As Christie herself says in the introduciton, the setting of this in Ancient Egypt is largely immaterial, it is a story that could be told in any time and age. A man has 3 sons and a daughter. The sons want to be allowed to take responsibility, but the father doesn't allow them to, believing that
From there, events unfold at an alarming rate. There are any number of people who could have committed the crime, but which of them did? It takes a while to get to the bottom of it.
The setting makes this somewhat different from the usual Christie story. It is also unusual in not having a detective as such. There are people trying to fathom out what is happening, but they don't function in the manner of a Poirot or similar.
Good but not brilliant.
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only he can do anything right. one is too cautious, one too bold, one too young. Things are bubbling away under the surface and all it will take is a match to set the powder keg off. In this case, the man arriving home with a new concubine. From there, events unfold at an alarming rate. There are any number of people who could have committed the crime, but which of them did? It takes a while to get to the bottom of it.
The setting makes this somewhat different from the usual Christie story. It is also unusual in not having a detective as such. There are people trying to fathom out what is happening, but they don't function in the manner of a Poirot or similar.
Good but not brilliant.
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LibraryThing member passion4reading
After the death of her husband, Renisenb has returned to her family with her small daughter and feels happy and comfortable to be back among familiar faces and surroundings. When her father Imhotep brings home a young and beautiful concubine deeply hidden emotions are set free, resulting in first
An unusual stand-alone novel set in Ancient Egypt in 2000 BC, Agatha Christie shows that human feelings, passions and base instincts, as well as the darkness that can live in people's hearts, have remained unchanged for 4000 years, and her re-creation of Ancient Egypt, with a glimpse of society in miniature, customs, traditions and funerary practices, is very convincing. The rather mediocre rating stems from the fact that I feel that with the elimination of so many characters the author has written herself into a corner and also eliminated a choice between credible alternative villains to the one who is revealed at the end. The matter is not helped by the fact that I didn't get on with the character of Renisenb, with whom the reader is clearly meant to identify and empathise, as I thought her immature and weak – though to be fair she has moments when she shows that she can be a strong character in her own right.
An interesting experiment, and I would love to read the letters on which the author has based this tale, as revealed in the author's note at the beginning.
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one death, then two ...An unusual stand-alone novel set in Ancient Egypt in 2000 BC, Agatha Christie shows that human feelings, passions and base instincts, as well as the darkness that can live in people's hearts, have remained unchanged for 4000 years, and her re-creation of Ancient Egypt, with a glimpse of society in miniature, customs, traditions and funerary practices, is very convincing. The rather mediocre rating stems from the fact that I feel that with the elimination of so many characters the author has written herself into a corner and also eliminated a choice between credible alternative villains to the one who is revealed at the end. The matter is not helped by the fact that I didn't get on with the character of Renisenb, with whom the reader is clearly meant to identify and empathise, as I thought her immature and weak – though to be fair she has moments when she shows that she can be a strong character in her own right.
An interesting experiment, and I would love to read the letters on which the author has based this tale, as revealed in the author's note at the beginning.
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LibraryThing member artsheart
One of Dame Agatha's weaker efforts, could have been called, "Ten Little Egyptians"
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Parting from her usual writing & characters, Dame Agatha treats us to a Historical Mystery set in 2000 BC, in Ancient Egypt.
Imhotep, a wealthy ka-priest, tomb keeper has stupidly brought home his new concubine, Nofret. Nofret is as young & beautiful as she is manipulative & hateful, she makes many
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enemies in the house, not the least of all the women.As Imhotep is off on business, he unthinkingly leaves Nofret behind. As tensions mount, Nofret does her best to suborn the family, while they in turn fight back. Nofret writes to Imhotep complaining of the family's treatment of her and he immediately replies with the disowning of everyone except his daughter.....
Soon thereafter, Nofret is found dead at the base of the hill where the tomb is kept..... Although the family suspects one of their own as the murderer of Nofret, they all keep a united front and insist that she accidentally fell to her death.
Everything seems to return to "normal" within the family, but the killer strikes again and again...... No one being safe.
Well written, a great story, lively characters.... all the clues were there, but I didn't see them as I was too engrossed in the story.
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LibraryThing member AndyGE
My favorite Agatha Chrsitie. The setting makes a nice change.
LibraryThing member BeccaNaylor
Definitely one of my top five favorite Agatha Christies.
LibraryThing member sleahey
After becoming a widow, Renisenb returns to her father's house with her young son to live out her days. The relationships of her brothers and their wives becomes even more complicated when her father introduces his very young concubine into the household, especially since she is unlikeable to
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everyone. Murder causes Renisenb to question the motivations of everyone in the household. Show Less
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This is one of Agatha Christie's most unusual novels, being a historical fiction whodunnit set in ancient Egypt around 2000 BC. It has tended to get overlooked due to the lack of the usual Christie Golden Age of crime fiction feel. However, I found this difference rather effective, as it thereby
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strips away the usual iconography and trappings and allows a concentration on the fractious relationships between the members of Imenhotep's family, whose lives have been disturbed by the appearance on the scene of a new young concubine the master of the house has installed to replace his deceased wife. There are quite a shocking number of deaths in the household before the final, surprising conclusion is revealed. This is one of only four Christie novels never to have been adapted for the screen or stage. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
This is not the first time I've read this novel - I am re-reading it with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading Group. See my previous review.
When Imhotep, the Ka-priest, returns to his family, he brings with him an unwelcome surprise, a concubine from the North, who is in fact younger than his recently
But what Nofret, the concubine, does, as one of the family remarks, is reveals where trouble and evil already are present.
In the introductory Author's Note Agatha Christie points out that the fact that the action of the book takes place on the West bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 BC is actually incidental to the story. It is a story that could have been played out against any setting. It is a story of jealousy, a father who dominates too much, and children who are chafing against the bit. The murder of the concubine is just the first in a series of incidents, and the author holds various characters up for us to scrutinise.
We see the action mainly through the eyes of Imhotep's daughter Renisenb, who is not always the most reliable judge if character, and she is bewildered as various members of the household are killed, and she is not sure who to trust.
The author puts her knowledge of Egyptian funerary rites and procedures to good use in providing the reader with an authentic background for a solid murder mystery. In all there are 5 murders, enough to overwhelm even the most vigilant family.
When Imhotep, the Ka-priest, returns to his family, he brings with him an unwelcome surprise, a concubine from the North, who is in fact younger than his recently
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widowed daughter. None of his household like the concubine, and she plainly does not like them. She tries to turn the family against their father and seems determined to stir up trouble.But what Nofret, the concubine, does, as one of the family remarks, is reveals where trouble and evil already are present.
In the introductory Author's Note Agatha Christie points out that the fact that the action of the book takes place on the West bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 BC is actually incidental to the story. It is a story that could have been played out against any setting. It is a story of jealousy, a father who dominates too much, and children who are chafing against the bit. The murder of the concubine is just the first in a series of incidents, and the author holds various characters up for us to scrutinise.
We see the action mainly through the eyes of Imhotep's daughter Renisenb, who is not always the most reliable judge if character, and she is bewildered as various members of the household are killed, and she is not sure who to trust.
The author puts her knowledge of Egyptian funerary rites and procedures to good use in providing the reader with an authentic background for a solid murder mystery. In all there are 5 murders, enough to overwhelm even the most vigilant family.
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LibraryThing member delphimo
Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie does not follow her normal mystery writing. This story happens in ancient Egypt in 2000 BC. The story centers on three generations of a power hungry family. The older father brings home a concubine and sets her on a pedestal much to chagrin of his adult
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children. The father must travel to other areas in Egypt and while he is gone, his beloved concubine falls to her death, or has she been pushed. The killer strikes six times before discovery. This story falls into a dark, morbid scenery. The information concerning ancient Egypt and family relationships stimulates the mind, but the tempo clouds this dysfunctional family. No fun or amusing Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple, and each is greatly missed. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1944
Physical description
243, 5 p.; 18 cm
ISBN
8472794997 / 9788472794993
Other editions
La venganza de Nofret by Agatha Christie (Paper Book)