Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Genre – Mystery, Suspense
Series – #17 Hercule Poirot
Rating – PG-13 for violence and death
Synopsis –
The famous French detective Hercule Poirot has decided to take a vacation to Egypt. Little did he know that he would become involved in the mysterious murder of Linnet Ridgeway a British rich aristocrat. A few months before heading to Egypt, Linnet meets with her best friend Jacqueline de Bellefort to talk about Jacqueline’s possible engagement. Jacqueline is madly in love with Simon Doyle, a poor country man, and wants Linnet to give her consent to Jacqueline’s marriage. Several months later. Poirot meets Linnet during his trip in Egypt, and she had married Simon. Linnet is scared for her life and begs Poirot to investigate. After she is murdered on a boat, Poirot needs all of skill to figure out exactly what happened.
My Thoughts –
Sorry if my thoughts get a little jumbled, I finished this book almost a week ago and its still swirling around my head. I’ve only read/listened to a handful of Christie’s novels, yet this one seems to stand out to me. I enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express with its unique ending, but I almost liked Death on the Nile more. For starters, the focus is on character development and exploring what makes each suspect tick. I loved this aspect, most whodunit’s just focus on the crime. Then the murder doesn’t happen until half-way through the book. Again, this was different then most mystery novels I’ve read and it really worked!
There is a whole host of characters, some of whom are very well created. I really like how Christie wrote Jacqueline. Although she carries a grudge, I liked and felt sorry for her. I also was drawn to Cornelia; what a bright flower among so many flawed people. Cornelia had a kind and humble heart. Now, I cannot forget Poirot. He is definitely a quirky detective; he’s able to notice things that nobody else does, but also has a soft side. There was a section where he takes Jacqueline aside and they have a little chat. It was such an emotional scene and after having only met this women, Poirot cared about her.
The plot had several twists and turns to it. I was so sure that certain characters were innocent, but Christie had me fooled. There were a few things that I found odd, but wasn’t able to put everything together.
Although this is not a Christian book by any means, Poirot believes in God. He quotes scripture a few times at just the right moment and on the inside I was like “Yes!” Also, he tries to prevent several characters from making poor decisions.
Language – Mild infrequent swearing
Innuendo – A character marries her best friend’s boyfriend, (we find out later this was all planned by best friend to get money). A character references sex as a subject in her book she wrote.
Violence -Now while it is a murder mystery, Christie keeps the violence to a minimum. You know they die and how, but it isn’t gratuitous. A character is found dead the next morning by gunshot to head. Another character is shot in the leg. A few other characters die, but not very detailed. Later to avoid going to prison, a character commits suicide.
Conclusion –
Death on the Nile gives an interesting look at what can lead a person to do horrible things. There is a lot to think about and I really enjoyed diving into another Agatha Christie novel. I had a hard time putting it down!! Personally, I love seeing an in depth look at characters and their development . So this was right up my alley. Overall, a well written story that defiantly worth a read!
Have you read any Agatha Christie books? Do you have a favorite? Hope you are having a wonderful November!
Anna
This is my favorite Agatha Christie!!! It was also the first that I read, and got me hooked. The twists are just amazing and I would never have guessed them. I had forgotten about the part with talking about the certain book, ugh, but other than that I love every bit of this! I actually just bought a copy which I plan to reread soon. I’m really excited about the movie that is going to come out! What are your thoughts on that?
It is such a good one!! What a way to be introduced to Agatha Christie! What of her other books have you read? I know, didn’t add anything to the story. Grr. Oooh rereading a favorite is always fun!! I have seen the trailer and look forward to seeing it whenever it finally comes out. Not sure what I think though. I just hope they keep plot to the book. I like Kenneth B. as Poirot though, especially in Murder on the Orient Express. How about you? What are your thoughts on trailer and casting?
I’ve read: Murder on the Orient Express, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Appointment with Death, The Body in the Library, and After the Funeral. Well, I thought I had read more, but apparently not. What about you? Oh yeah, Murder on the Orient Express was so good! I don’t think the trailer for DotN was as good as the trailer for MotOE, but I’m still looking forward to it, and especially the casting choices of Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, and Letitia Wright!
Wow, you’ve read quite a few! Of the ones you read, which is your favorite? I’ve read: Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, Hercule Poriot Investigates, and Death on the Nile. I’m hoping to read more, just haven’t gotten around to it 😉 Yes, loved the movie!! I need to see it again to refresh my memory, before the next one comes out. Oh, I didn’t know Letitia Wright was going to be in it!