Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot)

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot)
by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Agatha Christie
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-08-31
ISBN: 0425200469
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Berkley

Book Reviews of Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot)

Book Review: This author certainly knows what a reader wants...and gives it in spades.
Summary: 5 Stars

Feels like the Orient Express all over again. But instead of being a shallow copy of the plot - a horrible thing for an author to do, yes? -- Death on the Nile is more than able to stand up on its own in terms of its share of thrills, its healthy dose of the whodunit among a motley crew of characters, and even its sprinkling of romance.

It's Poirot again at his finest.

No, really.

(And, may I say, so far as I have been able to tread among the Poirot Mysteries, the one at his most introspective and sympathetic yet.)

There's really a lot going on in here. Murder, theft, hidden identities, and so on. A most interesting contrast to the placid progress of the boat along the Nile where events take place. So the temptation to guess who onboard killed Linnet Doyle, the beautiful English heiress, is all the more compelling.

There's the hot-blooded jealous ex-bestfriend, the unscrupulous American trustee, the sullen miss whose mother is difficult to live with, the mulish young man who spouts anti-capitalist ideals, the archaeologist with a strange telegram concerning, of all things, potatoes, the snobbish elderly woman with all the trappings of prestige, and so forth.

One of the entertaining aspects of the novel are the levels of exposition Poirot deigned to make to whoever constituted his rapt audience at the moment. By dishing out in increments who might have done the deed in so-and-so way, and then practically turning to the reader and saying, "Eh bien, it was a good try, no?", Poirot is a master in keeping those about him in tenterhooks. And a fair share of those who listen come out genuinely outraged by the lengths with which he stretches his conjectures, just for the sake of teasing the morbid thirst of those around him. A detective first, but a performer second.

I can understand why Christie eventually felt a little fed up with her most famous character - Poirot is really a force to be reckoned with. And he attacks in the most subtle, unexpected, but maddeningly unreservedly ingenious ways. His `clearing away' of the `extraneous matter' in order to get at the heart of the crime/s is nothing short of impressive. And such brilliance of course cannot help but go into his head. In the meantime, however, I cannot but marvel at his skill. I'm afraid it might be a long time before I tire of him.

As things stand, this is my second favorite after Orient Express. Very fast-paced. Verging on dramatic, even, at some points. And, throughout, a very respectful novel...in the sense that it doesn't waste with the reader's time, and is in keeping with delivering its promised goods.

Kudos again to ms Christie.

Summary of Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot)

One of the passengers is Jacqueline de Bellefort, Simon's jealous ex-fiance, and she has already confessed to Hercule Poirot that she wants revenge for Linnet stealing Simon from her. However, when two more murders are committed, Hercule Poirot, with the help of his friend Colonel Race, begins to see that no-one on the ship is as straightforward as they first seemed.
Hercule Poirot is perhaps Agatha Christie's most interesting and endearing character; short, round, and slightly comical, Poirot has a razor-sharp mind and puts unlimited trust in his "little grey cells." Those little cells come through for him every time, enabling Poirot to solve some of the most baffling mysteries ever conceived. 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) strikes again.

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