Into the Book

8

Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie

Recommended

Linnet Ridgeway has everything any woman could ever want -- beauty, wealth, fame, and a handsome and doting new husband. But when her husband's ex-fiancée, Linnet's former best friend, follows them on their Egyptian honeymoon and shadows their every move, chaos and mystery erupt.

When Linnet is murdered in the night, the killer seems obvious -- until the suspect produces an airtight alibi. Now everyone on the boat is under suspicion and it's up to Hurcule Poirot to unravel the web of mystery and deceit that surrounds the secretive group of travelers.


I’ve heard so much about Agatha Christie’s mysteries, and came into Death on the Nile, my first Christie, with high expectations. I wasn’t disappointed. The book kept me on my toes throughout, and nearly every twist and turn came as a shock to me. As a seasoned mystery reader, I kept looking out for the most unexpected solution, but in the end I didn’t look far enough, and the finale took me completely by surprise. And yet it all made perfect sense.

The characters are fascinating and consistent, and Hercule Poirot himself is lovable, intelligent, and easy to root for. The morality is fairly high, with murder always shown as wrong. Poirot speaks of the dangers of opening one's heart to evil, warning that evil will always accept the invitation. Communism and relativism are frowned upon, and references to God are sprinkled occasionally throughout, usually coming from Poirot.

There is some mild, occasional language, usually involving the words God or Lord, wine and whiskey are drunk by the characters at mealtimes, and one character is discovered to be alcoholic. One minor character is an author who is known for writing sexual novels, and she brings up sex in nearly every conversation. The other characters find her distasteful and annoying. Multiple murders are committed, as well as one non-fatal shooting, though none are described in graphic detail.

Early on I had a slightly hard time keeping up with who some of the characters were, but before the halfway point I had everyone straightened out. The style and vocabulary are easy to follow and comprehend, and the clues and deductions are always clear and make sense. The mystery unfolds at a good pace, slow enough to be taken in fully, but fast enough to keep you on your toes.

Death on the Nile is an exciting and compelling read, which will test the reader's logic and deductive skills to the limit. Full of twists and turns, this story will keep you guessing until the very last page.

-Grace
Grace Pennington is a homeschool graduate, a prolific writer, and the oldest of nine kids. She's partial to Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, and Daniel Schwabauer, but will consider almost any book. Most of all, she loves Jesus and desires to live her life for Him.

8 comments:

  1. Ooh! I'm glad you read it, Andi! Death on the Nile is one of my favourite books and films of Poirot/Agatha Christie. :) Nice review!

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  2. Thanks, Elanor! It was a good one to start with I think. Any recommendations for other Christies? :D

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  3. Dumb Witness is good, and Murder on the Orient Express. I've read all of her Poirot books so I can recommend more if you want. :D

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  4. Awesome review, Grace! I haven't read any Christie myself, but I love a good mystery (Sherlock Holmes is one of my all-time favorite literary characters). Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. :D

    I've heard the film adaptions are pretty good, too, with David Suchet (I think) playing the part of Poirot. Have you watched any of them?

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  5. Thanks Elanor, I'll remember those!

    Thank you Corey! I'm a Holmes fan as well. :) I have not seen the film adaptations yet, but I plan to!

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  6. I saw the film adaption of this book. I was like 7 and it kinda scared me. For little girl it had some very graphic images. I am sure now that if I watched I would not think it as scary. Also I have been meaning to read this book. Sense I knew the story from the movie I though reading the book would be good.

    My personal favorite Agatha Christie is Secret of the Chimneys.

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  7. Thanks for the comment, Sweetie Pie! I'll remember to look into Secret of the Chimneys, I had not heard of that one. :)

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  8. Its not a very common one. Its not a Poirot or Marple of Tommy and Tuppence its another person. But it is a really awesome book.

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