Book Review: Death on the Nile

An Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot Mystery

Feb 12, 2007

Death on the Nile, Cover Art Courtesy of Black Dog and Leventhal

Set on a Nile River boat, this Christie classic has all of the ingredients -- glamour, murder, jealousy, and greed.

Long before it was a popular film (and DVD rental), Death on the Nile, published in 1937, was a classic Agatha Christie novel -- one of her best. The plot revolves around the passengers on a luxury Nile River cruise. Among them are:

Linnet Ridgeway, a 20-year old heiress rumored to be the richest girl in all of England
Jacqueline de Bellefort, an old school friend of Linnet's and now a penniless secretary
Simon Doyle, once Jacqueline's fiance and now Linnet's new husband
Hercule Poirot, the brilliant Belgian detective, known for his deductive reasoning and his brilliant mustache.

Greed and Jealousy on the Nile

Before the journey can even begin, it is obvious that this group will not enjoy smooth sailing. Jacqueline has spent her last shilling to buy passage on the cruise, so as to disrupt the Doyles' honeymoon. At the first stop -- the ruins at Abu Simbel -- a large boulder almost crushes Jacqueline. On the second morning, Linnet is found dead in her room.

Poirot Investigates

It would seem that the killer's identity is obvious. A brilliant "J" was written in blood in Linnet's stateroom and that Jacqueline had a motive for killing Linnet is undeniable. Is it, however, too obvious? As Poirot investigates, he finds that others on board also have motives for killing the heiress. Many even the erstwhile husband?

Death on the Nile was made into a movie in 1977, with Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot and an all-star cast, including David Niven, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, and Bette Davis.

About Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is the author of 80 mystery novels and numerous plays and short stories. Her works have sold over two billion copies in 45 languages. In the English language, she is outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible.

Ms. Christie married twice. Her second husband, Max Mallowan, whom she married in 1930, was an archeologist. Their frequent trips to Egypt and the Middle East sparked an interest in Christie, which led to numerous novels with a Middle Eastern theme, including Death of the Nile and Murder in Mesopotamia.

The copyright of the article Book Review: Death on the Nile in Mystery/Crime Fiction is owned by Sandy Mitchell. Permission to republish Book Review: Death on the Nile must be granted by the author in writing.