Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Apr 02, 2020 Dennis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Only my second Poirot, and I might have to rethink how I'm choosing the ones I want to read. Which is to say, I shouldn't care that much about the setting, because Christie apparently did not do so either. It's really pretty much only about the case.

And the case, again, was great fun. The buildup however, because "case" of course also includes the characters and their relationships and motivations, the buildup took a bit too long for my liking. But when the crime had finally happened and Poirot ...more

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Mar 02, 2018 Veronique rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read2018, favourites, agathachristie

4.5*

“That is why most great love stories are tragedies.”

Agatha Christie mentioned in her autobiography how she had only known four completely successful, happy, marriages, which sheds some light in the matter and the focus in this book. Death on the Nile is one of her best known stories and with reason. Once more, we are offered a compelling and puzzling crime mystery, but not just this. No, we are also thrown into an amazing setting - Egypt - in all its splendour, giving the readers two means ...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, 2022-shelf

Re-read.

There's something awfully comforting about murder, isn't there? I mean, all the various modes and motives and complications like sex, jealousy, greed, beneficence... the whole works. Why we kill -- and why we keep coming back to Hercule Poirot who, for one, would be someone I'd love to see be the one to have murdered all these horrible, nasty, backbiting people.

But alas. He's just using his grey cells. That's what he does. It certainly has nothing to do with preventing crime. Just the fu ...more

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Jul 28, 2019 Susy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 stars
Ah, a true Poirot. What's not to like. Though my first guess turned out to be right, Agatha threw in enough stuff to make me doubt myself. No surprises at the end (clues that were withheld), so that's definitely a plus for this one!

Edit: just returned from a cruise on the Nile. No murders to be solved but I did see the hotel where Agatha is said to have written this story. ...more

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Feb 15, 2022 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Method and order. They are everything.

Inspector Poirot is in Egypt when he makes the acquaintance of a group of people traveling on the Nile for a bit of sightseeing. One fellow passenger is Linnet Ridgeway (actually Linnet Doyle by now since she got married recently), who asks him for help. You see, her husband was previously engaged to another young woman and that woman is now following the newly-weds everywhere, resulting in frayed nerves. Poirot refuses to allow himself to be employed by

Method and order. They are everything.

Inspector Poirot is in Egypt when he makes the acquaintance of a group of people traveling on the Nile for a bit of sightseeing. One fellow passenger is Linnet Ridgeway (actually Linnet Doyle by now since she got married recently), who asks him for help. You see, her husband was previously engaged to another young woman and that woman is now following the newly-weds everywhere, resulting in frayed nerves. Poirot refuses to allow himself to be employed by the young, beautiful and very rich Linnet. Nevertheless, he has a talk with Jacqueline (the scorned woman) and boy, she is ... "passionate" (hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that).

A few places are being visited, a few things happen, the feeling of unease grows and one gets a feeling for the different quirky charcters - until, one night, there is a murder on board of the cruise ship. Linnet is shot in the head. And she won't be the only/lst victim.

It would be easy to believe that it was an act of jealousy. After all, it's one of the most common motifs and Jacqueline was VERY vocal about her hatred for her former best friend. However, that would be too easy and Jacqueline has a good alibi. Not to mention that Poirot uncovers some unsettling details about each of the other passengers, which means that basically everyone had good reason to commit this murder. Thus, the sleuthing begins.

Admittedly, it wasn't always easy listening to men and women alike exclaiming that Linnet's death was so tragic because she had been so beautiful. *sighs* However, that was indeed how people thought back then (and sometimes do even now, if we're being honest). Moreover, and more importantly, the author nicely made up for it by having introduced and shown Linnet not just as a pretty and rich girl, but a diligent business woman throughout. She was determined, smart, ambitious and got things done.

I love Egypt as a setting though I'm more in love with Ancient Egypt, usually. The nostalgic look at country and its historic treasures as well as the impressions of the places and natives through the eyes of people of different European (and even American) backgrounds was highly interesting (in good and bad ways).

Moreover, Poirot is once again very entertaining and very observant. In short: I had a blast getting to know these oftentimes terrible people and finding the murderer!

A note on the audio edition I listened to: it was narrated by none other than ~~Poirot~~ David Suchet and he was as fantastic as you'd imagine.

Now I can't wait to see both the movie from 1978 with Maggie Smith as well as the 2022 one (released only a few days ago) starring Kenneth Branagh. ...more

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Apr 09, 2021 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

This was great even though I already knew the story so well. Definitely one of Christie’s best!

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Aug 12, 2020 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, x2018-read, auth-f, mystery

One of my favourite Christies. I first read this in high school, and was a little worried it wouldn't stand up to a reread. Silly me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book all over again, though this time I read it knowing all the plot points, and could watch as Christie set up the murder and all the complicated feelings of the individuals involved.
Poirot was fun to watch as he uses his grey cells to figure out the motives of the murderer. The cast is large, and there are multiple things going on cons ...more

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