Wednesday 13 June 2018

Book Review - Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

"There was something else beside laughter in her eyes. Hercule Poirot shook his head doubtfully.

'She cares too much, that little one,' he said to himself. It is not safe. No, it is not safe.'"

And safe it wasn't.   

Linnet Doyle, is on her honeymoon in Egypt with her husband Simon Doyle. Linnet is rich, beautiful, sophisticated and an extremely clever business woman. There is nothing that Linnet cannot do. Anything she wishes for she has it, including her husband, who was engaged to Linnet's best friend Jacqueline de Bellefort. Jacqueline had requested Linnet to get a job for her would be husband Simon in her estate, but Linnet ended up snatching Simon from Jackie and marrying him. Jackie's agony and her desire to kill Linnet was quite evident. So she arrives in Egypt and sails in the same boat as Linnet and Simon. 

The boat however, has many other passengers including our esteemed Detective Hercule Poirot. Othe co passengers include Mrs Allerton and her son Tim Allerton, who is upset at the sight of the Detective. Rosalie Otterbourne and her novelist mother Mrs Otterbourne. Socialite Marie van Schuyler, her nurse Mrs Bowers and cousin Carolina Robson, communist Mr Ferguson who is unhappy with all the people around him because of their social status, Austrian Dr Bressner, Linnet's trustee Andrew Peddington, her maid Louise Bourget, Italian archeologist Richett and Mr Finthorp. 

Linnet is particularly upset seeing Jackie, who is following her around in the trip. She asks Hercule Poirot to help her, but Poirot refuses to work for her. However, he agrees to talk to Jacqueline. Jackie tells Poirot that she carries a gun and is very eager to kill Linnet someday for what Linnet has done. So when Linnet Doyle is actually found dead in her cabin, everyone suspects Jackie. And to top it all, it is Jackie's gun which has been used to kill Linnet. Along with the murder there is a theft also that has been committed as Linnet's precious and expensive pearl necklace is also found missing. As if things were not complicated enough, there were two consecutive murders the following day -  one right in front of Hercule Poirot and his friend Colonel Race.

The investigation begins and Poirot and his friend questions everyone on the boat and also searches their cabins. How Poirot solves the case and how he finds out the killer and also the thief who had stolen the necklace is something absolutely extraordinary. Christie's way of creating suspense and then solving it is brilliant. 

I am very fond of Agatha Christie's novels, specially the Poirot ones. Her way of detailing the characters, laying out the plot is like no other. What I like most about her novel is Poirot's philosophy on life, death and crime. He solves the crime no doubt but does not pass judgement on the criminals and tries to help them in some way, even if that means helping the criminal to kill themselves.


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