HarperCollins Death on the Nile

This is one of the best known works by Agatha Christie, and relatively long by her standards at 372 pages, although the first murder takes place halfway through.Although the setting on a Nile cruise is interesting, the plot was more than a little creaky. There are plenty of characters with motives for murder introduced very quickly, but the whole thing seemed very contrived with too many coincidences and subplots thrown in to create a confusing mix. I usually find trying to unravel a Christie plot a futile exercise because the killer often comes from an unexpected direction. However, here I worked out what was going on almost immediately; it just seemed so obvious. I suppose it help that some of the cover blurb pretty much gives it away; 'An ingenious an alibi as can well be imagined'. Who thought it was a good idea to put that on the cover? It pretty much tells you who dunnit!I thought the story got sillier as it progressed. Not one of her best, in my opinion.

Good story. The movie will be great no doubt.A bit more straight forward and predictable than in her other books (in terms of who the culprit is and their motivations), but entertaining nonetheless. Poirot is always a great character, with a consistent personality shining through in every book.

Christie states in the introduction to my copy of Death on the Nile that she considers it the best of Poirot's overseas adventures, and so I started reading prepared to hold her to this claim. I was not disappointed.There are a lot of characters to get your head round, which paints a large and realistic picture of the Nile holiday. This story contains one of the biggest build-ups I think I've read in a crime novel - the first half of the text being background and set-up, but it pays off.My one criticism of this otherwise excellent book is that I worked it out straight away, although I must confess I did miss one detail which formed part of the final explanation. As much as Christie's later narrative tried to throw me off the scent, I found it a little disappointing that I wasn't challenged more. Given that this is the first time this has happened though, it might just be a fluke!Certainly one of Christie's best novels and one I would recommend to anyone wanting a sample of her work (rather than wanting to read the entire canon like me!).

My partner has recently become a book nerd and ordered this for himself as he is a bit of a murder mystery novel fiend. He read within 3 days, which for him is a massive achievement. Would really recommend if you are into that kind of thing and enjoy the particular style of writing. It was also really cheap for the book, considering it is an Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie's novels are often attacked for featuring two-dimensional characters and, to a lesser extent, for being formulaic. That she wrote so many novels tends to support this claim. Certainly, similar upper and middle class types populate her stories, while she usually gives us a body in the first thirty pages. 'Death On The Nile' then is markedly different, as Christie chooses to ratchet up the suspense long before she gives us a crime. In doing so, we get to know the characters more intimately through their conflicts and hang ups. What is never in doubt about Christie however is her plotting ability. No other crime author I've read is her equal when it comes to the whodunnit element. Christie plots are sharp and watertight where those of her rivals are often clumsy or vague. 'Death On The Nile' delivers on all fronts and its claustrophobic cruiser setting enhances the atmosphere. I first read it nearly forty years ago and revisiting it recently gave me just as much pleasure.