Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

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Honeymoon from Hell

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie is a fun whodunit set on a steamer cruise ship in Egypt. While gliding down the Nile on a luxury seven-day trip, a young, wealthy, beautiful bride on her honeymoon is found dead.  As luck would have it, mustachioed Belgian detective, Hercule Poroit, happens to be vacationing on the same boat and with the help of acquaintance, Colonel Race, they set out to solve the sordid crime. 

Some facts, ergo motives, were already all too crystal clear.  Linnet Ridgeway is a woman of means, and means to get whatever she wants.  She’s got the looks and money to spin the world her way.  What she wants is her friend Jacqueline’s fiancé, Simon Doyle.  And although Simon and Jacqueline were madly in love, Linnet manages to peel him away from the defenseless woman.  They marry and head off to exotic Egypt for their honeymoon.  Jacqueline, however, is a woman scorned. As you know, hell hath no fury like that type of female, and Jackie isn’t taking this lying down. Surprisingly, Jackie shows up at every stop on their honeymoon. She’s an evil shadow casting a spell on their wedded bliss.  Then suddenly Linnet is found dead. But things don’t add up when Jacqueline has a solid alibi.  That’s when Hercule sharpens his investigating skills and digs deeper into the motives of the other travelers on board the ship.

The book is fun, fun, fun.   I also loved the movie—the 1978 version with a star-studded cast.  Peter Ustinov is Hercule Poirot, Mia Farrow the jilted Jacqueline, Bette Davis a rich American, Maggie Smith her maid, Angela Lansbury a washed-up romance novelist, George Kennedy is Linnet’s American trustee, Jack Warden the
Austrian Dr. Bessner, and David Niven the helpful Colonel Race.  The movie is a visual feast. The scenes of Egypt, the elegant costumes, the luxurious setting on the boat all bring breathtaking beauty to the twisted plot with the age-old theme of love, greed, and jealousy.

Experience the total entertainment package—indulge in the book, then watch the movie.  Enjoy!

Happy Reading,
Annette



Comments

Anonymous said…
I need to read this. Thank you
January 19, 2015 at 7:46 PM
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