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fi_reading's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emachinescat's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
strahinja's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
jflo2030's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lfaur32's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
alf_read's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While there are better outings for Poirot, the cast of characters is memorable, it’s an exciting tale on location, and there’s some fun ideas at work. Overall iconic if a little uneven.
thaurisil's review against another edition
5.0
While I read through Agatha Christie's novels with the Appointments with Agatha group, I'm putting a templated synopsis of each novel in my review. It has spoilers!
Book: 22 of Christie's novels, 17 of Hercule Poirot novels
Setting: A boat on the Nile
Detective and Companions: Hercule Poirot, Colonel Race
Crime: Rich, famous and beautiful, Linnet Ridgeway marries her poor best friend Jacqueline de Bellefort's husband, Simon Doyle. Jacqueline stalks them jealously on their honeymoon on the Nile. One night, Linnet is found dead with a bullet in her head, but Jacqueline has an alibi and cannot have committed the murder.
Suspects:
- Jacqueline de Bellefort, Linnet's former best friend and Simon's lover
- Simon Doyle, Linnet's new husband
- Louise Bourget, Linnet's new maid
- Andrew Pennington, Linnet's American trustee
- Salome Otterbourne, an erotic romance novelist
- Rosalie Otterbourne, Mrs Otterbourne's unhappy daughter
- Tim Allerton, a jovial young man
- Mrs Allerton, Tim's benevolent mother
- Marie van Schuyler, an elderly American socialite
- Cornelia Robson, Miss Van Schuyler's poor relative
- Miss Bowers, Miss Van Schuyler's nurse
- Mr Ferguson, a cynical communist
- Guido Richetti, an Italian archaeologist
- Jim Fanthorp, a young man who is later found to be a lawyer
- Dr Bessner, an Austrian physician of well-to-do patients
Twists and Turns:
- From the start, Jacqueline is the most likely killer. She shoots Simon in the leg shortly before Linnet is found shot by the same pistol. But she has an alibi, as she was accompanied by Cornelia, Mr Fanthorp and Miss Bowers throughout the night after she shoots Simon.
- Each suspect after that is then systematically ruled out:
> Linnet's necklace of pearls is found missing. When a search is organised, Miss Bowers owns up that she has the necklace, and that her main role is watching over Miss Van Schuyler who is a kleptomaniac. But the necklace is an imitation. Poirot then discovers that Tim Allerton teamed up with his cousin, Joanna Southwood, to steal Linnet's necklace and replace it with an imitation.
> Louise Bourget appears to have a possible motive to kill Linnet, but she is later found killed. Then Mrs Otterbourne tries to tell Poirot who the Louise's murderer is, but she is shot dead with a revolver just as she is about to speak.
> Andrew Pennington, Linnet's suspicious American trustee, is found guilty of fraud. Mr Fanthorp, a mysterious but kind young man, is found to be the nephew of Linnet's British solicitor who was sent to keep a watch on Pennington. Mr Ferguson is a duke in hiding.
> Colonel Race is searching for a leader of unrest in Egypt. It turns out to be Richetti, but he is not concerned with Linnet's murder.
- Finally it is found that Jacqueline and Simon were working together. Simon wanted Linnet's money, so he married her, killed her, and plotted with Jacqueline to create alibis for each other.
This book was adapted into a stage play by Agatha Christie, and it is easy to see why. The setting, plot and characters are tightly written, and the book is fascinating on its own even without the mystery aspect. Jacqueline is an especially well-written characters with her passionate love for Simon which translates into wild, passionate and almost manic behaviour.
From the start, it seemed obvious that Jacqueline killed Linnet, but it seemed impossible how she could have done it. Poirot slowly eliminates the suspects one by one, then reveals how the mystery was done, yet showing sensitivity and care to Jacqueline throughout.
Book: 22 of Christie's novels, 17 of Hercule Poirot novels
Setting: A boat on the Nile
Detective and Companions: Hercule Poirot, Colonel Race
Crime: Rich, famous and beautiful, Linnet Ridgeway marries her poor best friend Jacqueline de Bellefort's husband, Simon Doyle. Jacqueline stalks them jealously on their honeymoon on the Nile. One night, Linnet is found dead with a bullet in her head, but Jacqueline has an alibi and cannot have committed the murder.
Suspects:
- Jacqueline de Bellefort, Linnet's former best friend and Simon's lover
- Simon Doyle, Linnet's new husband
- Louise Bourget, Linnet's new maid
- Andrew Pennington, Linnet's American trustee
- Salome Otterbourne, an erotic romance novelist
- Rosalie Otterbourne, Mrs Otterbourne's unhappy daughter
- Tim Allerton, a jovial young man
- Mrs Allerton, Tim's benevolent mother
- Marie van Schuyler, an elderly American socialite
- Cornelia Robson, Miss Van Schuyler's poor relative
- Miss Bowers, Miss Van Schuyler's nurse
- Mr Ferguson, a cynical communist
- Guido Richetti, an Italian archaeologist
- Jim Fanthorp, a young man who is later found to be a lawyer
- Dr Bessner, an Austrian physician of well-to-do patients
Twists and Turns:
- From the start, Jacqueline is the most likely killer. She shoots Simon in the leg shortly before Linnet is found shot by the same pistol. But she has an alibi, as she was accompanied by Cornelia, Mr Fanthorp and Miss Bowers throughout the night after she shoots Simon.
- Each suspect after that is then systematically ruled out:
> Linnet's necklace of pearls is found missing. When a search is organised, Miss Bowers owns up that she has the necklace, and that her main role is watching over Miss Van Schuyler who is a kleptomaniac. But the necklace is an imitation. Poirot then discovers that Tim Allerton teamed up with his cousin, Joanna Southwood, to steal Linnet's necklace and replace it with an imitation.
> Louise Bourget appears to have a possible motive to kill Linnet, but she is later found killed. Then Mrs Otterbourne tries to tell Poirot who the Louise's murderer is, but she is shot dead with a revolver just as she is about to speak.
> Andrew Pennington, Linnet's suspicious American trustee, is found guilty of fraud. Mr Fanthorp, a mysterious but kind young man, is found to be the nephew of Linnet's British solicitor who was sent to keep a watch on Pennington. Mr Ferguson is a duke in hiding.
> Colonel Race is searching for a leader of unrest in Egypt. It turns out to be Richetti, but he is not concerned with Linnet's murder.
- Finally it is found that Jacqueline and Simon were working together. Simon wanted Linnet's money, so he married her, killed her, and plotted with Jacqueline to create alibis for each other.
This book was adapted into a stage play by Agatha Christie, and it is easy to see why. The setting, plot and characters are tightly written, and the book is fascinating on its own even without the mystery aspect. Jacqueline is an especially well-written characters with her passionate love for Simon which translates into wild, passionate and almost manic behaviour.
From the start, it seemed obvious that Jacqueline killed Linnet, but it seemed impossible how she could have done it. Poirot slowly eliminates the suspects one by one, then reveals how the mystery was done, yet showing sensitivity and care to Jacqueline throughout.
mollymoona's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0