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ginaparrish's review against another edition
3.0
I have been reading through all of Christie'a mysteries chronologically and I have to say this one doesn't stand out to me, though I did enjoy it. The best part is the setting, and the narrator is at least not as annoying as Hastings. The characters were semi-interesting. But I felt like I guessed it from the beginning as far as who and why and then the rest was me trying to figure out how the murder was committed, which ended up not being all that impressive. That said, I have really enjoyed some of her less popular books. So it is all a matter of preference.
ayimen's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
bellbookandcandle's review against another edition
4.0
Baking in the heat of the desert or lazing on the beach under the hot sun? Soak up this summertime Golden Age classic.
Murder in Mesopotamia will draw you into the moment. So much so that you may be inspired to read Agatha Christie’s real-life adventures in archaeology.
Don your pith hat, roll your sleeves up, and dig in!
Murder in Mesopotamia will draw you into the moment. So much so that you may be inspired to read Agatha Christie’s real-life adventures in archaeology.
Don your pith hat, roll your sleeves up, and dig in!
chrass's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
2.0
It took me a lifetime to read this book. Usually I find them to be quite quick reads but boy oh boy did I struggle.
There was quite a large cast but they were all quite flat and similar, it made it difficult to get involved in their story.
I'm not sure if it was because of the characters but I felt that the plot was quite bland too.
There was quite a large cast but they were all quite flat and similar, it made it difficult to get involved in their story.
I'm not sure if it was because of the characters but I felt that the plot was quite bland too.
yp21's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
magsisreadingagain's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
cam_flower's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thaurisil's review against another edition
4.0
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: 19 of Christie's novels, 14 of Hercule Poirot novels
Setting: Iraq
Detective and Companions: Hercule Poirot, Amy Leatheran
Crime: Nurse Amy Leatheran is asked to nurse Louise Leidner, wife of the archaeologist Dr Leidner. There is an unexplainable tension in the group, and then Louise is murdered.
Suspects:
Members of the archaeological team
- Father Lavigny, a French monk and expert at inscriptions
- Miss Johnson, general "bottle-washer" and longtime colleague of Dr Leidner
- Richard Carey, an attractive architect and longtime colleague of Dr Leidner
- Mr Mercado
- Mrs Mercado, who hates Louise
- Carl Reiter, a plump pink-faced boy whom Mrs Leidner picked on
- David Emmott, a quiet American youth
- William Coleman, a talkative English youth
- Dr Leidner
2 others
- Sheila Reilly, daughter of Dr Reilly, who helped to engage Nurse Leatheran
- A mysterious Iraqi man who is found near the expedition house twice
Twists and Turns:
- I suspected Father Lavigny was an imposter from the start. There were several clues that he was not a monk and did not really know much about inscriptions. It turned out he was a thief who stole archaeological finds from the antika room, the mysterious Iraqi man was his accomplice, and a piece of wax found on a golden cup was a red herring and a clue to his thefts.
- Mrs Mercado’s hatred of Mrs Leidner was not due to jealousy as everyone suspected, but due to her fear that Mrs Leidner would find out that Mr Mercado was a drug addict.
- Poirot hints that there may be a second murder, but still it is unexpected when Miss Johnson is killed after she deduces how the murder occurred, but does not tell anyone.
- Dr Leidner was not suspected all along as he was up on the roof during the whole period when Mrs Leidner was killed in her room below. It turns out he killed her by inducing her to stick her head out a window, then dropped a heavy object on her head.
- Mrs Leidner’s first husband, or his younger brother, features as a possible killer the whole novel. Since his supposed death 20 years ago, Mrs Leidner has repeatedly received letters from him threatening to kill her if she remarries. It turns out Dr Leidner is the first husband, and is happily married to her until Mrs Leidner starts being attracted to Mr Carey.
It is a sign that I have been reading lots of Agatha Christie when I suspect Mr Leidner from the start, despite not know why or how he could have committed the murder, simply because Poirot rules him out from the start! For similar reasons I faintly suspected Nurse Leatheran, but not seriously because of the foreword by Dr Reilly which testaments to her character. I wonder if Christie put this foreword to avoid misleading readers into thinking that the narrator is the murderer, as has happened in a few of her previous novels.
For a novel set in Iraq, it is difficult to ignore Nurse Leatheran’s racist attitude, in her easy dismissal of Iraqis as lazy and inferior, and in her general disdain for the dirt and mess of Iraq. I know times were different and racist attitudes were the norm then, but it is still jarring for a story set in Iraq to be so dismissive of Iraqis.
Book: 19 of Christie's novels, 14 of Hercule Poirot novels
Setting: Iraq
Detective and Companions: Hercule Poirot, Amy Leatheran
Crime: Nurse Amy Leatheran is asked to nurse Louise Leidner, wife of the archaeologist Dr Leidner. There is an unexplainable tension in the group, and then Louise is murdered.
Suspects:
Members of the archaeological team
- Father Lavigny, a French monk and expert at inscriptions
- Miss Johnson, general "bottle-washer" and longtime colleague of Dr Leidner
- Richard Carey, an attractive architect and longtime colleague of Dr Leidner
- Mr Mercado
- Mrs Mercado, who hates Louise
- Carl Reiter, a plump pink-faced boy whom Mrs Leidner picked on
- David Emmott, a quiet American youth
- William Coleman, a talkative English youth
- Dr Leidner
2 others
- Sheila Reilly, daughter of Dr Reilly, who helped to engage Nurse Leatheran
- A mysterious Iraqi man who is found near the expedition house twice
Twists and Turns:
- I suspected Father Lavigny was an imposter from the start. There were several clues that he was not a monk and did not really know much about inscriptions. It turned out he was a thief who stole archaeological finds from the antika room, the mysterious Iraqi man was his accomplice, and a piece of wax found on a golden cup was a red herring and a clue to his thefts.
- Mrs Mercado’s hatred of Mrs Leidner was not due to jealousy as everyone suspected, but due to her fear that Mrs Leidner would find out that Mr Mercado was a drug addict.
- Poirot hints that there may be a second murder, but still it is unexpected when Miss Johnson is killed after she deduces how the murder occurred, but does not tell anyone.
- Dr Leidner was not suspected all along as he was up on the roof during the whole period when Mrs Leidner was killed in her room below. It turns out he killed her by inducing her to stick her head out a window, then dropped a heavy object on her head.
- Mrs Leidner’s first husband, or his younger brother, features as a possible killer the whole novel. Since his supposed death 20 years ago, Mrs Leidner has repeatedly received letters from him threatening to kill her if she remarries. It turns out Dr Leidner is the first husband, and is happily married to her until Mrs Leidner starts being attracted to Mr Carey.
It is a sign that I have been reading lots of Agatha Christie when I suspect Mr Leidner from the start, despite not know why or how he could have committed the murder, simply because Poirot rules him out from the start! For similar reasons I faintly suspected Nurse Leatheran, but not seriously because of the foreword by Dr Reilly which testaments to her character. I wonder if Christie put this foreword to avoid misleading readers into thinking that the narrator is the murderer, as has happened in a few of her previous novels.
For a novel set in Iraq, it is difficult to ignore Nurse Leatheran’s racist attitude, in her easy dismissal of Iraqis as lazy and inferior, and in her general disdain for the dirt and mess of Iraq. I know times were different and racist attitudes were the norm then, but it is still jarring for a story set in Iraq to be so dismissive of Iraqis.