Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
The cover here is from the first edition and illustrated by Robin Macartney who went on various archaeological digs with Agatha and her 2nd husband in Egypt. Macartney would later do the covers for  Murder in Mespotamia, murder in the Mews and Appointment with Death. For those that don’t know Agatha’s 2nd husband was an Egyptologist and they spent a great deal of their time there and the experience on the steamer was one she had personally experienced.
The story is set on and Egyptian Paddle Steamer traveling the Nile River – so effectively has a closed pool of suspects. There have been several adaptations of this book – the 1978 film directed by John Guillermin, 2022 film with Kenneth Branagh and most famously the TV series with David Suchet which bring to life the 1930’s feel as well as a strong visualisation of the setting.
The first conviction using a finger print was in 1905 in the case of the Stretton brothers – so Agatha makes use of this new technology.

Cast of Characters
Linnet Doyle – the victim and USA Heiress.
Dr Bessner – Austrian Physician – says he’s sightseeing but thinks Linnet Doyle ruined his Clinic.
Andrew Pennington – American Lawyer and Linnet’s trustee – but can he be trusted with all that money at stake?
Jim Ferguson – Committed Communist – would he kill and heiress for the cause?
Cornelia Robson – seems to be a poor relation? But is she?
Jackie De Bellefort – the Ex of the deseased’s husband – she has followed them all over and has the strongest alibi – but she was observed all night – or was she?
Simon Doyle – the deceased’s husband – lots of money at stake
Salome Otterbourne – Excentric novelist  - Linette was threatening her with a lawsuit
Louise Bourget – Linnet’s maid – she had been promised money to get married but that had been withdrawn.
 
Agatha spent a great deal of time in Egypt with her mother and then 2nd husband Max Mallowan so new the country well and the life in which she set this novel’s characters. Egypt was a popular destination in the period between the wars so was familiar to the upper middle classes but was also interesting to the general reader as the finding of the Tomb of Tutankhamen had fired popular interest in the region.
 
 

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