Review: Death on the Nile

The most intriguing aspect of Death in the Nile is how the reader is fooled into thinking the ‘usual suspect’ is not the murder. Readers are left giving selects the benefit of the doubt, as the murder begins to grow more complicated. The benefit of the doubt is a well crafted tool, in the hands of Agatha Christie, when it comes to this mystery.

It is this mystery where we see an usual side to famed Decective Hercule Poirot, as he boards a Egyptian cruise on the River Nile. He has no intent of solving murders on this cruise, and attempts to take a well deserved break. Unfortunately for the decetective, it appears the murderer’s plans were already set in motion. Poirot wakes up the next day to find out he was drugged, so one of the cruise’s residents could murder the wealthy businesswoman Linnet Doyle on her honeymoon, without his interference. When the other passengers are murdered, passengers who knew something about Linnet’s Killer; Poirot must solve the case before they reach the shore.

However, we dont see Hercule Poirot until a few chapters into the novel. There is a chance for the reader to get to know the characters and understand what makes them tick before the murder takes place. Some of the information highlighted in these early chapters is relevant to the crime later on, so the reader can already begin to decipher who the victim and murder may be, and what the motive may be, as these intriguing and revealing clues are secretly woven into the early portion of the novel.

The shock and suspense begins to rise, when the murder is committed, and it continues to escalate as more murders are committed. As the number of suspects begin to narrow, a time crunch is put on Poirot; as he must face to find the murderer before they strike again. This will keep you hooked to the very end as both reader and character are scrambling to discover the person and motive behind the murders.

Despite the fact that once the murder is revealed, the mystery’s outcome seems preditcable, but the reader doesn’t realise this until the end. Agatha Christie uses her knowledge of human behaviour and crime to trick us into giving the most logical suspect, the benefit of the doubt. So, we don’t realise how predictable the ending should have been, until the novels end. The moment of realisation, that comes when the reader discovers their first choice for the suspect was right all along, provides a satisfying conclusion to the novel.

Readers will no doubt be re-reading Death in the Nile, as they try to find out how the novel fooled them into thinking the murderer was someone else entirely. Be sure to have your wits about you, from page one; when you board the steamer Karnak with Hercule Poirot.