Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18)
by Agatha Christie

5 out of 5 stars

Hercule Poirot is on vacation in Egypt, taking a boat trip down the Nile. Linnet Doyle, a young bride on her honeymoon, asks for Poirot’s help. She has stolen her new husband from her former best friend, Jackie, and now Jackie is following them everywhere they go, pestering them with her very presence. Poirot agrees to talk with Jackie and try to persuade her to leave them alone. He warns Jackie that if she continues on her present course, she will invite evil into her heart. And yet, the next day she is there on the boat, following the newlyweds once again. As he observes their behavior, Poirot begins to worry that some drastic violence will tear apart this love triangle… ending in murder.

I adore Poirot so much, and he is at his finest in this mystery! All his perspicacity and kindness and sharp intellect are taxed to the fullest, and he rises to the challenge with grace. I especially like that he warns people to choose the good, to walk away from dangerous temptations. He really gives people a chance; but then he is ruthless when he catches the murderer.

This mystery had a ton of suspects with motive for murder and a bunch of red herrings and people lying for various reasons. It was actually kind of hilarious to find out what little secrets some of the suspects were covering up. They might not be murderers, but they have their own innocent embarrassments to hide. And Poirot neatly checks off his list of suspects, revealing their foibles and little secrets, and clears the way to find the actual murderer.

I liked that Colonel Race is included in this mystery. He has his own agenda to find an arms dealer who is masquerading as an ordinary passenger on the boat. Could it be the German doctor, the boisterous Communist, or maybe the archeologist? That separate mystery added another delightful layer to the murder mystery.

There are a couple of minor romances between passengers on the boat. They barely take up two or three scenes as most of the romance is happening in the background with a simple look or casual conversation. Most of them you would never guess they even noticed each other until one of them suddenly declares, “But I love you, darling!” It did add an element of hilarity and interest to the various characters. Agatha Christie is a master at concocting a fun romance in the last two chapters, and immediately making me care for two characters that I wouldn’t have given tuppence for three pages earlier.

I loved the setting of the boat slowly cruising down the Nile, and all the old ruins of ancient Egyptian temples. The setting creates a kind of raw intensity in the air that grates on the nerves of each character. You get a real sense of atmosphere from the heat and the desert and the glowing sun beating down on their old-fashioned hats. Just brilliant writing!

Agatha Christie is always brilliant, but this mystery is definitely one of her best! There are so many directions that the plot could have taken, but in the end everything is explained satisfactorily, and all the red herrings are tucked away.