Passengers are trapped on a Nile cruise ship and there is a murderer among them. Fortunately, the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (pronounced AIR-KEWL PWA-RO) is on the case, ready to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Death on the Nile received good reviews upon its publication. The mystery is interesting, challenging, and there are some good things on the side. The book's main character is detective Hercule Poirot, who is one of Agatha Christie's most popular detectives (the other being Miss Jane Marple).
SUMMARY
Linnet Ridgeway's best friend Jacquline de Bellefort excitedly announces that she is getting married. Her future husband is not rich, though, and Linnet offers Simon Doyle a good-paying job. "Jackie" quickly brings Simon over to meet Linnet, but things take quite a different turn than expected...
The reader soon discovers that Linnet has married Simon, and they are off on honeymoon, currently traveling in Egypt. The couple go on a Nile cruise but find that Jackie has followed them (as she has everywhere they have gone). Both Linnet and Simon find this annoying, and Linnet speaks with detective Hercule Poirot, a fellow passenger.
The passengers (apart from Poirot, the Doyles, and de Bellefort) are: Dr. Bessner (a European physician), James Ferguson (a young traveler and Communist), Guido Richetti (an Italian archaeologist), James Fanthrop (a young solicitor), Louise Bourget (Linnet's maid), Marie Van Shulyer (an American social butterfly), Cornelia Robson (Miss Van Shulyer's cousin), Miss Bowers (Van Schulyer's nurse), Andrew Pennington (Linnet's American trustee), Salome Otterbourne (a novelist), Rosalie (Salome's daughter), Mrs. Allerton, and her son Tim.
Pretty soon, a passenger is murdered, and it is up to Poirot to find the killer, as another murder (and an attempted one) is committed.
Death on the Nile takes you on a wild ride, challenging your brain to figure out who is the murderer. And trust me when I say that the end comes with quite a surprise!
CONTENT
There is a significant amount of violence in the novel. Of course, the story revolves around murders, so that in itself is enough to cause parents to take a look before younger children begin the book. There are descriptions of the murdered people, including blood. There is a scene where a woman fires a gun at a man, though he is not killed. Towards the end, a character commits suicide.
There are a few times sex is discussed, applied to psychology and "tension" between males and females. These are always mentioned by Mrs. Otterbourne. These scenes, though, are quite vague and rather few. Also, the main characters are involved in a messy situation: a woman marries her best friend's fiancé.
The language includes uses of h***, God's name, and a few other words. Though it is not major, it still is part of the book.
Death on the Nile has some good lessons, including some references to Scripture. In one great part, Hercule Poirot tells Jackie not to continue on her current path, lest she opens her heart to evil, and that it will certainly come. One bad thing is that Hercule agrees with a woman that he thought suicide was the "best way out" for a certain person's predicament.
In conclusion, the mystery is a good one for those mature enough to understand murder, suicide, and the good and dangerous aspects of romantic love. This is certainly not a book for younger children, though more for the teenager and older.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Number of pages: 288
Author of book: Agatha Christie
Published in: 1937 (UK), 1938 (US)
Primary audience: Teens, adults
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