Death On The Nile- Agatha Christie
Harper Collins
Review By Gemma E McLaughlin
When choosing this week’s book I spotted Death On The Nile out of the corner of my eye and simply had to pick it up. It was that moment that I released I truly am a traitor among book lovers as I have -and you may need to prepare for this- never read any of Agatha Christie’s work. I have found the perfect excuse to rectify this grave mistake in the current relevance of the book with a new movie adaptation arriving next year.
I was utterly convinced Death On The Nile would be my next review simply by the sight of it but I was truly drawn in by the quote on the back. “I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just pull the trigger.” With that I was sold, guided by the same ‘Criminal tendencies’ as my sister would describe them, that fuel my obsession with the modern Sherlock tv show.
Upon throwing myself into the story I was not disappointed. We begin with Linnet Ridgeway, a young, wealthy heiress seemingly ‘without an enemy in the world’ by her own description. The book unravels into just how untrue this statement is and all the fascinating characters who all have reason to hate her. Perhaps my favourite part of the book, even before the true plot began I was amazed by these people and of course the impressive range of different characters this woman has managed to ruin the lives of. Not only do the way these people and their stories create incredible characters of their own but also speaks volumes on the character of Linnet. This is something I adore about the book which I never expected to find.
As the book begins its main plot we discover that aside from despising Linnet Ridgeway, every main character has another thing in common- all of them, for some reason will be on the very same trip along the Nile. We watch as they set sail and each character interacts with Linnet, delving further into their reasons for their hatred of the beautiful and arrogant heiress. One morning, right in the middle of all the havoc and fabulous drama surrounding Linnet her body is found and it is up to the iconic Hercule Poirot to discover the killer.
Each moment leading up to the climax of the book is filled to the brim with suspense, and doubt as we realise that everyone on the boat has a motive but the real question is, who could have done it and is something we doubt all the way to a shocking twist ending. Every word drips with beautiful foreshadowing and every page brings you ever so slightly closer to discovering exactly what happened the night Linnet Ridgeway was shot
I loved every second of this book and am almost disappeared in myself for not discovering the endless magical classics of Agatha Christie. Each plot twist and delicious secret was a work of pure genius. If you do nothing else with the rest of 2018, please read Death On The Nile before the release of the exciting new adaptation. For me, I intend to read as many of her novels as possible before it is my time to be murdered in an intriguing and over dramatic way.
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