I returned to murder mystery novels recently by picking one I hadn't read before, but which has been immortalized on the silver screen: Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile, first published in 1937. Having never seen the movie adaptations, I enjoyed how the author introduced the characters...including the story's victim(s) and suspects...and developed the plot as series regular, soft-spoken but discerning Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, sleuths his way through a confounding murder mystery taking place on a pleasure cruise down the Egyptian Nile River. The principles in the story constitute the cruise's passengers and crew...even including Poirot, who is there on vacation. A young, glamorous wealthy English heiress is there with her groom, whom she essentially stole from her best friend. And now that aggrieved woman is there as well, stalking the newly married couple and laying down all sorts of threats against them. There is an assortment of other characters of varied backgrounds, convictions and morals (or lack thereof) that Christie has inserted to present a tableau of other potential suspects when the inevitable killing begins. No, this is not a review that spoils the ending, which I incidentally found to be quite satisfying...except for an action Poirot takes that, frankly, seemed a bit unethical and out of character for him, for me a cringeworthy moment. But I'll leave this objection as yet another mystery for you, a potential reader of this fine novel, to discover. If you do, give me some feedback...you know where to reach me. Now on to another book!
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