Book Review: "Death on the Nile" (1937) by Agatha Christie
Looking for a head-scratching mystery that keeps you guessing, look no further. Agatha can't go wrong, at least 90% of the time.
The stage is set, characters introduced, and we are taken along on their cruise across the Nile in the ship of dreams ;) and things are about to turn nightmarish.
Completely spoiler free, and therefore minimal in information:
Hercule Poirot is back, and he is on holiday. But like always, crime has a tendency to gravitate towards Poirot, or he towards it. Whatever the case, a murder occurs. Of course! That's what we are here for.
Linnet Ridgeway, one of the richest girls in England is on her honeymoon with her husband in Egypt. Aboard a luxury cruise ship along the Nile, and it happens. She is killed in her sleep. A shot to the head.
The story is setup by placing the passengers in the societal structure, the motifs are derived. You are bound to suspect each passenger at least once, and then when the curtain is unveiled, it will seem quite obvious, and yet you failed to deduce it!
The novel is crafted meticulously, and care is taken to not make any slips. An engaging read which is of moderate length, and executed with precision (the crime and the novel).
Pick it up for an engaging murder mystery with drama and glamor.
Highly recommended for beginners.
1.Gone Girl (2012) - Gillian Flynn
"When I think of my wife, I always think of the back of her head. I picture cracking her lovely skull, unspooling her brain, trying to get answers."
The best psychological thriller I have read so far. If you haven't watched the movie, pick up the book; if you have, still pick it up. It is really good.
The way the author gets into the characters head and pulls apart their thoughts is purely fascinating. The character sketch, the plot development, the atmosphere - everything is spot on, at least it worked for me.
Not a light read!
The novel begins as Amy goes missing on the evening of their fifth wedding anniversary, putting Nick as the prime suspect. The narrative is in two parts, the first from the point of view Nick and Amy Dunn, alternating between each other. The second part opens the skeletons in their closets, as the story gets more darker and twisted.
Brilliant!
It might not be the easiest to get through. But I think it's less darker than her other novels. I've watched Sharp Objects, and it is pretty much darker, in a different way.
*Contains graphic scenes and strong language.
2.Silent patient (2019) - Alex Michaelides
Rating: 4/5
"You become increasingly comfortable with madness - and not just the madness of others, but your own. We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways."
Yet another psychological mystery with an elegant plot structure. Much easier and shorter read compared to Gone Girl, and is in no way inferior to it. I read it in a stretch, keeps you engaged.
A captivating tale about a lady, Alicia Berens on, who had a perfect life but kills her husband by shooting him five times in the face, and then turns silent without giving any explanation or testimony to anyone. A criminal psychotherapist, Theo Faber, obsessed with this fascinating figure in a determination to make her talk to uncover her reasons behind her action.
Fast paced and a quick read.
*Deals with mental health problems, and physical violence.
3.Guest list (2020) - Lucy Foley
"But that’s nostalgia for you, the tyranny of those memories of childhood that feel so golden, so perfect."
A highly atmospheric thriller.
A lavish wedding on a secluded island and a carefully selected list of guests, only those that matters - each with secrets of their own, which spill amidst the chatter of celebrations and 'good humor' as the sinister shadows of the past are let out in an attempt to set the scales straight.
Blood is spilt, of more than one!
It did fall flat at times, personally, and I was also reminded of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, maybe it's just the island's doing. Overall, a good read. It could have been better, I guess. I listened to the audiobook.
*Contains self-harm and abuse.
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