Book Club

Non-Series Novels & Stories

For those of you wanting to discuss Agatha Christie's standalone books, such as And Then There Were None. 

Beware spoilers and remember we'll be able to add the most insightful comments to the stories section. 

If you can't find your favourite one, don't worry, we'll be adding them in the coming weeks.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Death Comes as the End

Moderator1 16 Nov 09 at 9:51 a.m. GMT

One of Christie's more unusual books, it is set in Egypt in around 2000 BC.  Renisenb is mourning the death of her young husband and has returned to her father's house to be with her family.  When he brings home the young and very beautiful concubine Nofret it isn't long before the family's strong dislike of her surfaces. Very soon Nofret's body is found at the bottom of a cliff, but did she fall, or was she pushed...

Is this just another Christie murder mystery or has she managed to give it a real twist by setting it in ancient Egypt.  Is she allowed to get away with such a high body count because of the lack of police investigation?

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Quension 07 Nov 11 at 9:18 p.m. GMT

Quension

The best book every I've read by Agatha Christie. I have to find the original one in English but it's hard around here in Turkey. :)

I've found the book in English. I love you, Agatha :)

Mr_west 31 May 11 at 7:40 p.m. GMT

I think women had at the time knowledge about poisons (Esa mentioned that Kait may have the knowledge due to some kind of activity as a housewife), and even Esa herself had the knowledge if she could discover what kind of poison the murderer used to kill her.

I think that historically it's pretty unusual physically that a woman would manage to kill 8 persons that inculded ,by the way, a strong young man who could easily beat her in a struggle and expose her.                                   AC particulary tried to made the novel historically correct as possible, and that may seem to her unlikely too.  

MissQuin 24 May 11 at 4:11 p.m. GMT

to Mr West- I don't think anyone knows who the original killer was intended to be. Plus AC went back and changed it, so it may even have been someone who was later a victim instead.

SPOILERS: If I had to choose a unlikely suspect it would be Kait. I think that wolud have been less obvious.

I'm wondering if the original murderer was a woman. But maybe due to historical accuracy, it would have been considered unlikely for a domestic woman/housewife to have knowledge of poisons??

Mr_west 07 May 11 at 7:08 p.m. GMT

A wonderful book. although the ending was disappointing, I really enjoyed reading it. 

I found out that there is an alternative ending for the story, and I really want to know what is the original identity of the murderer. 

during the reading I had three main suspects: Hori, Imhotep and Yahmose  and also few other that I found out that is impposible that they are the murderer or I just stop suspecting them: Esa, Ipy Henet and Kameni.

Hori could easily done all the murders, he has strength and knowledge about poisons. He also had a strong motive, secret love to Renisenb. Maybe he wanted her to marry him but also he want to take control over the lands of Imhotep.

Imhotep himself didn't have any motive, but he just looks like someone who will surprise me if he will turned out to be the murderer. 

Yahmose had motive and strength but no knowledge (so I thought) nor opportunity (in Ipy's death case, but while reading I thought that maybe Yahmose is facking his illness). 

Another thing that I really want to know is, what happened then? 

I mean, there are so many unfinished business:

What was  Kameni's reaction about Renisenb choice?

How did Imhotep reacted after he discovored that the only son he still has was a brutal killer and is now dead? 

and the seriously disturbing question: 

what now? the whole family (Satipy,Yahmose,Ipy,Sobek,Esa,Henet and Norfret) are dead and there are only three people left in the house (Imhotp, who in my opinion will not be able to bear the sorrow and die, Renisenb and Hori), it's not horrible for them that all their family is now dead?

Quension 11 Feb 11 at 8:54 a.m. GMT

The best book every I've read by Agatha Christie. I have to find the original one in English but it's hard around here in Turkey. :)

liciniaduarte 31 Dec 10 at 9:51 p.m. GMT

I love two things in life: ancient egipt history and Agatha Christie books. So, of course, for me, this is THE PERFECT BOOK.

GKCfan 23 Nov 10 at 5:17 a.m. GMT

As far as I know, it's never been adapted for the screen.

esm 22 Nov 10 at 4:56 p.m. GMT

Was Death Comes As The End ever made into a movie or TV program?  I haven't been able to find it anywhere, but have heard that it had been done as a movie.

akhnaton 16 Nov 10 at 6:14 a.m. GMT

Is anyone else sad that this novel somehow got neglected in the "omnibus" editions? They are supposed to catalogue all of the non-series books, but seem to have missed this out.

The only reason I can think is that, in doing the omnibuses by decade, the publishers wanted to capture Christie's portrayal of England over the years, but still its sad that you can get all the other novels in omnibus form BUT this one!

Tommy_A_Jones 12 Nov 10 at 4:51 p.m. GMT

That would have made a great book, I wish she had done it that way.

GKCfan 11 Nov 10 at 4:36 a.m. GMT

In Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks, it is revealed that Christie originally planned the book as a dual mystery.  A modern-day archaeological dig would have dug up a record of the ancient Egyptisan crimes, and then modern-day murders would have happened at the dig.  The book would flash back and forth in time, as two different murder mysteries would complement each other.

ninaf 10 Nov 10 at 7:01 p.m. GMT

No-one seems to know what the original ending of the book was, but some speculate that the murderer might in fact have been someone else. I find this hard to believe since it was obvious to me right after the murder of Nofret who the murderer was and the whole story is constructed to fit with this (and as always to throw you of the scent). Also the murderers very rarely get away in Agatha Christies stories, but of course justice might have been achieved in some other (possibly supernatural) way. So I think the alternative ending must have had something to do with which husband Renisenb chose (i.e. in the original ending she chose the other one). Agatha Christie's second husband was a man much younger than herself, which suggests that it might have been much more appealing to her that Renisenb should marry the lively young man (and choose life). Also eg in The Sittaford mystery her heroine chooses the "wrong" man (ie not the one you would expect at the end, and not the one that would be best for her from an objective pointof view) so this is not unlikely.

Yunakitty 06 Aug 10 at 8:22 a.m. GMT

Oh wow, thank you, WandersFar!  I have been puzzling over what this "alternative" ending that Agatha Christie wished she had kept could be, and all I could come up with was perhaps Hori doing them all and then killing Yahmose as he walked towards Renisenb (innocently) and claiming Renisenb was in danger, and then marrying her, the only remaining heir to Imhotep's wealth.  And the novel could end creepily like that, where the reader was vaguely unsatisfied because the murderer got away with it.  However, I like your ideas much better!

Tommy_A_Jones 29 Jul 10 at 3:57 p.m. GMT

I will have to check with my Dad then.

MissQuin 28 Jul 10 at 5:07 p.m. GMT

It's not Hekanakht??

Tommy_A_Jones 28 Jul 10 at 4:27 p.m. GMT

Found it Miss Quin Hakanhakt

Tommy_A_Jones 28 Jul 10 at 4:14 p.m. GMT

I forgot to ask my dad today, I will write myself a note sorry Miss Quin.

MissQuin 27 Jul 10 at 5:05 p.m. GMT

Thanks

Tommy_A_Jones 27 Jul 10 at 4:48 p.m. GMT

I will do it tomorrow Miss Quin

MissQuin 17 Jul 10 at 5:22 p.m. GMT

Can you check the correct spelling please Tommy? I'm quite interested.

I don't know what the orginal ending was. But I don't know why she had to change it. It it was because it wasn't historically accurate for that character to kill someone, maybe it was orignally Henet.