Book Club

Poirot Stories

Poirot is Agatha Christie's most famous and popular detective.  No doubt he would agree that he deserves that accolade!

Here is the place to discuss all of his stories in detail with other fans.  The most insightful comments will be added to the Stories pages.  But remember to beware spoilers!

If you can't find your favourite Poirot story here, don't worry - we'll be adding them all soon.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Death on the Nile

Moderator1 10 Nov 09 at 8:11 a.m. GMT

Jacqueline de Bellefort was so happy with fiance Simon Doyle until her good friend Linnet Ridgeway stole him away.  Jackie is now following them around on their Egyptian honeymoon, however another traveller is Hercule Poirot and he is not happy with the behaviour of these young people.  He is happy to stand back though - at least until Linnet is found shot dead.  Now he's involved....

Opinions are mixed on this story: one of Christie's best or a flimsy and unlikely plot?  Which camp do you fall into?  It's certainly one of her most popular novels: is this justified?

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129 replies

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xxchristielover123xx 26 Nov 11 at 7:02 p.m. GMT

i love this book alot, its very detailed! but sometimes i think all of the charactors can be confusing.

SeaView 11 Nov 11 at 11:14 a.m. GMT

Omigosh, how I love Peter Ustinov and Sir David Niven in this glorious movie. I've watched the video in my bedroom to fall asleep at night. Seen it hundreds of times. Christie is so rich! I love her quote from Montaigne? that a woman's whole goal in life is to "inspire love". I like how Poirot (Ustinov) stands on the boat in the Nile and tries to warn Mia Farrow (Jacqueline de Bellefort) to not launch into the deep of evil, she was headed in a perilous direction. She swears to follow her destiny even "to hell itself". I guess that's why Christie named her "Bellefort", doesn't that mean beautiful and strong in French?

rossana 10 Nov 11 at 8:33 p.m. GMT

It was one of the first book by Agatha Christie I read. I was about 10 years old, when I read it in Italian, and I read it in English some months ago. I feared that, already knowing the murderers, it could be a little bit boring, but I found it really interesting: I was able to appreciate details better.

de_misteri 30 Sep 11 at 6:13 a.m. GMT

One of my favourite AC plots- it's easy to see mwhy it's so famous. The setting was good and the murder was complex, and the ending was unexpected as to who committed the murder.

3rdGirl 23 Sep 11 at 10:02 p.m. GMT

Easily one of my favourite AC books and I absolutely love the David Suchet film as well. So much so that I found the vessel they used on the internet and want to go on a holiday on it one day. They even have a Poirot and Agatha Christie suite!!

I'm a time poor mum, so have been listening to the BBC radio book read by Mr Suchet, and it is fantastic. I love the complexity of this plot even though I don't think it''s one of hre best.  I think this is one of the novels where AC gives you a fantastic sense of place and the exotic. Her details on the sightseeing and life on the Nile are just wonderful, and I think this has a lot to do with it's popular appeal. It's certainly why I love it so much. Also, she goes into great detail to 'set up' the characters in this one, so you really get to know them more than in other novels of hers.

Two thumbs up from me!!

mariely 09 Aug 11 at 2:02 p.m. GMT

I agree with Lone_Wolf Tim was gay. and in a relationship with Mrs. Allerton, who wasn't really his mother, a kind of gigolish thing

MsBuckley 24 Jul 11 at 2:21 p.m. GMT

This is certainly my favourite book of hers! The plot is awesome! It is just fascinating the way Agatha planned Jacqueline and Simon's plan. I was just surprised at the end! Agatha is such a mastermind, I love all the things in this book, from the falling rock, until the murder and, it is a brilliant plot, really, I LOVED IT!

ErkutSoyer 14 Jul 11 at 2:26 p.m. GMT

This book is in my favorite books.Nile and Christie's writing are fascinating.

I want to hint to you about crime:

Spolier

1-There are two killers in this crime

2-Nobody is innocent

3-And thief isn't killer.

Apologize.My English not well.I'm from Turkey

Epsilon14 02 Jun 11 at 4:41 p.m. GMT

I finished this book a week ago. What an alibi!!!!! You can think of a hundred alibis but not like this one. Alibi A(Siman Doyle) supported alibi B(Jacqueline) and vice-versa. But maybe any kinf of evidence should have been added in the end. But hey! as long as the admit it who cares. The worst part is Jacqueline kills herself and Doyle. This is 100 percent in my top 5 books for now.

me_onthenile 02 May 11 at 9:59 a.m. GMT

this is one of my favourite novel by agatha... an interesting complex she uses to make us all suspect who really did it to begin with, and then she lures us away with red herrings throughout the book, only to jerk the rod back on land at the finale...

svcodeman 30 Mar 11 at 6:23 p.m. GMT

oh I'm sorry...didn't know...I'm new on the site...thanks for letting me know!

Mr_west 27 Mar 11 at 2:26 p.m. GMT

Just for you to know svcodeman, those discussions are for people who already finished reading the book because it contain huge spoilers.

svcodeman 26 Mar 11 at 2:48 a.m. GMT

I started reading Death on the Nile last week, and am now on Chapter 12, and will read a few more chapters tonight! Jackie seems like she suffers from some mental disorder to me.

Tommy_A_Jones 21 Mar 11 at 4:49 p.m. GMT

I finished the book today and I loved it, It made me like Colonel Race, when I once mentioned he didn't do anything but hadn't yet read DOTN someone said he didn't do much in this one either but he does, he Organizes a search of the Jewellery and Commondeers nPoirot on to the case.

I admit I was momentarily miffed that not everyone like Tim's Mum and Mrs Otterbourne and her Daughter don't have Motives but I think I was being influenced by the Peter Ustinov version, If I am not mistaken nit all Characters have Motives in the books they are in do they, it didn't annoy me the Doctor didn't have a Motive because Dr Constantine doesn't in Death On The Nile does he? I excused Bowers for not having a Motive as she was the wrong type to be a Murderer in my view.

Yes Simon shooting himself in the leg is a bit unrealistic as if he could have died and that is a risk too far for your average Christie Murderer but apart from that I loved it, I can't say if I would have guessed who the Murderer was if I hadn't seen the film but perhaps I would when Louise was saying that she might have seen the Murderer if she was wandering about but perhaps not, anyway I am glad I finished the books on a High as I have read them all now, I am now going to read a Chapter of The Notebooks and will re-read Styles and Curtain before saying what my Top 10 are because I haven't Rated those, I thought I had. 

sugacutie 10 Mar 11 at 5:13 p.m. GMT

I do find that Simon shooting himself in the leg was a bit unrealistic but the plot still kept me on the edge!! 

sugacutie 10 Mar 11 at 5:10 p.m. GMT

An excellent book. I would defo recommend Agatha Christie fans to read this if they haven't already!

Film is just OK though, but don't let this put you off one of the most popular Agatha Christie books 

Masha_Gayne 06 Mar 11 at 9:57 p.m. GMT

My second favourite Agatha Christie novel and the film starring Peter Ustinov was actually my introduction to the world of Poirot, though I do consider David Suchet to be the definitive Poirot.

Wonderfully written, strong characters, and I find the boat to be alive and bustling, as it were due to the vivis descriptions. After Murder on the Orient Express I find this to be one of the best and surprising conclusions to a dective novel I have read so far

Agathasmykid 25 Nov 10 at 6:33 p.m. GMT

Hi, I am still reading, and/or rereading through the entire Christie collection in order and just finished Death on the Nile.  One of Agatha's best in my opinion.  To me this book reads as a story of greed and power, and how those things serve noone in the end.  The story involves a great set-up, and once the murderer is revealed, you are anxious to read Poirot's description of how the impossible was made possible.  If anything it is kind of hard to consider any of the others on the boat as real suspects because the book gives you the feel that this story is all about Simon, Jackie, and Linnet...nonetheless it works well as a murder mystery.    Poirot gets a bit of luck as there is seems to be not much proof to convict the murderer with, however due to an emotional breakdown Poirot gets his killer.  Grade A-

Zwitsa 29 Sep 10 at 8:31 p.m. GMT

Oh well its one of my favourite movies!!! I loved Peter Ustinov, I really loved him in that role!!!

Just a fantastic movie.....

Oh well I quite enjoyed some of the scenes!!! "You are Mrs and miss Otterbourne.... righty???"

"Wrongy!!!" haha i loved bette's davis face!!!

and Angela Lansbury..... Oh she was hilarious!!! I liked so much the scene when she was dancing with Colonel Race....

She was flirting with Poirot or do I imagine things??? I thought that because she was asking him to "escort her to her cabin" with a strange face and....she was a bit disappointed when Poirot chose her daughter to dance with him....

antonia1990 16 Sep 10 at 7:15 p.m. GMT

This was the first Agatha Christie novel I had read and I've been a fan ever since. It's still my favorite book of hers and it gets better with every re-read. I saw all the adaptations (I enjoyed the Ustinov one a bit more, but I loved JJ in the other one) and I also played the hidden objects game based on the book. Really wonderful book.