Death on the Nile

Detective novel by Agatha Christie. Set in Egypt. Published November 1 rst, 1937.

Characters

Linnet Ridgeway

Simon Doyle, Jacqueline de Bellefort, Hercule Poirot, Colonel Race, Salome Otterbourne, Rosalie Otterbourne, Andrew Pennington, Miss van Schuyler, Miss Bowers, Mr Fanthorpe, Dr Bessner, Louise Bourget

Plot

Jacqueline de Bellefort introduces her fiancé Simon Doyle to her young and wealthy friend Linnet Ridgeway. Jacqueline wants her to employ Simon. Linnet agrees and gives Simon work. However, after a few weeks Simon leaves Jacqueline for Linnet. Jacqueline is furious and determined to take revenge. When Simon and Linnet go honeymooning on a cruise on the nile they hope to escape Jacqueline. Soon they have to face the fact that Jacqueline is also a guest on/also takes part in the nile cruise. Another guest on the cruise is Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and his friend Colonel Race. Both of them are aware of the tension between the Doyles and Jacqueline and even witness a fight between them. Other guests on the nile cruise are erotic novelist Salome Otterbourne and her daughter Rosalie, Linnet´s lawyer from the United States Andrew Pennington, Miss van Schuyler and her nurse, Mr Kommunist, Dr Bessner and Louise Bourget, Linnet´s maid. On a landing trip in Cairo (???) Linnet is almost hit by a rock falling from a ruin. It is to be assumed that someone intentionally threw the rock at her. Linnet suspects Jacqueline and becomes even more nervous. During the journey on the nile it becomes obvious that several of the guests, other than Jackie, hold a grudge against Linnet. Salome Otterbourne and Linnet have to do something with each other concerning Mrs Otterbourne´s novels. Linnet refuses to give her more money or something. For that same reason, Rosalie dislikes Linnet. Andrew Pennington took the journey to Egypt to get Linnet to sign some papers because she is married now. Miss van Schuyler is a kleptomaniac and yearns for Linnet´s pearl necklace. Mr Kommunist has something against the rich and wealthy lifestyle of Linnet because he is a communist. Dr Bessner has treated a friend of Linnet´s in his clinic and now she is mad at him and wants to sue him. Linnet´s maid Louise Bourget asks for permission to leave her as she wants to get married but Linnet denies her that wish. When Linnet has already gone to bed one night the situation between Simon and Jacqueline escalates in the Salon. Jacqueline has had a lot to drink and starts telling Rosalie Otterbourne her “sad life story” about how Simon left her for Linnet. Simon tries to calm her down but she gets even more upset. Furiously, Jackie takes out a revolver and shoots Simon in his knee. Rosalie fetches Dr Bessner to treat Simon but Simon is only concerned with Jackie who seems to have a nervous breakdown. He insists that B. Maggie Smith looks after her and stays with her in her cabin all night after having given her some morphine. Simon stays in Dr Bessner´s cabin where he can treat him best. The next morning Linnet is found dead in her bed with a bullet hole in her head. Next to the bed the letter “J” can be read on the wall looking as if Linnet had tried to let them know who her murderer was writing it on the wall with her own blood. In the following Poirot and Colonel Race start questioning the guests trying to find out who is responsible for the murder. Jackie claims that she did not murder Linnet and has an alibi because Maggie Smith stayed with her all night. Later that day Louise is also found dead in her cabin. She was killed with one of Dr Bessner´s scalpels. Poirot believes that she was blackmailing the murderer because she knew something. Suddenly, Mrs Otterbourne seeks Poirot announcing that she knows who the murderer is. When she is just about to pronounce the name she is shot in the head in her cabin from outside her door. Poirot and Colonel Race search for the person who did the shooting but cannot find anyone.

The solution

Poirot is convinced that Simon and Jacqueline are still together. The plan was that Simon would marry Linnet and then after they had killed her he would inherit all of her money. Then after a few years he would marry Jackie and they could lead a wealthy and happy life. Poirot finds that the genius of their plan is the fact that they have given themselves alibis. However, Simon has no alibi. In the fight with Simon Jackie does not shoot Simon in his knee. The bullet hits the table but Simon pretends to be hit and pretends to be in pain. While Rosalie is gone in order to take Jackie to Maggie Smith and fetch Dr Bessner Simon is alone in the Salon. He runs to his and Linnet´s cabin and shoots her. He then quickly returns to the Salon and shoots himself in the knee. When Rosalie and Dr Bessner return he is in real pain and is treated by the doctor. As Louise saw Simon that night she blackmailed him and eventually he killed her, too. Mrs Otterbourne saw that murder and was shot by Jackie before she could tell who the murderer was. When the cruise lands and Jackie and Simon are to be given over to the police Jackie shoots Simon and herself.

References

Christie, Agatha. Autobiography. London: William Collins Sons & Co Ltd. 1977.