Death on the Nile

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

Characters

Linnet Doyle, neé Ridgeway and

Simon Doyle, a couple on their honeymoon

Jacqueline de Bellefort (nickname: Jackie), Simon´s ex

Hercule Poirot, Belgian detective

Colonel Race, works with the secret service

Salome Otterbourne, excentric erotica novelist

Rosalie Otterbourne, her daughter

Andrew Pennington, Linnet´s trustee from the United States

Miss van Schuyler, wealthy elderly lady from the United States

Miss Bowers, her nurse

Mrs Allerton, elderly lady

Tim Allerton, her son

Mr Ferguson, communist

Mr Fanthorp, employee of Linnet´s British trustee

Dr Bessner, Austrian physician

Louise Bourget, Linnet´s maid

Guido Richetti, Italian archaeologist

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 to her proposal 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 the cruise.

Another guest is Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and his friend Colonel Race, who works for the secret service. Both of them are aware of the tension between the Doyles and Jacqueline and even witness a fight between them. Other guests on the are erotica novelist Salome Otterbourne and her daughter Rosalie, Linnet´s trustee from the United States Andrew Pennington, Miss van Schuyler and her nurse Miss Bowers, Mrs Allerton and her son Tim, Mr Ferguson,a convinced Communist, Mr Fanthorp of Linnet´s British trust, Dr Bessner, an Austrian physician, Louise Bourget, Linnet´s maid and Guido Richetti, an Italian archaeologist. In short: the cast fulfills all possible stereotypes about revolutionaries and foreigners.

On a shore excursion 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 about her presence. During the journey on the Nile it becomes obvious that several of the guests, other than Jackie, hold a grudge against Linnet. Andrew Pennington took the journey to Egypt to get Linnet to sign some legal documents because he speculated with her money. Miss van Schuyler is a secret kleptomaniac and yearns for Linnet´s pearl necklace. Mr Ferguson despises the rich and wealthy lifestyle of Linnet. 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 dining room. 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 the 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 Miss Bowers 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. 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. As a matter of fact she even has an alibi as Miss Bowers stayed with her all night.

Later that day Louise Bourget 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 about Linnet´s death. 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 on deck.

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 re-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 the 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 Miss Bowers and fetch Dr Bessner Simon is alone in the dining room. He runs to his and Linnet´s cabin and shoots her. He then quickly returns to the dining room 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 Jackie killed her. Mrs Otterbourne saw her enter Louise´s cabin and was shot by Jackie before she could tell Poirot 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 with a hidden pistol from her handbag.

References

Christie, Agatha. Death on the Nile. New York: HarperCollins books, 2001.

Christie, Agatha. Autobiography. London: William Collins, 1977.