Book Review - Death on the Nile

Title: Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot # 18)
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1937
 
Description: The tranquility of a lovely cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discover that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything. – until she lost her life.
 
Who is also on board? Detective Hercule Poirot is on holiday. He recalls an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: “I’s like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger”. Despite the exotic setting, nothing is ever quite what it seems…
 
Review: This detective novel by Agatha Christie, number 18 in the adventures of detective Hercule Poirot, is an exciting and ingeniously put together story. For example, the things you think are too obvious may not be, or are they? The so-called red herring is used well here, but not the way you think. Christie really played with that in “Death on the Nile”.
 
It takes some time to get to the actual death, Christi takes her time to introduce all the characters and give them motive or an alibi for the eventual crime that will be committed. Other than the wording sometimes, it’s really not that obvious the book was written in the 30s.
 
“Death on the Nile” is one of Christie’s most known books, but not my favorite. I loved it, don’t get me wrong. But for me, the time it takes to get to the mystery is a tad too long. My favorite part of her books is always the detective work. Trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. And this part of the book is flawless.
 
Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Death on the Nile

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 127 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russel Brand, Emma Mackey, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo
 
    
Description: While on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh_ must investigate the murder of a young heiress (Gal Gadot).

Review: Detective Hercule Poirot attends a cruise of a newlywed coupe on the Nile River. During this cruise, someone is mysteriously murdered. Who is the culprit?
“Murder on the Orient Express”(2017) was an enjoyable detective-thriller. Based on the book of the same name, director Kenneth Branagh managed to keep the story engaging. It was a solid whodunnit. This stand-alone sequel, “Death on the Nile”, once again features Poirot as a detective (also portrayed by director Branagh) who must solve a new case. This time on the river Nile.
We know what to expect thanks to “Murder on the Orient Express”, so the wait until something actual happens now feels longer. It takes over an hour for the first murder to occur. Before this, the films makes an attempt at character development, but because of the many characters, they all remain superficial. Added to this is the fact that the cast of its predecessor was many times stronger. Unfortunately, the cast of “Death on the Nile” cannot match this.
The film gets off to a slows tart and the final murder mystery is not as strong. One wise choice was to focus on detective Poirot. We see a glimpse of his backstory and tries to highlight the sympathetic side of the man. Kenneth Branagh is also the highlight of the film, because he shines as Poirot. And he also very well directed this film.
“Death on the Nile” is a bit long, the build-up is a slow and the final murder mystery is not as strong as in its predecessor. As a viewer you are also puzzling for answers and these are fairly predictable and obvious. Fun to watch once, but that’s all it is.
Death on the Nile is a bit long, the build-up is slow and the final murder mystery is not as strong as in its predecessor. As a viewer you are also puzzling for answers and these are fairly predictable and obvious, if I say so myself. This is a typical case of a film that is fun to watch once, but that's all it is.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Five to Watch - Murder Mystery Movies

With “Knives Out” in theaters now, it’s time to look at the good old murder mysteries. The whodunits, the quests for the truth. But I picked the ones that flew under the radar, so films like “Se7en”, “Chinatown” and “Zodiac” won’t be on this list, because the majority has seen them. Here are five films I think are not as well-known or deserve more attention. And I think you should definitely give them a shot.

A Shot in the Dark
Inspector Jacques Clouseau investigates the murder of Mr. Benjamin Ballon’s driver at a country estate. The world’s clumsiest detective is without a doubt Clouseau. So let’s talk about this comedic whodunit from 1964. Even though Jacques Clouseau is comically inept, he was the focus of one of the all-time great whodunits.

Identity
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain-storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they’re being killed off one by one. I find this movie highly underrated and better then most people say. This whodunit is more about different shocking deaths instead of the standard investigation. The chaotic, rain-soaked events lead to a twist that no one will see coming. And I think it’s satisfying.

Clue
This comedy, based on the classic board game, follows a group of guests at a dinner party who all suspect each other when their host is murdered. By directly taking after the game that inspired it, “Clue” distills the whodunit down to its most gratuitous thrills: the who, the where and the weapon of a murder. Adding motive to these characters doesn’t slow the movie down either thanks to the collective charisma od a cast, including Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry and Lesly Ann Warren. Like the game itself, “Clue” as endless replay value.

Death on the Nile
As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. People might think of “Murder on the Orient Express” first, but “Death on the Nile” is just as fascinating. The pacing is more laid-back and a perfect whodunit. And with a cast that has Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith and David Niven in it, this just couldn’t go wrong.

Gosford Park
The lives of upstairs guests and downstairs servants at a party in 1932 in a country house in England as they investigate a murder involving one of them. Leave it to Robert Altman to assemble possibly the largest size cast for a whodunit movie. In this period piece, personal dramas and class issues slowly rise to the surface when Michael Gambon’s cranky industrialist is stabbed in the back during a weekend gathering. The cast includes too many names, like Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Richard E. Grant, Kristen Scott Thomas, Emily Watson, Ryan Philippe, Clive Owen and Stephen Fry.