JUN/JUL 01 - AudioFile
Hercule Poirot is on vacation, cruising the Nile to see the sites of ancient Egypt. During the trip, a beautiful American woman is killed, and her new husband suffers a bullet wound to the leg. Poirot sifts through the usual Christie cast of characters, nearly all of them with motive or opportunity or both. Reader David Suchet is known to TV viewers as Poirot on PBS's "Mystery." He brings a perfect Belgian accent to Poirot and nimbly moves from one character to the next, in and out of narration. Christie has been criticized for withholding key information from the reader (while letting Poirot know it). While this can be a distraction in print, listeners are much less likely to be bothered. Suchet's reading will carry them along nicely. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
Library Journal
Linnett Ridgeway has almost everything: youth, beauty, brains, and money. Then her best friend Jackie brings her handsome fianc , Simon Doyle, to visit and asks Linnett to give him a job. Now Linnett and Simon are on their honeymoon, a cruise up the Nile. When Linnett is killed, Jackie is the obvious suspect, but she couldn't have done it. It seems like an insolvable crime, until the famous detective Hercule Poirot starts to investigate. Death on the Nile deserves its reputation as one of Christie's best travel mysteries. This recording is capably read by another familiar name, David Suchet, who is well known among both mystery and public TV buffs as the actor who played the role of Poirot in a series of television adaptations of the author's stories. Expect the trio of Christie, Poirot, and Suchet to be a popular patron selection. St. Mary's Mead was always a quiet English village, at least until the body of Colonel Protheroe was found in the vicarage library. No one liked the murdered man. His first wife had abandoned him, and their teenage daughter kept out of his way. His much younger, second wife had recently fallen in love with a charming portrait painter. The list of possible suspects seems endless. Two different people confess to the murder. Did either do it? Enter Miss Marple, an elderly maiden lady whose gentle manners conceal an extensive knowledge of human depravity and exceptional deductive abilities. She flutters around, asks questions, and solves the crime. But it is the writing, not the plots, that keeps Christie fans coming back. James Saxon gives a clear, competent reading in Murder at the Vicarage, although initially his voice strikes one as brighter and sharper than one would expect from the gentle, scholarly rector. Eighty-odd years after her first book was published, Christie and her mysteries are more popular than ever. Both programs are recommended for all collections. I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Publishers Weekly - Audio
Listeners will recognize narrator David Suchet from his titular role on the long-running British television series Poirot. As such, it comes as no surprise that he delivers a masterful performance, capturing the great detective’s Belgian accent and the spirit of Christie’s classic mystery. While on a pleasure cruise in Africa, Poirot is called upon to investigate a mysterious murder and catch a killer before he or she can strike again. Suchet effectively transitions between British and American characters, while his portrayal of the obnoxious—and often downright emotionally abusive—socialite Miss Van Schuyler proves particularly engaging. Listeners discovering Christie’s work for the first time may have to adjust an expository style and slower pacing not found in newer incarnations of the mystery genre. And while staying on top of events may sometimes pose a challenge, the entertainment value of this audiobook and importance of preserving Christie’s place in the canon of whodunit literature cannot be denied. A Morrow paperback. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Death on the Nile is perfect.” — The Guardian (UK)
“One of her best. . . . First rate entertainment.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The main alibi is of the first brilliance . . . the descriptive work hits, as it were, the Nile on the head.” — The Observer (UK)
“The construction is flawless.” — Daily Mail (UK)
“I read everything by Agatha Christie.” — Gillian Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl
“It’s tempting to say that Agatha Christie is a genius and let it go at that, but the world’s had plenty of geniuses. Agatha Christie is something special.” — Lawrence Block, New York Times bestselling author
“Must be read twice, once for enjoyment and once to see how the wheels go round.” — The Times (UK)
“Agatha Christie’s indelibly etched characters have entertained millions across the years and a love of her work has brought together generations of readers—a singular achievement for any author and an inspiration to writers across the literary landscape.” — Jacqueline Winspear, New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs novels
“Any mystery writer who wants to learn how to plot should spend a few days reading Agatha Christie. She’ll show you everything you want to know.” — Donna Leon, New York Times bestselling author of the Commissario Brunetti novels
“A peach of a case for Poirot. I take my hat off to the author for as ingenious an alibi as can well be imagined.” — Sunday Times (UK)
The Times (UK)
Must be read twice, once for enjoyment and once to see how the wheels go round.
Daily Mail (UK)
The construction is flawless.
The Observer (UK)
The main alibi is of the first brilliance . . . the descriptive work hits, as it were, the Nile on the head.
Jacqueline Winspear
Agatha Christie’s indelibly etched characters have entertained millions across the years and a love of her work has brought together generations of readers—a singular achievement for any author and an inspiration to writers across the literary landscape.
The Guardian (UK)
Death on the Nile is perfect.
Lawrence Block
It’s tempting to say that Agatha Christie is a genius and let it go at that, but the world’s had plenty of geniuses. Agatha Christie is something special.
Gillian Flynn
I read everything by Agatha Christie.”
Sunday Times (UK)
A peach of a case for Poirot. I take my hat off to the author for as ingenious an alibi as can well be imagined.
Donna Leon
Any mystery writer who wants to learn how to plot should spend a few days reading Agatha Christie. She’ll show you everything you want to know.
The Observer (London)
The main alibi is of the first brilliance . . . the descriptive work hits, as it were, the Nile on the head.
The Times (London)
Must be read twice, once for enjoyment and once to see how the wheels go round.
Sunday Times (London)
A peach of a case for Poirot. I take my hat off to the author for as ingenious an alibi as can well be imagined.
Daily Mail (London)
The construction is flawless.
JUN/JUL 01 - AudioFile
Hercule Poirot is on vacation, cruising the Nile to see the sites of ancient Egypt. During the trip, a beautiful American woman is killed, and her new husband suffers a bullet wound to the leg. Poirot sifts through the usual Christie cast of characters, nearly all of them with motive or opportunity or both. Reader David Suchet is known to TV viewers as Poirot on PBS's "Mystery." He brings a perfect Belgian accent to Poirot and nimbly moves from one character to the next, in and out of narration. Christie has been criticized for withholding key information from the reader (while letting Poirot know it). While this can be a distraction in print, listeners are much less likely to be bothered. Suchet's reading will carry them along nicely. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
