Death on the Nile: A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

by Agatha Christie Narrated by John Moffatt, Full Cast

Overview

John Moffatt stars as the famous Belgian detective in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of one of Christie's most popular novels.

Linnet Ridgeway has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth, and a devoted husband, she has everything anyone could wish for. But as the happy couple set out on an idyllic honeymoon cruise on the Nile, storm clouds are gathering...

Linnet's former friend, Jacqueline de Bellefort, follows her and Simon wherever they go, and Linnet senses she is in danger. At first, her fears seem groundless. But an attempt is made first on her life and then on her husband's. Eventually, the killer is successful, and Linnet is found horribly murdered. With an obvious suspect who cannot possibly have committed the crime, it is up to Hercule Poirot to probe the depths of a remarkable criminal mind and discover the dark secret behind what is only the first in a series of inexplicable deaths.

Editorial Reviews

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.)

Daily Mail (London)

"The construction is flawless."

The Observer (London)

"The main alibi is of the first brilliance … the descriptive work hits, as it were, the Nile on the head."

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."

The Times (London)

"Must be read twice, once for enjoyment and once to see how the wheels go round."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169940756
Publisher:	Random House UK
Publication date:	09/10/2010
Series:	Hercule Poirot Radio Drama Series
Edition description:	Unabridged

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