Death on the Nile

 Death on the Nile (1937) by Agatha Christie (narrated by David Suchet)

I was looking for a comfortable book to listen to while I was doing mundane tasks. Something that I had already read and it wouldn't matter if I missed a line here or there. Usually, I choose Sayers and Lord Peter Wimsey--but this time I decided to take a little trip to Egypt with another of my favorite sleuths and revisited Death on the Nile. If you'd like to take a look at a more thorough analysis of the story, please see the link at the title. Here, I'll be talking about the audio version. 

David Suchet is my pick for Poirot--especially in his earlier appearances as the sleuth, before his personal views started encroaching so heavily. (That's a discussion for another time. I won't pull out my Murder on the Orient Express soapbox right now...) His is the voice I hear in my head when I read the hard copies of the Poirot stories. So, listening to him step into Poirot's voice in this audio novel was music to my ears. And, for the most part, he does an excellent job with the various characters. My two main quibbles--Miss Van Schuyler and Colonel Race. After seeing the star-studded 1978 filmed version, Bette Davis will forever by Miss (Mrs.) Van Schuyler and hers is the voice I expect. Suchet's selection of voice for the rich, spoiled woman is meant to be irritating, I do get that, but it just sets my teeth on edge and is near-unbearable. And, as far as Colonel Race goes, not only is the voice not at all like David Niven's, Suchet has--for reasons known only to himself, given Race a periodic weird lisp. But on the whole, a lovely listening experience.

First Line: Linnet Ridgeway! "That's Her!" said Mr. Burnaby, the landlord of the Three Crowns.

Last Line: For, as Mr. Ferguson was saying at that minute in Luxor, it is not the past that matters but the future.

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Deaths = 5 (four shot; one stabbed)