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Murder in Mesopotamia
A BBC Radio 4 Full-cast dramatisation by Michael Bakewell with John Moffatt as the great Belgian detective.
Just as Amy Leatheran is about to return to England, she is hired by celebrated archeologist Dr. Leidner to work as a nurse/companion for his wife, who is subject to fits of nervous terrors.
As they travel to an ancient site in the Iraqi desert, Amy finds herself in a situation stranger than she could ever have imagined, while Mrs. Leidner proves to be a demanding yet fascinating woman.
Gradually Mrs. Leidner warms to Amy and, taking her into her confidence, she reveals the source of her terror. But as the oppressive tension in the air thickens, events come to a terrible climax and result in murder.
With just one spot of blood as his only clue, Hercule Poirot must embark on a journey not just across the desert but into the darkest crevices of the human soul. There he hopes to unravel a mystery which taxes even his remarkable powers.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 - 26 to 30 December 1994.
2 CDs. 2 hrs 20 mins.
Just as Amy Leatheran is about to return to England, she is hired by celebrated archeologist Dr. Leidner to work as a nurse/companion for his wife, who is subject to fits of nervous terrors.
As they travel to an ancient site in the Iraqi desert, Amy finds herself in a situation stranger than she could ever have imagined, while Mrs. Leidner proves to be a demanding yet fascinating woman.
Gradually Mrs. Leidner warms to Amy and, taking her into her confidence, she reveals the source of her terror. But as the oppressive tension in the air thickens, events come to a terrible climax and result in murder.
With just one spot of blood as his only clue, Hercule Poirot must embark on a journey not just across the desert but into the darkest crevices of the human soul. There he hopes to unravel a mystery which taxes even his remarkable powers.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 - 26 to 30 December 1994.
2 CDs. 2 hrs 20 mins.
3 pages, Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Michael Bakewell
72 books6 followersMichael Bakewell (7 June 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a British radio and television producer and radio playwright.
His work included adapting The Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley) into a 1981 radio series for the BBC and a series of 27 adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories broadcast between 1985 and 2007 by BBC Radio 4.
He was born in Birmingham, England. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC's Third Programme. He became the first Head of Plays at the BBC in the 1960s.
His work included adapting The Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley) into a 1981 radio series for the BBC and a series of 27 adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories broadcast between 1985 and 2007 by BBC Radio 4.
He was born in Birmingham, England. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC's Third Programme. He became the first Head of Plays at the BBC in the 1960s.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 30, 2018
The day I finally finish listening to all of the BBC dramatizations of Christie's works will be a sad one. I could listen to these all day! One of the characters in this one was wildly over the top and irksome, but the rest were all so superb that I didn't even mind.
May 5, 2018
I really enjoyed the ambient sounds in this production.
May 13, 2026
Audiobook
BBC Full Cast Dramatisation
Nostalgia for Dame Agatha demands five stars for all things Agatha Christie. I really enjoy these BBC Radio adaptations.
BBC Full Cast Dramatisation
Nostalgia for Dame Agatha demands five stars for all things Agatha Christie. I really enjoy these BBC Radio adaptations.
January 16, 2020
My first Agatha Christie novel and it was so good! The ending was not at all what I expected and I loved the character perspectives.
August 1, 2012
01 Angst and archaeology as Nurse Amy arrives to care for the nervy Mrs Leidner.
02 The Belgian sleuth is on hand when a death occurs in the heat of the desert.
03 The sleuth digs for more clues. Is there a killer in a team of desert archaeologists?
04 As the Belgian sleuth continues quizzing the suspects, a second tragedy strikes the dig.
05 The Belgian sleuth battles to reveal the identity of the desert murderer.
Die Krankenschwester Amy Leatheran hat gerade ihren neuesten Auftrag als Begleitperson im Iraq abgeschlossen, als sie Dr. Leidner kennenlernt. Er bittet sie, nach seiner Frau zu schauen, die unter Angstzuständen leidet und geisterhafte Gesichte im Fenster sieht. Er bittet sie, sich seiner archäologischen Ausgrabung in der Nähe von Hassanieh anzuschließen. Amy Leatheran willigt ein. Es dauert einige Zeit, bis Mrs. Leidner sich Amy anvertraut, was sie jedoch zu sagen hat, klingt nicht nach Halluzinationen. Mrs. Leidner wird erpresst. Schon vor Jahren herhielt sie Drohbriefe von ihrem angeblich verstobenen ersten Ehemann (einem zum Tode verurteilten deutschen Spion), der ihr droht, sie zu ermorden, sollte sie sich jemals einem anderen Mann hingeben. Immer, wenn sie sich mit einem Mann traf, erhielt sie diese Briefe, brach sie die Beziehung ab, hörten die Briefe auf. Nun, nach ihrer Heirat mit Mr. Leidner haben diese Drohbriefe wieder begonnen. Sie weiß nicht, ob diese Briefe wirklich von ihrem Ex-Mann stammen, oder womöglich von seinem Bruder.
Kurze Zeit später wird Mrs. Leidner ermordet in ihrem Schlafzimmer aufgefunden. Wie gut, dass der belgische Detektiv Hercule Poirot gerade den Iraq bereist. Sein alter Freund Dr. Reilly, der auf das Ausgrabungscamp betreut, bittet ihn um Hilfe.
Dieses BBC Hörspiel aus dem Jahr 2005 basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Roman von Agatha Christie aus dem Jahr 1936. In den Hauptrollen Dorothy Tutin als Nurse Letheran und John Moffatt als Hercule Poirot. Wie man es von BBC Produktionen gewohnt ist, sind die Sprecher sehr typgerecht besetzt. Hercule Poirot ist dabei nicht so affektiert, wie man das oft aus dem Fernsehen kennt, sondern einfach nur ein wenig belgisch, was sehr angenehm ist. Der Plot ist, zumindest aus heutiger Sicht, ein wenig unglaubwürdig. Ja, es gibt Pretender (zumindest will uns das das Fernsehen mit gleichnamigen Serien weiß machen), die jeden Beruf einfach mal so annehmen können und von einer Identität in die andere schlüpfen. Vielleicht musste man 1936 Archäologie nicht studieren und jeder dahergelaufene konnte einfach mal an einer Grabung teilnehmen, aus heutiger Sicht eher unhaltbar, und schon gar in zwei Fällen. Das wirft auf Ausgrabungen in jener Zeit ein sehr dilettantisches Licht, das möglicherweise vielleicht sogar zutrifft. Dass man einen Menschen, den man sehr gut kannte, nach 20 Jahre nicht mehr wiedererkennt, halte ich auch für unglaubwürdig, zumindest, wenn man mit diesem auch irgendwann wirklich intim war. Wie waren damals die Ehen, wenn man seinen Partner nach einigen Jahren Trennung nicht wiedererkennt?
Dass der Mörder bis zum Schluss unklar ist, ist einem kleinen Kniff zu verdanken, denn ich gar nicht mag. Es werden die meisten Hinweise tatsächlich im Hörspiel gegeben, aber der eigentlich Hinweis wird verschwiegen bis zum Showdown und dann wie ein deus ex machina präsentiert, das ist schlechter Stil. Sehr gelungen Soundkulisse, tolle Spreche, sehr atmosphärisch, BBC eben, nur leider hat der Plot für mich eben einige unlogische Wendungen zwecks Effekthaschei.
02 The Belgian sleuth is on hand when a death occurs in the heat of the desert.
03 The sleuth digs for more clues. Is there a killer in a team of desert archaeologists?
04 As the Belgian sleuth continues quizzing the suspects, a second tragedy strikes the dig.
05 The Belgian sleuth battles to reveal the identity of the desert murderer.
Die Krankenschwester Amy Leatheran hat gerade ihren neuesten Auftrag als Begleitperson im Iraq abgeschlossen, als sie Dr. Leidner kennenlernt. Er bittet sie, nach seiner Frau zu schauen, die unter Angstzuständen leidet und geisterhafte Gesichte im Fenster sieht. Er bittet sie, sich seiner archäologischen Ausgrabung in der Nähe von Hassanieh anzuschließen. Amy Leatheran willigt ein. Es dauert einige Zeit, bis Mrs. Leidner sich Amy anvertraut, was sie jedoch zu sagen hat, klingt nicht nach Halluzinationen. Mrs. Leidner wird erpresst. Schon vor Jahren herhielt sie Drohbriefe von ihrem angeblich verstobenen ersten Ehemann (einem zum Tode verurteilten deutschen Spion), der ihr droht, sie zu ermorden, sollte sie sich jemals einem anderen Mann hingeben. Immer, wenn sie sich mit einem Mann traf, erhielt sie diese Briefe, brach sie die Beziehung ab, hörten die Briefe auf. Nun, nach ihrer Heirat mit Mr. Leidner haben diese Drohbriefe wieder begonnen. Sie weiß nicht, ob diese Briefe wirklich von ihrem Ex-Mann stammen, oder womöglich von seinem Bruder.
Kurze Zeit später wird Mrs. Leidner ermordet in ihrem Schlafzimmer aufgefunden. Wie gut, dass der belgische Detektiv Hercule Poirot gerade den Iraq bereist. Sein alter Freund Dr. Reilly, der auf das Ausgrabungscamp betreut, bittet ihn um Hilfe.
Dieses BBC Hörspiel aus dem Jahr 2005 basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Roman von Agatha Christie aus dem Jahr 1936. In den Hauptrollen Dorothy Tutin als Nurse Letheran und John Moffatt als Hercule Poirot. Wie man es von BBC Produktionen gewohnt ist, sind die Sprecher sehr typgerecht besetzt. Hercule Poirot ist dabei nicht so affektiert, wie man das oft aus dem Fernsehen kennt, sondern einfach nur ein wenig belgisch, was sehr angenehm ist. Der Plot ist, zumindest aus heutiger Sicht, ein wenig unglaubwürdig. Ja, es gibt Pretender (zumindest will uns das das Fernsehen mit gleichnamigen Serien weiß machen), die jeden Beruf einfach mal so annehmen können und von einer Identität in die andere schlüpfen. Vielleicht musste man 1936 Archäologie nicht studieren und jeder dahergelaufene konnte einfach mal an einer Grabung teilnehmen, aus heutiger Sicht eher unhaltbar, und schon gar in zwei Fällen. Das wirft auf Ausgrabungen in jener Zeit ein sehr dilettantisches Licht, das möglicherweise vielleicht sogar zutrifft. Dass man einen Menschen, den man sehr gut kannte, nach 20 Jahre nicht mehr wiedererkennt, halte ich auch für unglaubwürdig, zumindest, wenn man mit diesem auch irgendwann wirklich intim war. Wie waren damals die Ehen, wenn man seinen Partner nach einigen Jahren Trennung nicht wiedererkennt?
Dass der Mörder bis zum Schluss unklar ist, ist einem kleinen Kniff zu verdanken, denn ich gar nicht mag. Es werden die meisten Hinweise tatsächlich im Hörspiel gegeben, aber der eigentlich Hinweis wird verschwiegen bis zum Showdown und dann wie ein deus ex machina präsentiert, das ist schlechter Stil. Sehr gelungen Soundkulisse, tolle Spreche, sehr atmosphärisch, BBC eben, nur leider hat der Plot für mich eben einige unlogische Wendungen zwecks Effekthaschei.
January 3, 2018
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
An army nurse arrives on an archaeological dig to care for the wife of a celebrated archaeologist. Soon Hercule Poirot’s little grey cells are put the test when a murder occurs. Starring John Moffatt, Dorothy Tutin, Becky Hindley, William Franklyn, John Hartley and Norman Rodway. Dramatised by Michael Bakewell, directed by Enyd Williams and first broadcast in 1994.
***
This one, Poirot comes late to the scene. We start with Nurse Amy Leatheran who has been hired by an archaeologist Dr Leidner to be a nurse for his wife, Louise. She has fits of terrors and nightmares. After some time, Amy learns that Mrs Leidner thinks she is receiving letters from her first husband - a German spy - who was thought to have died in The Great War fifteen years earlier.
Amy describes her as ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ - the beautiful woman without mercy. Louise loves men being in love with her. And other women hate her for it. Miss Riley describes the Dr’s assistant Miss Johnson as ‘old enough to have been dug up somewhere.’
It’s a tense dig. No one is particularly surprised when Louise is found in her room having been struck on the head.
Poirot is called, as he was nearby, before travelling on to Turkey. He and Nurse Amy investigate together. His first theory is that someone on the dig is really her first husband or his loyal younger brother.
I gave the book 2 stars because the left field murder motive threw me, and Nurse Amy was a pretty horrible main character. I felt she came across as racist and opinionated.
I said this back in 2014:
I remember reading a set of rules for writing detective stories and one of them was that it should not ever be the butler, or other external person, so the locked gate effectively rules that out. But it seems odd to me that it is set in a foreign land and somehow is so mundane. It may as well have been set in a country house in England.
This is not one of Christie’s best, to me. The choice of victim, I understand, the murderer I understand, the method is inspired …but the rest of the story (the reasons for the murder) fit in the whaaat category. Just too crazy. And Christie is usually better than that.
But here, the editing to make a radio play has cut out most of the things I had an issue with. Most, not all.
3 stars
An army nurse arrives on an archaeological dig to care for the wife of a celebrated archaeologist. Soon Hercule Poirot’s little grey cells are put the test when a murder occurs. Starring John Moffatt, Dorothy Tutin, Becky Hindley, William Franklyn, John Hartley and Norman Rodway. Dramatised by Michael Bakewell, directed by Enyd Williams and first broadcast in 1994.
***
This one, Poirot comes late to the scene. We start with Nurse Amy Leatheran who has been hired by an archaeologist Dr Leidner to be a nurse for his wife, Louise. She has fits of terrors and nightmares. After some time, Amy learns that Mrs Leidner thinks she is receiving letters from her first husband - a German spy - who was thought to have died in The Great War fifteen years earlier.
Amy describes her as ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ - the beautiful woman without mercy. Louise loves men being in love with her. And other women hate her for it. Miss Riley describes the Dr’s assistant Miss Johnson as ‘old enough to have been dug up somewhere.’
It’s a tense dig. No one is particularly surprised when Louise is found in her room having been struck on the head.
Poirot is called, as he was nearby, before travelling on to Turkey. He and Nurse Amy investigate together. His first theory is that someone on the dig is really her first husband or his loyal younger brother.
I gave the book 2 stars because the left field murder motive threw me, and Nurse Amy was a pretty horrible main character. I felt she came across as racist and opinionated.
I said this back in 2014:
I remember reading a set of rules for writing detective stories and one of them was that it should not ever be the butler, or other external person, so the locked gate effectively rules that out. But it seems odd to me that it is set in a foreign land and somehow is so mundane. It may as well have been set in a country house in England.
This is not one of Christie’s best, to me. The choice of victim, I understand, the murderer I understand, the method is inspired …but the rest of the story (the reasons for the murder) fit in the whaaat category. Just too crazy. And Christie is usually better than that.
But here, the editing to make a radio play has cut out most of the things I had an issue with. Most, not all.
3 stars
February 11, 2009
Title: Murder in Mesopotamia
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Challenges: Winter Reading Challenge 2009, TBR *Lite* Challenge 2009 (completed), A to Z Reading Challenge, 2009 Support Your Local Library, 2009 Audiobook Challenge, 20 Books in 2009, Pages Read Challenge 2009, Agatha Christie Challenge 2009, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge
Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: Audio (352)
Published: Orignally 1936 (2001)
From the back:
Nurse Amy Leatheran is recruited to care for th frightened wife of an American archeologists at an excavation in the Iraqi desert. Are the wife’s fears mere hallucinations? When she is found bludgeoned to death, her paranoia proves, too late, fully justified. Famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, nearby on another mission, gets involved and realizes that every member of the team could be a suspect. Can Poirot stop the murder before he or she strikes again?
Mine:
Nurse Leatheran is brought in to take care of the wife who is fearful for her life. She keeps getting threatening letters telling her that she can not be with another man. She thought when she left America that she was safe, but the letters catch up to her in Iraq. One afternoon she is murdered and Poirot is brought in to help solve the crime.
It seems that every member of the excavation is a suspect, but who did really do it. Is it a crime of passion? We must understand that she was previously married and thought that her previous controlling husband was dead – but was he?
Poirot to the rescue to prove that the current husband is truly the previous husband and is a very jealous fool and does in fact kill his wife.
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Challenges: Winter Reading Challenge 2009, TBR *Lite* Challenge 2009 (completed), A to Z Reading Challenge, 2009 Support Your Local Library, 2009 Audiobook Challenge, 20 Books in 2009, Pages Read Challenge 2009, Agatha Christie Challenge 2009, 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge
Rating: 4/5
No. of Pages: Audio (352)
Published: Orignally 1936 (2001)
From the back:
Nurse Amy Leatheran is recruited to care for th frightened wife of an American archeologists at an excavation in the Iraqi desert. Are the wife’s fears mere hallucinations? When she is found bludgeoned to death, her paranoia proves, too late, fully justified. Famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, nearby on another mission, gets involved and realizes that every member of the team could be a suspect. Can Poirot stop the murder before he or she strikes again?
Mine:
Nurse Leatheran is brought in to take care of the wife who is fearful for her life. She keeps getting threatening letters telling her that she can not be with another man. She thought when she left America that she was safe, but the letters catch up to her in Iraq. One afternoon she is murdered and Poirot is brought in to help solve the crime.
It seems that every member of the excavation is a suspect, but who did really do it. Is it a crime of passion? We must understand that she was previously married and thought that her previous controlling husband was dead – but was he?
Poirot to the rescue to prove that the current husband is truly the previous husband and is a very jealous fool and does in fact kill his wife.
April 28, 2017
This review is specifically for the BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of the work of Agatha Christie
That was a wonderful journey! This full-cast dramatisation is the same as the ones I listened with the "Mistborn" series! Every character has a voice of his own, there are background rumors - glasses hitting the table, passing horses, doors slamming, etc., so it's as if I was listening to the actual mini-movie with David Suchet. There were several intermissions with playing music from the Egypt culture, so it was really putting me into the place of the act.
What I disliked was one of the heroine's voice - she was always yelling in high-pitch voice which I found irritating at most times. There were, of course, several loud screams when certain dead bodies were found but those were acceptable. Anyway, I really enjoyed it, I just miss the actual book's descriptions, because this kind of audiobook is mainly conversations with few short sentences from the POV of the nurse.
July 27, 2012
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
An army nurse arrives on an archaeological dig to care for the wife of a celebrated archaeologist. Soon Hercule Poirot’s little grey cells are put the test when a murder occurs. Starring John Moffatt, Dorothy Tutin, Becky Hindley, William Franklyn, John Hartley and Norman Rodway. Dramatised by Michael Bakewell, directed by Enyd Williams and first broadcast in 1994.
An army nurse arrives on an archaeological dig to care for the wife of a celebrated archaeologist. Soon Hercule Poirot’s little grey cells are put the test when a murder occurs. Starring John Moffatt, Dorothy Tutin, Becky Hindley, William Franklyn, John Hartley and Norman Rodway. Dramatised by Michael Bakewell, directed by Enyd Williams and first broadcast in 1994.
December 9, 2017
This was quite fun. These BBC radio plays are really well done! And even for Agatha Christie, this plot is delightfully over-the-top. Good times.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews