Death on the Nile

BBC Radio 4 Poirot

by Michael Bakewell (Adapter), Agatha Christie, John Moffatt (Narrator)

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. 2hr 14min

©1937 Agatha Christie Ltd (P)2010 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Agatha Christie, Classics, Crime, Mystery Thriller

2 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Michael 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.

Reviews

[PorshaJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite Agatha Christie stories. I read this book, have watched the movie hundreds of times, but now I wanted to hear the audio. The BBC radio dramatizations are unique and take some getting used to. The first BBC adaptation I listened to, I did not care for it. There are a lot of people for the various characters, there are background noises, and music. But this one I really enjoyed. It feels like I'm listening to a play or movie.....without seeing anything.

The most fascinating part of the one for me is Egypt. A slow boat ride down the Nile, visiting various sites, all along with Mr. Hercule Poirot. As a child reading this one, I dreamed of visiting Egypt. This book has intrigue, jealousy, travel, mystery, murder, a cast of characters, ...all the classic formulas in a Christie book. A great book for those wanting to try out a Christie book. For audio lovers, a great adaptation worth listening to for a few short hours.

[writer... · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio listen for #BooktoMovieRC.
Love a full cast recording for characterizations plus storytelling scope. This is a novel filled with drama providing great movie possibilities. The audio capably portrayed the duplicitous actions yet kept Hercules Poirot's final solution to the crimes undisclosed.

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing version of this classic. The cast was absolutely fantastic. Not to be missed, highly recommend.

[Alyson Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, it is my favourite Christie novel. Three deaths and a large knot of trouble that only Hercule Poirot can untie, this dramatisation really brings the story together.

[JanB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Christie is incomparable and I'm a huge fan. My rating reflects the BBC dramatization only. This was a daily deal on Audible, and I couldn't resist the 99 cent price. It was a fun listen and very well done, but I would have preferred a simple narration of the book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised to discover that this title is a radio play based on Christie’s novel, rather than a verbatim audiobook, but found it to be very well executed and entertaining. Death on the Nile is amongst my favourite half dozen Christie plots, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the adaptations that have been generated using the exotic setting and ingenious solution. I recommend this adaptation as a light background entertainment while travelling or doing the housework. Borrowed free of charge using the Libby App and State Library Of Tasmania.

[Alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels. It was a story of money and love gone wrong with several murders. I think there was too much exposition. I find myself not a fan of whenever Poirot travels as the usual characters aren't around and there is never enough Hercule.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good BBC adaptation of Death on the Nile. (I've recently watched both the 2022 and 1978 films, so I may be overdoing it with Death on the Nile adaptations.) John Moffatt makes a pretty good Poirot. The rest of the cast is good enough. It's been a long time since I've read the actual novel, so I can't say for sure how faithful this is, but I think it's probably more faithful than either film.
Overall, this is good enough that I may seek out the other BBC Poirot adaptations.

[Aaron Begley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book for how it tells the story in pieces and from a 3rd person perspective would of liked more descriptions of the area ( minor complaint since I know its not a history book more of a mystery novel) over all highly recommended!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not going to waste anymore time trying to find the right edition. I listened to an audiobook read by Kenneth Branaugh. It was really good. This is one of my favorite Agatha Christie stories and Branaugh does an excellent job

[Jo Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining multi-cast production.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot, great cast.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable dramatisation. Production was a little off in places,
My first foray into Christie and certainly won't be my last

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tightly wound adaptation of this convoluted Christie who done it; with the requisite olio of pretty young things, shrivelled old things and resentful men. Well played by all.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short ... okay.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These BBC dramatisations of the Hercule Poirot novels are great for a quick read (listen) in between other books and this one had plenty of twists and turns along the way. Poirot is on holiday cruising the Nile to see the sights in Egypt when, naturally, a wealthy young woman is murdered. He uses his little gray cells as he interviews each and every person on board the boat, but can not seem to discover who committed the crime. Is there finally a murder that Hercule Poirot cannot solve?

[Arpit Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the production after having watched the movie and I really appreciate how well produced this was. The characters were all very recognizable by just voice and the plot moved forward quite smoothly despite there being very little external narration. Worth noting how none of the wokeness you see in American movies based on Agatha Christie's novels is actually from her books themselves

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

BBC audiobook is always my favorite, and this one doesn't disappoint me either. The original novel is dramatized to a 2-hour version, which is a very economical choice if you want to devour a book in a short time.

[Vani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the dramatisation good but the story was quite boring, thus the 2-star rating.

[Megan Torrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly one of my favorites of Agatha Christie. BBC does a great job with dramatization.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

52 Book Club Summer 2024 Reading Challenge- Prompt: A Book that Made a Splash (Silver)

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun listen especially if you know the story (have seen the 2 movies) bc you can visualize what's happening. a fast fun listen.

[Claire O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice quick hit of cleverness for a wet Sunday.

[Fern S · Rating 4 out of 5]

My prediction was almost correct! I'm going to call it a win, and say that I guessed it though ;)

A fantastic, unexpected ending as usual though!

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

This version is a dramatic adaptation of the novel, clocking in at around 2 hours—but I didn’t make it anywhere near the end.
Of course this is a product of its time, but I don’t think the concepts have aged well. One character is stalking her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend, who are now a couple; and she actually tells Poirot that she wants to shoot them. But he only tells her to let it go and get on with her life; there’s no further intervention. Other people just complain about her or say they’re scared of her. Poirot was the only character I remotely liked—even despite his bad advice to the mentally ill woman. The rest are assortment of bored, ignorant rich people (touring Egypt to get away from English weather, they know nothing about history nor do they care); schemers; and doormats. The production’s female characters were particularly annoying-sounding—whiny, high-pitched, snooty and/or bossy. No, thanks. Life’s too short.

[Kristine Sprunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do so enjoy a good radio play.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poirot is on holiday Egypt when a chilling murder takes place.
John Moffatt stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and Colonel Race is present as well. Race is looking for an American fugitive, but then a murder takes place: the American heiress Linnet Doyle nee Ridgeway. She was on her honeymoon with Simon Doyle. Simon dumped his fiancee and Linnet’s best friend, Jacqueline de Bellefort, in order to marry Linnet. Their honeymoon is constantly ruined by Jacqueline as she followed them as they made their way into Egypt.
She would have been the obvious murderer but a nurse on the boat dosed her with morphine and she slept through the actual murder.
But given the heiress is not yet 21 her American financial adviser is not above suspicion, and the market is failing in the US.
***
‘Does every woman on this boat carry a revolver?’ Col Race exclaims.
Inspector Japp gets a mention as he told his friend about a jewel thief who may be on board. Just to complicate matters.
Poirot is matchmaking again… trying to get people together.
And then someone points out that the victim’s pearls are missing. The pearls that are valued at the same amount as the young lady’s house. (60,000 pounds) Miss Bowers the nurse returns the pearls after the old lady Miss Van Schuler steals them. But she stole them from an already dead woman AND they turn out to be fake. Someone swapped them earlier.
The tick with this one is that Poirot himself leads us astray - early on, he tells us about seeing Jacqueline and Simon at dinner together, and how Jacqueline was more in love with Simon than he was with her. Tricksy.
4 stars

[Nicky Maunder · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the odd Poirot tv show and film (Suchet and Ustinov have always been my Poirots) I was keen to give this a listen. I have to say that I enjoyed the story - Christie does have a way with her plot devices, but I’m not sure a cast dramatisations are my bag. I think I’ll have to give Christie another go, but in a book format.

[Esme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death on the Nile gehört ganz sicher zu den besten Kriminalromanen von Dame Agatha Christie. Ganz besonders die Auflösung dieses verzwickten Falles hat es in sich und bringt die kleinen grauen Zellen von Hercule Poirot gehörig auf Trab.

In diesem BBC Radio Play wird der belgische Meisterdetektiv wieder genial von John Moffatt gesprochen. Die Geräusche und Effekte sind ebenso wieder einmal gekonnt eingesetzt, so dass man sich auch als Zuhörer fast auf eben jener Schiffspassage auf dem Nil wähnt.

Aus zwei Gründen war ich aber letztlich nicht vollends überzeugt. Zum einen hat dieses Hörspiel zuviel Ähnlichkeit mit dem erst kürzlich gehörten Evil under the Sun und zum anderen gibt es zu viele hysterische Frauenzimmer und Schnösel in dieser piekfeinen Gesellschaft, als dass ich da sehr viel Enthusiasmus aufbringen konnte.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

I need to stop trying to enjoy Agatha Christie. It just ain't happening. I'm not sure if this is even a fair comparison, but I've appreciated the P.D. James books/stories I've read more than Christie's.

Anyway, this book was fine, and I probably wasn't paying quite as close attention as I should have (I listened on audiobook and all the names were starting to run together), but once again it annoyed me that most of the "clues" are never really presented for us to be able to guess with, just explained by Poirot at the end. It did seem fairly obvious that Simon and Jacqueline were in cahoots the whole time. And, again... is Poirot supposed to be likable? I'm not feeling it.