I Tried to Solve an Agatha Christie | Death on the Nile
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- čas přidán 26. 08. 2024
- In this video, I'll try to solve Death on the Nile, a mystery novel by Agatha Christie. We'll dig into different kinds of Perfect Alibi Mysteries, discuss suspect subplots, and highlight a few of Christie's tricks for hiding clues.
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This video uses clips from:
Death on the Nile (2022 movie)
And audio clips from
Death on the Nile (audiobook)
This was the first cozy mystery I was actually able to solve. My detective notes for it are nearly as long as the book itself.
Wow, that’s awesome! Good job!
Brilliant video! Turning this new "try to solve" format of video into an object lesson in mystery writing was an inspired choice! Really made me think about how to improve my own work.
Thank you, I’m so glad you liked it!
This is one of my favorite Christie novels, and one of my reasons has very little to do with the mystery - I very much like the relationship that develops between Poirot and Jackie; I like this collection of characters and how they interact; the companionship that forms between Poirot and Mrs. Allerton, which builds up the the touching, poignant last exchange, an exchange which points to and questions the central drive for all the main characters: the search for and dangers of love and passion. You didn't point out that Poirot saw Jackie and Simon way, way at the start of the story, and that the solution to the motive was in his observation about Jackie: she loves too much. That central thread, the curse of Jackie's fate, runs through every beat of her time in this book.
You outline the emotional context of the book so well!
@@janekalmes Thank you - I'm so glad you liked my weird phrasing!
@Marie E. Torres I love your comment! You sound like a true fan. So am I. Just a quick question out of curiosity - Did you like the movie version of Death on the Nile? If so, why or why not? Again, just out of curiosity!
@@muralikrishna5729 I liked it as a movie on its own. As an adaptation of the novel, I had difficulties because I felt that it skimped on several characters and relationships which were key to the novel, and what they replaced it with wasn't really, for me, explored in a way that truly enriched them.
@@melenatorr Great! I had the same feeling too. You articulated it very well - "CHARACTERS and RELATIONSHIPS". Well said! I wanted to know whether I was the only one who had the same feeling. That's why I asked your opinion. Even I felt the same.
Apart from what you said, I also felt some of the artists casted in the movie did not match Christie's sketch and description. For instance, Gal Gadot who Played Linnet was 35+ and did not meet the sketch of Linnet as per book, who was barely 21. Many such character wise inconsistencies were also observed by me. Also the relationship between Miss Bowers and Miss Van Schuyler as per the movie was something off track from Christie's depictions.
Again, as you said, as a standalone movie, it's fine...
One thing I keep asking myself is how the murderer was smart enough to come up with and carry out such an intricate plot, but wasn't smart enough to think to kill Lynette in a way that would look like an accident. Much simpler, fewer questions, less suspicious, less chance of getting caught.
Well, one of the false suspects tried that way!
Good question. Had there been no alternative but to do it there and then - couldn't have been sooner, couldn't be left until later, then it would have been truly ingenious for the conspiring parties to have dreamt up that plan. But getting oneself shot is quite the painful and dangerous gamble. So, does it pass the test of real-world plausibility? I'm not so sure.
So fun to watch and listen to someone else's little detective talk surrounding these books.
I've only read three Christie Novels: And then there were none, The murder of Roger Ackroyd and The Clocks. I only figured out the killer in the second one, but mere pages before the actual reveal happened. Christie is quite spectacular if it comes to these murder mysteries and they're so much fun to read, too.
I love that you made a video of reading (listening to) this story and trying to solve it as you went. Brilliant idea. Your detective instincts had you barking up all the right trees but the intricacies to how the masterstroke was executed are particulalry mind bending in this tale.
Clever old Agatha! Should you fancy taking on something far shorter just for fun, then on my channel is one of my 1-page murder mysteries translated into a short video. It's a logic puzzle, in truth. But I reckon you would solve it in under 5 minutes.
Thanks!
This is the first Poirot novel where I figured out the murderer--even though I had zero notion HOW.
Same boat!
Wow I'm amazed at your intelligence and attention to details! When you pointed out the clues I thought "it's so obvious that XYZ is the killer" but reading the book I couldn't figure out anything 😂 also since most of the suspicion was on the real killers from the beginning I thought, "no way the killer is gonna be so obvious". So maybe that's why I subconsciously ignored the clues.
I'm gonna check out your book and add it to my TBR now 😊 new sub here!
Welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy the book!
It was so much fun trying to solve the mystery with you! Great video 😊👏🏾
Thank you so much, Phoebe!
This video goes so crazy!! Fire content
Thanks so much!
(edited because I spelled Linnet wrong) I've always thought Simon should've just let Linnet get hit by the boulder - he wouldn't have had to go on with the whole plot, someone else would have gone to jail, and he and Jackie could've sailed into the sunset...
I first read this many years ago. The who and the why were very clear to me, the how not that much - so yeah, same as you. I started suspecting Jackie and Simon were still together when she started appearing everywhere despite not having any money before (meaning Simon was giving her money), and when they used the same sun and moon analogy as if it was something they rehearsed. When Poirot left because he was overly sleepy and the whole Jackie being drunk scene went down, I was sure it was all a ruse and they'd drugged him to get him out of the way. The bit about Simon providing Jackie with an alibi was pretty obvious, I agree. When Lynette was found, it was clear Simon'd done it with the fallen gun (the way the maid talked couldn't have been clearer either) but the "how" was quite complicated by the whole fake shot situation. I only truly got what the hell happened when the red nail polish came into the story.
You sound like a tough customer to fool!
Love your videos and really enjoyed this one. I already knew the plot and it was fun watching you pick it apart. If you are going to do another one, I suggest The murder of Roger Achroyd by Christie. It is meant to be one of her best. I'd love to see you break it down.
I'm so glad you liked it, and thanks for the suggestion! If I do another, I have to admit, there will need to be a little break first. This was probably the toughest video I've made thus far!
I just finished the novel this morning and went straight into watching this video. I was delighted whenever you caught the things I hadn't, especially the faces you were making as you were seeing right through the criminals' narratives.
Glad you liked it, Spencer!
This was so much fun! Well done, Jane!
Glad you liked it!
These explanations are always so implausible (as this one was) that I don't think you can beat yourself up too much.
You should try Murder in Mesopotamia - if you manage to guess that lunacy you deserve a medal!
I'll put it on the big list!
This was so much fun! I really enjoyed the breakdown of the plot as well as the writing. I usually just let the story take me away and let it all unfold. I'm not a mystery solver but the next time I pick up a mystery, I'll be looking at it another way.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
This was a fantastic video! It was really fun. If you did more of these, I would not complain. :D :D ...... Have you heard of T. E. Kinsey? He writes the Lady Hardcastle books. I personally really like this book series :D
I'll check it out! Thanks for the tip!
This was so fun to watch! Great job.
Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I'd love to see you try to solve another one...
Thinking about it... possibly before Haunting in Venice comes out...
Hee - yes, a fun mystery to solve if you haven't read it before. You did miss the bit where Poirot warns Jackie off right at the beginning. He knows she's going to try something.
You did better than me. I haven’t read the book but recently watched the 1970s version with Mia Farrow, Bette Davis etc.
I hope it was good!
Jane, not gonna worry much about grad school...gonna focus on rewriting and revising manuscript, as well as send out subs for poetry and fiction...i guess i'm worried about a grad program trying to turn me into a writer i don't want to be and i work better alone...i read over 60 books last year, gonna try to read as many next year and just keep sending work out and see where it goes....happy new year....the way i see it, it's 60 or 70,000 dollars saved....
All the best of luck with your work!
@@janekalmes If I krrp writing and keep sending my stuff out, good things will happen...there are plenty of successful writers out there without an MFA...It's just a title...
This novel has such a great twist ending. It would be hard to try to solve. I’m going to watch your video now and see if you were able to.
43:15 Well that's often the case but it's not set in stone.....remember, there's always the chance that someone's secret is actually a lie....or that there's another part of their secret, one part of their secret they can handle people knowing and another part of a secret they can't let anyone know....
I would LOVE to see you crack up a Seishi Yokomizo mystery novel, maybe The Honjin Murders or The Inugami Curse... Your analysis is the best and was my absolute favorite to follow along.
Hmm, I looked him up, and these books look really interesting. Adding to my Audible wishlist!
@@janekalmes yay!
I love your videos! they are so organized and informative!
Yay, thank you so much!
@@janekalmes Thank you! :)
The nail polish bit reminds me a little of how in A Murder is Announced a vital clue is paired with something completely unimportant and forced on the reader many times.
Yes, love that strategy!
I'm at the 27min mark. Gonna put in my theory and see if I'm right after. My theory is that Simon has always been and always will be in love with Jacquie. He only married Linette for the money and intended to murder her himself and then go back to Jacquie. For his plan to work, he didn't want Jacquie to know and so she thinks she's been dumped. He did not intend for her to shoot him - that's why he's suddenly freaking out. He had a plan to get Linette killed and didn't want Jacquie to suddenly be suspicious looking now or to ruin it so he has to back track. He wants to go back to Jacquie with the money when it's all over, he can't have her getting arrested for the murder. Someone else has done the murder and is trying to pin it on them because Simon already had a plan for her murder that will come to light. Perhaps he was the one that set up the first attempted murder on her even though he saved her from it: he was giving himself a later alibi. I don't know who has done it for what reason yet, but I do not suspect Simon and Jacquie at all, but the irony is going to be that they both wanted to and just never got their turn in line.
I'm probably going to be completely wrong. Let's finish and find out!
Well I was wrong, but am I really wrong if I predicted I'd be wrong? XD
I really like your plot, and think it could have totally worked!
@@janekalmes I was thinking about it last night and realized the fatal flaw in my theory. If someone else wanted Linette dead and knew Simon was going to murder her, why would they murder her first and then try and pin it on Simon when they could have just... Let Simon kill her and not risk getting arrested for murder? I still like the idea of multiple people trying to kill the same victim and just not getting their turn, but I think it only works if they don't know other people want to also murder the victim. The real murderer could only find out AFTER they killed them that someone else had a murder plan and THEN try and pin it on them.
@7:36 Did I see a bit of Rosaile otterborne? Lol :D
I wish the new movie followed the Agatha Christie's book better. t changed the characters and gave them different premises and backstories. The old movie with Peter Ustinov followed the book just great.
Agreed!
this is a great format
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Don't feel too bad. Agatha Christie was the Queen of Obfuscation. You can read her books over and over because she leads you in so many directions that you forget who did it! Great video, as usual!
Glad you liked it! I agree, she’s awesome!
Oh Jane - I loved this!!!
Hey, Celine! Thank you so much!
Great video. So close! That "I don't really see how this could be a **_redacted_** alibi" after picking up on so many clues pointing to it being one made me smile and facepalm! An interesting blind spot for sure. If you want to do another one, my vote goes to "Evil under the Sun" assuming you have not seen or read it yet. It is very close in spirit to "Death on the Nile" and it is the other major Poirot movie in which Peter Ustinov starred. I think it would be much more appropriate than "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd".
Thanks for the suggestion!
Let not get it forgotten. Jackie and Simon were POS people, but Linnete was also a POS. The scam started when Jackie knew at first that Linette would steal her fiance.
OK, Hercule has gathered the suspects, but before he tells them who did it, here's my guess: Sorry, I'm terrible at remembering names.
The ex girlfriend and the husband worked together to kill the rich wife. It was probably planned before the wedding, so they could be together and rich. He killed his wife, then got his girlfriend to shoot him.
I knew when the doctor said he it was only a broken leg and remembered she was a crack shot, not likely to miss if she really wanted to kill him.
Plus, how did she know where they'd be on their honeymoon, if no one was telling her?
Right, now to watch the end of the movie. I'm watching the first one with Peter Ustinov.
Jon in rural BC, Canada
You and I were both SO close! We had the villains, just not the exact “howdunit.”
OK, now I've watched your video. Both the movie and the book were complicated, bravo to Dame Agatha for that marvelous plot.
I fleetingly thought, when Poirot was very tired, that the wine was drugged, then totally forgot about it. Likewise, the what-the? about the vinegar in the nail polish.
But I did nail the right suspects. And it makes sense because not only did the girlfriend follow them successfully, but someone had to pay her way, since, at the beginning of the movie, she admitted her fiancé needed a job because they were both broke.
I like to think of myself as a pretty good writer, and I am writing a mystery, but damn!
Jon in rural BC, Canada
Loved the video! I have a question: because you write mystery novels yourself, would you be excited to see someone trying to solve them like this? I imagine it would be a fresh perspective!
Ooh, that's a really good question. I think, yes? Although it would be a little scary.
One of the best novels of Christie! This novel was written by her after her first holiday in Egypt! She saw certain characteristic traits among her fellow passengers and such traits stick to her so deeply, that she gave those traits to her fictitious characters in the novel.
But I was kind of startled to see the faces of movie artists next to character names! The artists casted in movies never match the Book depictions.
For example, Linnet never looked as old as the one featured in the film. As per book, she was hardly 21, and barely attained age. This comes in the conversation between Poirot and Simon Doyle. But in the movie, Linnet was played by Gal Gadot who is 37 yrs old as per Wiki! The main character itself is lost!
The movie depicted Miss Bowers and Miss Van Schuyler as a Lesbian, which is no way close to the movie!
But seeing such unfitting artists next to the character names in videos hurts a little.... Lol
I knew something was up when Linette and Simon went to the same honeymoon destination as Jackie and Simon were and how did Jackie know exactly where Simon was going??
Excellent point. In particular, there’s a point in the book where they take off aboard the Karnak, hoping to give Jackie the slip. Yet *somehow* Jackie manages to catch up a day or two later…
Notes : 47:30
Thanks for annotating this!
Okay, Jane figured out both Pennington and Richetti!? I hope she finds out the killer correctly (I don’t know, I’m 12 minutes in)
I hope you’re not disappointed in me, Luke!
@@janekalmes I’m not! Dr. Bowers or Louise being an accomplice with Simon and Jacqueline would surprisingly make more sense! Hope to see you try to solve another one, I know you can try!
I really enjoyed this, especially knowing the ending and wanting to see how close you came. SO. CLOSE!!! My weird random question is about the nail polish? What were the made of then that made them not smell, which could’ve given away the game? When my babies get into my polish, I can smell it across the house 😂. Christie was writing as a contemporary author, so I assume polishes then had a muted scent, or none at all, but now I’m curious.
Hmm, very good point. Well, I suppose we could say that since a gun was fired in the room before Simon spilled the polish to create the false bloodstain, the gun smoke odor would mask the nail polish order. Although I have been wondering how the almost-empty polish bottle wound up back in Linnet's cabin. The only explanation I can think of is that Simon replaced it there while shooting Linnet, which is… weird, but I suppose something he might do without thinking, under stress.
OK I'm 22:00 minutes in and genuinely annoyed at how much you've figured out, lol
Haha, sorry!
VAGUE SPOILERS-
You very quickly recognised some important true things, very skilfully done, and with a writer's eye, even if you didn't get the entire solution correct. I like that I can see you thinking about aspects of clues and subplots here that someone who is only used to the reading side and not the writing side might not pick up upon.
My memories of this one are likely tainted by having seen the Peter Ustinoff film version as a child many times but it's interesting that you immediately gravitated towards Simon and Jackie and considered Simon's relative leniency towards Jackie to be suspicious.
I saw his leniency as intended to be the exact opposite!
Firstly, there's a lot of 1920s-30s values coming into play here. Simon is being gallantly chivalrous here, as a gentleman who has wronged a woman to the point of causing her distress extreme enough for her to have violent outbursts. The 'gentlemanly' thing to do is to shield her from the consequences of the emotions he has brought out in her. It's a perspective that definitely seems very strange from a modern day viewing angle but yeah, it makes more sense from a sort of old fashioned perspective.
Secondly, from a meta perspective, I think Agatha Christie might expect us to suspect Simon more if he is instead spitting mad full of vitriol for the woman for killing his wife, based upon how it's gone in her prior novels. Showing Simon as remorseful instead of vengeful is perhaps aimed at selling us on the better aspects of his character.
These are both excellent points, loved hearing your perspective!
first 😎
Well, you got a bit of a sneak peek accidentally! It wasn’t supposed to be up until this morning. Thanks for watching!
I can't exactly tell, but was the narrator for the audio book Kenneth Branagh? Because it sounds the same - I bought the Murder On The Orient Express that he read out - and it would shine a light on his directorial decisions in the film.
Edit: By the way, what software are you using that reads the text alongside the audiobook?
I believe it is Brannaugh. I’m using the Kindle app, it works this way if you own both the e-book and the audiobook.