PhoenixFalls - , reviewed on 6/14/2010 + 185 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

What Ms. Christie says in her Author's Note is true: the setting of this novel (Ancient Egypt) is entirely incidental to the story. This is not a mystery you read for the atmosphere, despite all the historically accurate details Christie carefully provides; it is a mystery you read for the puzzle, and as far as Christie puzzles go it is rather middle of the road. I guessed the murderer immediately after the second murder (which happens very quickly, making up for the fact that first murder doesn't occur until nearly a third of the way into the book) and only wavered once, briefly (but then, this is the 80th Christie novel I've read, so I'm well-trained). I was a little disappointed in its heroine -- she is probably the most weak-spirited heroine Christie has ever produced, which makes her romance (which gets more play than romance gets in many Christie novels) a little boring. Still, while I wouldn't recommend it as one of Christie's best, it satisfies in the same way every Christie novel does.

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