Death Comes as the End

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I love this book. It's set in ancient Egypt but it is classic Agatha Christie. It is also very creepy.

Schönes Englisch, Emilia Fox findet unverwechselbare Stimmen für jeden Charakter. Typischer Christie-Krimi, die Namen sind anfangs etwas schwer zu behalten.

A few fun facts:🔎 First published in 1944, this is Agatha Christie’s only historical novel.🏛️ It is set in Ancient Egypt and is based on real documentary evidence: the Heqenakhte Papyri.🔎 It is one of the first historical mysteries ever written.🏛️ Christie’s second husband, Max Mallowan, was an archeologist and Egyptologist.Despite the unusual time period, the setting of the family home as the scene of the crime is classic Christie. She creates a suspenseful mystery with well-developed characters and a few twists that had me turning the pages quickly.Although it was not my favorite AC novel, I would recommend it for any Christie fan. It was interesting because this one was so unique compared to her present day settings.Book blurb:It is Egypt in 2000 BC, where death gives meaning to life. At the foot of a cliff lies the broken, twisted body of Nofret, concubine to a ka-priest. Young, beautiful, and venomous, most agree that it was fate—she deserved to die like a snake!But at her father's house on the banks of the Nile, the priest's daughter Renisenb believes that the woman's death is suspicious. Increasingly, she becomes convinced that the source of evil lurks within their household—and watches helplessly as the family's passions explode in murder. . . .

An unusual Agatha Christie in that it is set in Egypt 4000 years ago and there are, of course, no detectives on hand - such as Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot or Tommy and Tuppence - to gather clues and to solve the murders and yes, there are multiple murders in this attractively presented little book. After the death of her young husband, Renisenb returns home to the estate of her father, Imhotep, a mortuary priest and a fussy, self-opinionated man, who unwisely decides to takes as a concubine the beautiful, but cold and vengeful Nofret. Before long Nofret has upset and angered almost everyone around her - including Renisenb's boastful brother Sobek and his placid wife Kait, and even Renisenb's gentle elder brother Yahmose and his shrewish wife, Satipy, and subsequently life becomes very difficult for the whole family. When the situation escalates and someone ends up with their body broken and twisted at the foot of a cliff, the whole family fall under suspicion and when more deaths occur, Renisenb realises that her own life could be in danger. Fortunately there is the kind and faithful Hori, her father's scribe, who promises to keep Renisenb safe, and then there is also the young, handsome Kameni, a visiting scribe from her father's northern estates, who takes a close interest in the beautiful Renisenb - but can Renisenb really trust anyone?This is a really enjoyable and atmospheric murder mystery story and one which wrong-footed me a few times before I worked out who the murderer was. Agatha Christie, as the wife of an eminent archaeologist, took part in several archaeological expeditions and she put that experience to good use in this entertaining and evocative story. I have the Collins facsimile hardback edition which is very attractively put together and a book I shall return to my bookshelves to read and enjoy again.4 Stars.