Reading Is Fun
Agatha Christie
Death on the Nile

After the Bible and William Shakespeare, Agatha Christie (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) is the third best-selling writer. She wrote detective novels about detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her life was dramatic like the stories she wrote. She was born 130 years ago and her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in October, 100 years ago.

Fun Facts

• She wrote 66 detective novels.
• She never went to school.
• A new film version of Death on the Nile will be/was launched on 8 October 2020.

Jackie de Bellefort is a young woman who is going to marry Simon Doyle. They are both poor, so she asks her good and rich friend, Linnet Ridgeway, to give Simon a job. Jackie works for Linnet, too. Simon gets a job and soon falls in love with Linnet. They marry, so Jackie is sad and angry.
Simon and Linnet travel on a big ship down the River Nile in Egypt. Jackie learns about their plans and comes to the ship, too. Some other people on the ship know (and hate) Linnet. She is rich, beautiful, and clever. Linnet and Simon are very angry that Jackie is there. They talk to Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective on the ship, and ask for his help. Poirot talks to Jackie, who still loves Simon and hates Linnet. One day Linnet is found dead3 in her room. Jackie and Simon argue, and Jackie shoots Simon in the leg. Soon two other people are killed.
Hercule Poirot soon knows who did it. Jackie and Simon had planned it a long time before then. Simon married Linnet just to get her money. He and Jackie still loved each other. At the end, Jackie kills herself and Simon too.
Another murder solved by Poirot.
‘…most great love stories are tragedies.’
‘But thank God, there is happiness in the world.’

Activity
Complete the information.
a) Jackie is a young ………………………………… .
b) ………………………………… gives ………………………………… a job.
c) Simon married Linnet for ………………………………… .
d) Poirot is a ………………………………… detective.
e) They all travel on a ………………………………… .
f) ………………………………… people die in the book.

Who Is Who?
Say who is he, me and she.
’He was mine and he loved me, then SHE came along and…’

Adapted by Jana Chrtianska