Death Comes as the End (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection)

I first read this book over 40 years ago. It was the first Agatha Christie book I read. In my opinion it was also my favorite. I looked for it for years but couldn't remember the name. Then after doing a search on Amazon I found it. Reading it again I found it just as mesmerizing as I did long ago. This time I am keeping it. It is staged in ancient Egypt so does not have Poirot or Marple in it and it is marvelous. Can't say enough about it.

This novel, first published in 1944, was, so far as I know, the only book that Christie wrote that wasn't set in the present. She wrote a number of non-series mysteries, some of which are quite good, but set them all in the present--raising the question of why Poirot wasn't called in to help!The book is from Christie's best period, stretching from the 1920s to roughly the end of WW II. Of that group of very good books, I would place this near the bottom. Although the mystery has some interesting elements and the story moves at a rapid pace, the book has several drawbacks. First, Christie was never a great one for describing her settings in much detail. Usually that's not a problem because most of her books are set in fairly familiar surroundings. But this book is set in ancient Egypt and it would have been interesting to have spent more time describing what the houses were like, how the people dressed, and what they ate.Granted, more description would have slowed the story down but if you're going to set a book in a locale as exotic as ancient Egypt don't you need to describe it? Otherwise, why bother? She does make some effort to distinguish the main characters' thoughts and attitudes from those of modern people, but I don't think she's entirely successful. Too often her characters seemed to act as mid-twentieth century English people would if somehow they were plopped down in ancient Egypt.[POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT] Finally, I don't think I'm giving anything away here, but I thought a "spoiler alert" was worth adding just in case. In the end, the murderer's motive is that he's mentally ill. That is about the worst possible way to resolve a mystery and not typically the kind of thing Christie would rely on.So, I think this novel is interesting enough to merit four stars (although I was a bit torn between giving it three stars or four stars) but it's far from Christie's best work.

This book drags at times, but is, as a whole, interesting. The novel takes place in Egypt about 2000 years ago. The story concerns a mysterious series of deaths that occur in the wealthy family of a priest. Told from the point of view of a beautiful young widow who returns to her father's home after the death of her husband, the plot reveals the fear and suspicion that results as person after person is murdered, , some by poisoning, others by falling or being thrown off a cliff, and one by drowning. The book spends too much time with the mundane, but the ending is quite satisfactory, and the setting certainly unusual and exotic for a Christie novel.

I am a big Agatha Christie fan and I was surprised to find that I had not read this book before. Although running true to her usual format of murders in a compact group of people culminating in the unmasking of the killer, this is different in that it is set in Ancient Egypt, and the reader is taken back to a period of history where superstition and ritual played a large part in everyday life. There are all the usual clues and red herrings that one comes to expect from an Agatha Christie murder but she also manages to evoke the atmosphere of the period making for a most unusual yet satisfying read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys something a little different.

With her usual consummate skill, Christie successfully conjured up a suspenseful murder mystery, with almost unbearably mounting suspense and foreboding. Certain characters, especially, are richly textured and vividly come to life. The novel, set in ancient Egypt, was a successful experiment!

This Agatha Christie mystery stands out, as it is set in ancient Egypt, far away in time and geography from St. Mary Mead and London. Many of the elements of a classic Christie are here, though: family conflicts, good vs. evil, and of course, murder and mystery! As usual, Christie presents us with a likeable protagonist who finds herself in a scary situation; she's unsure who to trust as events unfold.Christie was married to an archeologist (Max Mallowan)and part of this novel's charm is how she weaves her experiences in the Middle East into the story, just as she does with English life. Maybe the mystery itself is not Christie's strongest, but it is still effective and the unusual setting make up for anything the plot lacks. Therefore, it is deserving of five stars

Between plot setup and those Egyptian character names, the first few chapters are heavy going. It gets better and, while not a Christie favorite of mine, turned out to be an interesting enough read.

I read this novel (and many more Agatha Chritie's) during my teen years, thanks to my family library; and I still enjoyed like the first time. She's still my favourite author , and I highly recommend her novels!

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.

Much as I like Hercule, this is an interesting change, making full use of Agatha Christie's archaeological background. Colourfully set in Ancient Egypt, there is perhaps an unlikely number of deaths but you do get to know the characters, the period detail is excellent and you are kept guessing (although the choices become vanishingly thin as the deaths increase). I enjoyed this even after realising that I had read it decades earlier (but had forgotten the plot completely!!)

This Christie novel eschews her most famous detectives and although I'm fond of both Poirot and Miss Marple, it's good to leave them behind occasionally. This book is, I believe, rather unfairly overlooked when assessing the Christie catalogue - that is a big mistake as it is a superb read.A historical mystery set in ancient Egypt and told from the POV of young widow Renisenb who returns to her family home after the death of her husband. Members of her family are murdered in turn by varying methods and each time you think you have the guilty party sussed they fall victim themselves. It is atmospheric and downright creepy at times and I could absolutely feel the undercurrents of evil within the claustrophobic surroundings of the family. Not having a character in the story actively 'solving' the murders works just fine.This is a really enjoyable and inspired read.

I've searched for this for years , a difficult task as I couldn't remember the title !!! I only remembered that it was sent in Ancient Egypt ,& was one of the best books that I could remember reading some 65 years ago , this & " And Then There Were None " set me off on a Christie binge that has lasted through the years....highly recommended .

It is often said that Christie is good on plots and poor on characters. I tend to disagree. She excels at presently characters economically. Motivation is everything in this book. The desires, weakness and capabilities of each character are examined. It is all about what drives people and what they are capable of if their happiness or desires are threatened.The setting of ancient Egypt is convincingly presented and adds an extra dimension to the story. This book is so much better than any TV presentation of her stories.