Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)

I">http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8086516

I doubt that I will read this book. I've read a few of Agatha Christie's books when I was younger and I always got annoyed by the character of Poirot. I think it is his arrogance that drives me nuts...

The movies that were made out of her books are the same for me. That little man coming around to solve the problem... no, not for me.

Having only read a few of Agatha Christie's works I appreciate that she tried something new, writing the book as one of the characters in the story.

Nurse Leatheran is called to a dig in Iraq to care for the wife of the head archaeologist. Mrs Leidner is afraid she will be murdered and eventually she is. Poirot happens to be in the Middle East and is brought on to the case. After a few days he's gotten everyone in the dig crew to spill their secrets and of course solve the case.

I did enjoy the last few passages that wrap-up what happened to everyone in the crew. Poirot is said to be traveling home via the Orient Express and had to solve another case. I thought it was nice tie-in to one of Christie's more famous novels. ( )

En arrivant sur le chantier de fouilles de Tell Yarimjah, miss Amy Leatheran ouvre de grands yeux. Quoi de plus dépaysant pour une jeune infirmière que ce pays exotique. cette équipe d'archéologues installés loin de tout ? Et quelle mission singulière que d'avoir à veiller sur la belle Mrs Leidner, en proie à des hallucinations et terreurs diverses... Miss Leatheran a tâcher de s'acquitter au mieux de ses fonctions. Mais de masques terrifiants paraissant à la fenêtre en menaçantes lettres anonymes, les angoisses de Mrs Leidner vont finir par? l'étreindre à son tour. Et lorsque cette dernière sera découverte assassinée, Amy continuera de n'en pas perdre une miette, ayant le privilège d'assister de près à une enquête de l'illustre Hercule Poirot…

Poirot joins a dig part way through (on his way to solving the "Murder on the orient express") after Mrs Liedner dies. Usual red herrings and underlying passions, secrets and lies are uncovered before the murderer is found

A skillfully written murder mystery that shows why Agatha Christy is still a great read. Set in the middle east during the early part of the 20th century at an archaeological dig, I found it interesting for both the archaeology part, and the mystery. The characters are all flawed and could all be the murderer, but only one of them did it.
I picked this book up because I read in Archaeology Magazine that Agatha

Christie was at an archaeological dig at Ur in the 1920s, and she didn't get along with the other woman at the dig. Apparently, the murder victim in this book was very similar to the other woman. Sometimes it's not a compliment to be the inspiration for a novel! ( )