Unique among Christie’s novels and yet it has a typical Christie plot featuring a family eaten up with jealousy and ambition. The setting of Ancient Egypt makes it one of her best. The details of life and culture in Ancient Egypt can be trusted because of her experience in the area with her archaeologist husband. Highly recommended. ( )

My first Agatha Christie read when I was a preteen! Never to be forgotten! A murder mystery taking place in Egypt 2000 BC. I remember my head spinning with the death of a concubine and also the names! Not your typical Agatha Christie, this book is responsible for my love of murder mystery. ( )

Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie does not follow her normal mystery writing. This story happens in ancient Egypt in 2000 BC. The story centers on three generations of a power hungry family. The older father brings home a concubine and sets her on a pedestal much to chagrin of his adult children. The father must travel to other areas in Egypt and while he is gone, his beloved concubine falls to her death, or has she been pushed. The killer strikes six times before discovery. This story falls into a dark, morbid scenery. The information concerning ancient Egypt and family relationships stimulates the mind, but the tempo clouds this dysfunctional family. No fun or amusing Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple, and each is greatly missed. ( )

This is not the first time I've read this novel - I am re-reading it with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading Group. See my previous review.

When Imhotep, the Ka-priest, returns to his family, he brings with him an unwelcome surprise, a concubine from the North, who is in fact younger than his recently widowed daughter. None of his household like the concubine, and she plainly does not like them. She tries to turn the family against their father and seems determined to stir up trouble.

But what Nofret, the concubine, does, as one of the family remarks, is reveals where trouble and evil already are present.

In the introductory Author's Note Agatha Christie points out that the fact that the action of the book takes place on the West bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 BC is actually incidental to the story. It is a story that could have been played out against any setting. It is a story of jealousy, a father who dominates too much, and children who are chafing against the bit. The murder of the concubine is just the first in a series of incidents, and the author holds various characters up for us to scrutinise.

We see the action mainly through the eyes of Imhotep's daughter Renisenb, who is not always the most reliable judge if character, and she is bewildered as various members of the household are killed, and she is not sure who to trust.

The author puts her knowledge of Egyptian funerary rites and procedures to good use in providing the reader with an authentic background for a solid murder mystery. In all there are 5 murders, enough to overwhelm even the most vigilant family. ( )

“A trifle, a little, the likeness of a dream. And death comes as the end.”
― Agatha Christie, Death Comes as the End

EDIT..8/8/2020
Revisited during storm. Still adore it. First read when I was like eight or nine.

Gave it to my dad during the storm when I was done. He'd never read it. He finished it in a night and LOVED it. And no, did not guess the culprit.

My review:

Why is does this book not have a solid 5 star average rating? Oh no..my bias is showing.

I first read this book as a child, after seeing my lovely Mamacita's copy. Through the years I revisit. Never loses its power.

Agatha Christie's "Death comes as the end" is the only one of her books that I feature on my "favorite books of all time list". It differs from many of her books in several ways.

First off..there is nothing..I repeat..nothing..cozy about this book. I first read it as a child and do not mind admitting it scared the heck out of me. Many of Christie's books have a cozy element to them. This does not.

Second this book is just as much Historical Fiction as a mystery. It takes place in Ancient Egypt. I grew up obsessed with books about Egypt and this one doesn't disappoint. Historical fiction buffs..you will be transported to Egypt via this book. The atmosphere and setting are top notch.

This book has some of the standard things..a murder..who did it..another murder.

But this book is as much about the human element as the crime element..who we are, how we become the people we are, how does the world see us and is that view accurate?

How will we grow and leave the past behind? I would so recommend Death comes as the end. It is interesting that I have read many an Agatha Christie book and while I liked some of them, none really got me involved as this book did.

It is complex, deeply engaging both as Historical Fiction and as a mystery. Do not underestimate the deeply moving and Spiritual element to the story.

A definite five stars. ( )