What to Read This Summer/Fall
Murder on the Nile by Verity Bright-- 1920s Cozy Mystery
Thank you Bookoture, Verity Bright and NetGalley for an e-ARC. All opinions in this review are my own and not affected by the giveaway.
This was a convoluted mystery! I'm not quite sure what happened exactly. I read it twice but everything happened so quickly. I was annoyed that a villain got away and another didn't really have to pay for their crimes. At first I was worried about comparing the story and setting to my beloved Amelia Peabody but this one pays homage to Agatha Christie more than Elizabeth Peters. There was one character who reminded me of the MC in Amelia's books. It's not about archaeology although there is some history of that and the mystery is rooted in the recent past. The story relays the information about what a sensation the finding of King Tut's tomb was and how everyone wanted to get rich and famous. It addresses Egyptian independence and British military control, the looting of tombs (What is the purpose of archaeology? Is it a good thing or bad?) and the removal of artifacts from the country illegally. There's a little more recent history than in Amelia's books since this one takes place after the last Amelia book. I learned some new things about what happened after Amelia's journals leave off and that was great.
Never fear, there's still plenty of banter between Ellie and Clifford and a few scenes with the ladies and the pets. The ladies' new hobby made me almost laugh out loud! Can you imagine the cook belly dancing? LOL! The antics of the pets are adorable as always and make this qualify as a cozy mystery.
Dear Ellie is so compassionate and has such a big heart. She's very sweet but she can be tough when she wants to be. I felt her confrontational method of solving the murder was just shooting in the dark and not effective. She also could have found herself in some serious trouble sneaking around on her own. Clifford is remarkable and it's amazing he always knows what Ellie is thinking. I missed having Hugh investigate with them and the quirky characters Clifford always seems to know. Hugh was very much in Ellie's thoughts though which is nice. What I really liked about this story is how complimentary people are about Ellie's intelligence and bravery. No one puts her down for having bicycled alone around the globe the way they do back home. That's how it should be but we all know when a woman does something even the least bit extraordinary, she gets pushback or all anyone wants to mention is her looks. Ellie is beautiful, strong, brave and intelligent.
The new characters are not very likable. I only enjoyed one because they reminded me of a lovable character who is not what they seem in the Amelia Peabody mysteries. Deckhand Farah doesn't speak English. He's not too intelligent and gets caught up in things he doesn't understand. Captain Anders is sleazy, cheap, lazy and not very nice. He's never around when Ellie asks, not even to greet his passengers or dine with them. Is he even on board? If so, doesn't he have someone else to help pilot the ship? It's such an odd, old boat and the brochure technically doesn't lie but the photos are misleading. This guy is suspicious and probably up to no good.
The passengers are not a jolly lot. Herr Ernest Piltz is German and obviously suspicious because it's just after WWI. He claims to be traveling for business but why is he on this old, creaky, leaky boat if he has to be somewhere for work? He's not friendly and seems suspicious beyond his nationality. Ludo and Frederika de Groot are supposedly married but I think she's way too quick to announce her surname and the fact they are a married couple. I think they are not married. Ellie won't care but for propriety's sake they must pretend. I think he's married to someone else. Frederika is more intelligent and dominant. She's sharp and seems to know who Ellie is somehow. Has the news of Ellie's murder solving exploits become widely known? Ellie seems worried about that. Ludo is a fussy man who can't agree with his "wife" on anything but he's aware when he hurts her and after a good sulk, apologizes. I appreciate that. However, one or both of them could be a murderer!
Wesley Merrick is also traveling on business. He's a pompous businessman of some sort and likes to brag about how it's not his first time in Egypt. He has followed his wealthy father into business by being the dutiful son. How far is he willing to go to protect his business interests - whatever they are? I'm guessing import/export (as in illegal exports)? Lieutenant Baxter acts like a total pompous, arrogant English military gentlemen. He has little use for women or foreigners. Then his behavior changes and he seems nervous almost and tries to hold cryptic conversations with Ellie. Is he suffering from shell shock (not battle fatigue, that's a WWII term) as Clifford suggests? I don't think so. I get the impression something happened in his past in the military he now regrets. He wants to make amends. He may have stolen something and/or killed someone. The clues seem to suggest it. The actual story is pretty complicated and tragic.
Yakub Sharaf, from near Cairo, is traveling to Bawaaba. He's kind and Ellie is respectful of his beliefs. Of course the arrogant Europeans also traveling on the boat are less kind. They don't know who he really is and why he's on the boat! He's far more astute than anyone gives him credit for and a good man. He's the most likable of the passengers. Also likable is Felix Trott, a goofy herpetologist. He's a bit of an idiot and probably lying about his profession but not it being a passion. He's continually going on about crocodiles and making Merrick squeamish. Merrick loathes and fears reptiles of all kinds. Who doesn't fear crocs and snakes? No thank you! Arthur Barr, a cockney rogue, probably escaped prison a time or two, is a man on the make in Egypt. He'll do anything as long as the pay is good. He's quite an enjoyable character. At first I didn't like him or see the necessity of this type of person but he grew on me, especially at the end. Mahmoud Zaki is another one I didn't like at first. He runs a nightclub probably a brothel and is rumored to be a smuggler and gun runner. He's scary in a mob boss way. His revelations about himself are surprising and made me like him a little bit more. I don't trust him though.
Overall, this was another great adventure. I think I will give it another look over before the release date. I was speed reading towards the end! I look forward to Ellie's arrival back at Henley Hall and hope she stays put for awhile. I don't know how many people in the area can be murdered but I do love it when she's home.
