A review by debs
Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie

adventurous mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Hori was my favourite character, throughout – so perceptive! I loved how pure-hearted yet practical Renisenb was (she was by far the most sensible of the women), but was also frustrated at how she missed the big clue in Satipy’s drastically changed behaviour and reluctance to let her see that something behind her at the first death, as well as her inability to understand Hori’s beautiful metaphors. I was most curious about Nofret and what had brought her to such a place of “nafrat” (hatred) in her life. Esa made such a great detective – where I had only expected Hori to be so with that unbiased distance from the family. I know I would’ve been as naïve as Renisenb :P 

I was angry at Kameni for not loving Nofret back before she turned hateful, and was glad of the karma that came to him in the end. It made no sense how the women of the house hated one another, regardless of whether it was a man’s world or not. For example, if I were Nofret or Renisenb, I would’ve chosen to love the other and share Kameni; and if I were Henet, I would’ve loved Ashayet for being more beautiful than me. Towards the latter end of the novel, I honestly thought Kameni would be the unsuspected perpetrator. He seemed heartless with women, he was a scribe who would’ve learnt of poisons in the North, and he could’ve taken Renisenb’s inheritance with her, with her brothers out of the way. But in classic Christie style, Agatha surprises us all!  I had only suspected Yahmose when he was alone with Satipy when she fell, and when he almost did – but didn’t – die (I wasn’t sure whether he was feigning his weakness afterwards). I loved Renisenb’s ending with Hori!