From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…

Murder in Mesopotamia (Hercule Poirot, #14)

Agatha Christie

Discussion: Books Set Around the Middle East

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 16 topics — 556 comments total

Books Set Around the Middle East

* Middle Eastern Authors
By Diane , Armchair Tour Guide · 18 posts · 638 views

last updated Nov 21, 2024 09:07AM

Lebanon
By Diane , Armchair Tour Guide · 28 posts · 1253 views

last updated Jul 29, 2025 04:55PM

showing 10 of 29 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Apr 19, 2013 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, middle-east

A classic locked-room puzzler that charmed me less for how Christie lays out the plot but for Nurse Leatheren and her refreshing lack of interest in the exotic setting of her latest job. Sometimes, it's nice to read something set abroad that doesn't feel the need to wrap in the entire text of three different monographs on the country through awkward exposition downloads. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2017 Nanosynergy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017read, fiction, fiction-1930s, reviewed, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, series, british

Hercule Poirot visits an archaeology dig in Iraq of archaeologist Dr. Leidner and his wife Louise. The atmosphere is tense and foreboding. Louise Leidner is inexplicably afraid for her life and to comfort her, Dr. Leidner hires a nurse to care for her, apparently not believing his wife is in any real danger and having psychological issues instead. However, when Louise Leidner is found murdered in her bedroom with all the doors and windows shut, Poirot engages the grey cells in pursuit of the kil ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2021 Lisa of Hopewell rated it liked it

Shelves: audio-books, read-in-2021

My Interest

THE book of 1936 was Gone With the Wind. I’ve read it too many times to count and could probably write a dissertation on both the book and the film. I am one semester from finishing a graduate certificate program so reading time is not plentiful right now. Therefore I picked the easiest read from my list. (You can read my choices here, if interested.) If I can get a second book done–that’s great. But, for now, dear Agatha has come to the rescue with a nice, short murder story.
The Stor ...more

Like · see review

Jul 26, 2015 Astrid Lim rated it liked it

Shelves: thriller-mystery, classic, series, british, agatha-christie

UPDATES:
3,5 stars!

Rereading this for #ReadChristie2022 and still enjoyed it. The setting is one of a kind, the characters are intriguing, and the combination of Nurse Leatheran as the narrator (pretty critical, too) with Poirot as the detective, is so good here. My only complain is the twist- stretching a bit too far, IMO - but still, thrilling!

I have read this book several times before but as usual- Agatha Christie could always cheer me up. The setting of Middle East in the 30s is pretty vivid ...more

Like · see review

Oct 24, 2024 Ann rated it really liked it

I've been marathoning Agatha Christie books and this stood out to me for several reasons:
1. It's set in the Middle East
2. Its link to Agatha Christie's marriage to an archaeologist
3. The narrator is different - the nurse's POV was refreshing
4. The meta comments were funny - Sherlock references, a Wodehouse character, etc. ...more

Like · see review