Murder in Mesopotamia
SYNOPSIS
Out in Mesopotamia, Nurse Leatheran has been asked to join an archaeological dig in order to attend to the nervy and apparently fearful wife of the dig leader, Dr Eric Leidner. It soon transpires that Mrs Leidner has been receiving threatening letters purporting to be from her deceased first husband. Is it some insensitive practical joke on the part of on of the expedition team or is there a more sinister motive behind them> Sure enough, murder soon occurs and fortunately there happens to be a certain famous Belgium detective also travelling in the area and he is called into investigate.
poirot
We meet Poirot for the 13th time in this novel along with a host of suspects
when to read
Obviously this can be a holiday read if your off somewhere hot and sandy! I read it while on holiday in Oman and it couldn't have been more perfect.
murder mystery
A closed circle mystery with only a certain set of suspects who could be the murderer.
mesopotamia (iraq)
Set on an archaeological dig in what was called Meopotamia (from the ancient Greek meaning 'between two rivers' - the Tigris and Euphrates) This region is now known as Iraq but also includes parts of Iran, Syria and Turkey.
Publishing info
Published after 'The A.B.C. Murders' in 1936 and before 'cards on the Table'. also in the same year.
overall rating
3/5
On Screen
Watching Agatha Christie
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie was filmed as part of the ITV feature length episodes and is Season 8 episode 2 starring David Suchet
Murder in Mesopotamia Character List
| Amy Leatheran | Nurse (and narrator) |
| Anne Johnson | Colleague of Dr Leidner |
| Bill Coleman | Young man in his first year with the dig team |
| Captain Maitland | Policeman |
| Carl Reiter | Young photographer at the dig from Chicago |
| David Emmott | Young American in his second year with the dig |
| Dr Eric Leidner | Archaeologist in charge of the dig |
| Dr Giles Reilly | Doctor in Hassaneih and friend of Poirot’s |
| Father Lavigny/ Raoul Menier | French cleric, new to the dig team, specialising in languages |
| Frederick Bosner | Louise Leidner’s first husband, a German spy who was sentenced to death after being discovered but was killed in a train crash while being transported. |
| Joseph Mercado | Colleague of Dr Leidner working at the dig, married to Marie |
| Louise Leidner | American married to Dr Leidner her second husband |
| Mrs Marie Mercado | Wife of Joseph |
| Richard Carey | Colleague to Dr Leidner and in love with Louise |
| Sheila Reilly | Doctor Reilly’s daughter |
| William Bosner | Young brother of Lousie Leidner’s first husband Frederick |
SPOILERS BELOW!
Louise Leidner and Anne Johnson
Her husband – Eric Leidner – aka her first husband Frederick Bosner
If he can’t have her no one can! Eric/ Frederick is so obsessed with his wife Lousie that when he discovers she is attracted to Richard Card – he decides he would rather kill her than bear to see her falling for another man.
When Anne Johnson realises how he killed Louise he kills her to stop her revealing the truth.
Louise is hit over the head with a quern (or rather it is dropped onto her head). Anne Johnson is killed when he swaps her water by the side of her bed for hydrochloric acid. Brutal.
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