The First and Second Attempts on Linnet

Linnet survives a disguised attempt with a boulder before dying in a carefully staged shooting, linking two distinct dangers to the same inheritance target.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

An Uneasy Warning

Linnet Senses Danger Fear without a clear source Linnet tells Poirot that she feels everyone hates her and that the boat is a trap. She cannot identify all the people whose motives trouble her. A warning taken seriously Poirot knows that Jacqueline is not the only possible source of danger. Linnet’s fear prepares the reader to consider more than one attempt on her life.

The Boulder Falls

A Near-Fatal Attack Sudden danger A heavy boulder hurtles down the cliff toward Linnet and Simon as they rest below. Simon pulls her away, and the stone misses them by moments. The attacker unseen No one is visible on the path above when the party looks. The event may be called an accident, but the circumstances raise the possibility that someone has tried to kill her.

Pennington Under Suspicion

A Lie About the Temple A false location Pennington says he was inside the temple when the boulder fell. Poirot knows this is untrue, turning the financier’s account into a clue. Financial motive The attempted attack fits Pennington’s desire to retain control of Linnet’s fortune. He later admits to trying to gain signatures and to the boulder incident, while denying the murder.

A Second Attack Succeeds

The Cabin Shooting A different method Linnet is shot at close range while asleep. The J on the wall points toward Jacqueline, whose threat and earlier shooting make the murder appear personal and impulsive. Greater planning revealed The second attack is not simply another act of anger. The missing weapon and Simon’s apparent injury reveal that a carefully staged conspiracy has replaced the uncertainty surrounding the boulder.

Two Dangers Distinguished

One Victim, Separate Plots Different kinds of intent Pennington’s boulder attack emerges from financial desperation; Simon and Jacqueline’s plot uses careful planning and staged alibis. Both endanger Linnet, but only one produces her murder. A case made clearer Keeping the attacks distinct prevents Pennington’s real misconduct from falsely resolving the central crime. The novel shows that a victim may face several enemies with different motives.

On the Karnak’s outward passage through Nubia

At Abu Simbel on the outward journey

During the inquiry into the boulder incident

The night after the staged shooting of Simon

During Poirot’s final explanation to Race