When Ridgeway is murdered suspicion naturally falls on de Bellefort but she has a cast iron alibi. Ridgeway stole him away from her and she seems intent on extracting some sort of retribution. The journey is soured by the appearance of Jacqueline de Bellefort, the ex-flame of Ridgeway's husband. The host is the extremely wealthy, recently married, heiress Linnet Ridgeway. Hercule Piorot is holidaying in Egypt when he is invited aboard a cruise down the Nile.