And Then There Were None

Title: And Then There Were None

Author: Agatha Christie

Published in: 1939

Date read: 12th May 2020

Score: 5/5

Genre: Crime, Detective, Thriller, Psychological

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie is a classic whodunit, renowned for its ingenious and chilling plot.

The story gathers ten strangers, each with a dark secret, to a secluded, opulent mansion on Soldier Island (later renamed Indian Island) off the coast of Devon, England. They have been invited by a mysterious host, U.N. Owen, whom none of them has ever met. Among the guests are a judge, a doctor, a general, a schoolteacher, a detective, and a former governess, each representing a different facet of society.

Upon their arrival, they are greeted not by their host, but by a gramophone recording that accuses each of them, in turn, of a past murder or culpable act for which they escaped justice. Soon after, one of the guests dies, seemingly by natural causes, but it quickly becomes apparent that they are being murdered one by one, in a manner that mirrors the lines of a grim nursery rhyme, "Ten Little Soldier Boys," which is found framed in each of their rooms.

Trapped on the island by a storm, cut off from the mainland, and with no way of escape, the dwindling group realizes that their host is among them – or perhaps a hidden killer. Paranoia and suspicion mount as they desperately try to identify the murderer before they themselves become the next victim. The story is a masterclass in psychological tension, as the characters turn on each other, revealing their true natures and fears as their numbers steadily decline. The novel is famous for its almost complete extermination of its cast, leaving readers to piece together the final shocking truth of who the killer was and how they managed to execute such a meticulously planned and seemingly impossible crime.

Comments:
Once again it is clear that so many more recent books and TV series are heavily influenced by her amazingly well planned and executed stories. This is easy to read, impossible to put down.

Books that we've read by Agatha Christie (8):
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1) (1920), The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, #1) (1922), The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2) (1923), The Man in the Brown Suit (Colonel Race, #1) (1924), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4) (1926), The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1) (1930), The Thirteen Problems (Miss Marple, #1) (1932), And Then There Were None (1939)