And Then There Were None

SYNOPSIS Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past Lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die... Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive? REVIEW For the most part, this book has aged well, though there are certainly aspects that do not align with today’s values, including attitudes toward racial inequality and drinking and driving. There are also references to electric lighting as a relatively new luxury available mainly to the wealthy. However, it is important to keep in mind that this book was written in 1939 and reflects the social norms and realities of its time. This is classic Agatha Christie. She writes mysteries so masterfully that there is almost nothing left to say that hasn’t already been said. She builds suspense beautifully and creates memorable, well-developed characters. There is little to no diversity among the characters, which reflects the time period in which the book was written and the limited representation common in popular literature of that era. At the heart of the story is a seemingly unsolvable crime that Christie intricately yet smoothly unravels. Every detail eventually falls into place, and the explanation is both clever and satisfying. Best of all, you never see the whodunit coming.

Agatha Christie weaves a unique and intriguing mystery in And Then There Were None. I didn't find the deaths contrite and I loved the use of the nursery rhyme to give clues not only to the reader, but the characters in the book. Modern mystery writes could certainly use her works as a beacon of how to write true mystery with well developed characters and plot twists that leave the reader guessing. What seems obvious is often not, what seems insignificant is of major consequence and that is how a mystery should be. Certainly a "good read!"

A slow burner... very knives out, clue, who done it. If thats your thing, this books for you. Personally, it bored me.

I started this one on Kindle and genuinely struggled to keep track of who was who on the page, so I switched to audio and everything clicked. Ten strangers, a creepy island, a gramophone that outs everyone as a murderer, and then they start dropping one by one in the most theatrical ways possible. It's basically the blueprint for every locked-room thriller ever made, and you can feel that DNA all the way through. My only gripe is that the ending leans on a confession letter that feels a little too convenient after such a gripping buildup, but that's a small complaint for a story that kept me completely hooked.

it was a cool book to read if you read it from the standpoint of “what would you do in this situation?” but as far as the writing style, it was structurally flawed in many ways which I guess could be credited to the time. Agatha did a great job, but maybe this writing style is somewhat obsolete in its approach. I could imagine that in 1929, this was monumental, though, given the state of the world at the time and how women were treated. She created a universe out of her own imagination. Even if it isn’t my favorite book, I have to respect the craft. The sheer effort and creativity.