And Then There Were None

Synopsis

"TEN . . . "

Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious "U.N. Owen."

"NINE . . . "

At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night, one of the guests is dead.

"EIGHT . . . "

Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one. . . one by one they begin to die.

"SEVEN . . . "

Who among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

Loved

• The mystery! This was my first Agatha Christie book, and I had no idea what a ride I was in for. Now I completely understand why she is called the "queen of mystery." This was one of, if not the only, novel where I had ZERO idea who the murderer could be. This mystery is so baffling and so flawlessly executed (pun intended) that the reader cannot possibly know how the murders happened until we get some answers in the epilogue. I was so wrapped up in the mystery and whodunnit that I spent a night rolling over and waking up a few times- each occasion thinking I had solved the mystery. This is mystery is so fun and engaging because it's completely unsolvable- there is no way for a reader to guess who the murderer is until the answers at the end- which is so baffling and exciting :)

• The writing. This story is flawlessly written- no wrinkles or creases to smooth out- it's truly written perfectly, each detail. Christie says herself in her autobiography that this story was her most difficult to write and that she spent a lot of time and thought into the details- and it shows. Not only was the mystery told painstakingly, her writing also has a witty voice with a touch of charm reminiscent of other classic authors.

• The setting. This is the perfect setting for a delicious murder mystery- an isolated island, a big house with many bedrooms, waves crashing against the shore, and rain dashing against the window while a fire is lit inside. This is a perfect book to cozy up and read while being completely swept up in the thrill and suspense.

• The spookiness. This story had the perfect level of spook- it was very atmospheric and eerie, but it wasn't graphic or gory at all. The "Ten Little Soldier Boys" poem frames the plot with eeriness and dread, as readers can guess what will happen to each of the characters. The counting down of the poem, and subsequently the murders, provides suspense and nervous expectation that makes the story deliciously thrilling. 

• The characters. These characters were perfect because as readers we grow to understand them and like them for their banter and effort to take care of each other, however, we aren't so attached to them that we're devastated at their deaths. I appreciated this aspect, because I hate getting attached to a character before they die. But these characters we don't know long enough to really care about them, however, we are invested in their stories and fates. They have each also done some pretty cruel things in their pasts, which doesn't justify their deaths by any means, but maybe makes us feel a teeny bit less sad for them? :)

Didn't Love

• There's not a single thing I would change about this story! It truly is perfect.

Content

• Language: 
• Frequent uses of "damn" and "hell," a few uses of "bastard."

• Sexual content: 
• None.

• Violence
• Murders occur frequently- none described very graphically.
• They occur through poisoning, shooting, bashing in someone's head, hanging, and drowning. The deaths are not described with much blood, but bodies are described afterward as crushed in, purple, contorted, or bloated.
• Suspense at not knowing if a character is going to be murdered at any moment.
• Talk of past crimes: drowning a child, abandoning men in war, sending a man to his death in war, sentencing a man to death, driving someone to suicide, etc.


• Other themes:
• Suicide. A suicide occurs in this story, and the theme of suicide is prominent as characters try to figure out if deaths were suicides or murders.

Overall Thoughts

I absolutely devoured this story and licked up the crumbs afterward. Saying this story is clever is a complete understatement- it's brilliantly written and perfectly carried out. The mystery of this story is unlike any other whodunnits because of its many layers of careful and genius complexity. This is a story that reaches out from the pages and grabs hold of you- keeping you completely riveted on solving the mystery, whether you're actually reading the book or mulling the clues over while you're going about your day- it doesn't let go of you. This is the most fun I've had reading a book in a while because no matter how much I thought about the clues, I could not piece anything together, which kept me so riveted. I think this is an absolute must read for anyone who loves mysteries and atmospheric thrillers, and it's definitely a new favorite for me that I'll reread throughout my life.