First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion:
“Ten little boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine. Nine little boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight. Eight little boys traveling in Devon; One said he’d stay there then there were seven. Seven little boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in half and then there were six. Six little boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five. Five little boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four. Four little boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three. Three little boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two. Two little boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one. One little boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.”
When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.
Read from August 9, 2020 – August 10, 2020
Why did it take so long for me to read an Agatha Christie novel? I guess it’s because I thought I didn’t like mystery due to some books in this genre that have disappointed me. It turns out I mistook the exception for the rule because recently I’ve read some really great mysteries. This book was referenced in one of them and because Christie is so well known for mystery I decided to give it a shot.
I love how short this book is; I think it’s the perfect length for this kind of story. It jumps right into the plot and there aren’t any slow or boring parts. Of course, even if the characters have their own personalities they aren’t the focus. This is perfectly fine with me because it lets the mystery shine and it’s pretty obvious they’re just meant to be killed off anyways.
As for the reveal, it’s impressive. It’s well thought out and very technical. While the murders are elaborate and complex, they are completely feasible. They were so adequately explained in the letter at the end that I couldn’t believe it. However, when I looked back and reread certain parts, everything matched up and made complete sense.
This book hits that sweet spot where it’s not impossible to guess who the murderer is, but it’s also not easy to. There is a lot of well executed misdirection that often made me doubt my instincts. There are clues that are given, but they aren’t obvious and you have to really think about how they link together. There’s one clue stated at the end that’s a bit of a stretch in my opinion (the mark of Cain), but it doesn’t take anything away from the story for me.
There are still things that I’m still confused by, like how and when the murderer managed to find and arrange Armstrong’s body. It’s not like how sometimes authors leave some things unexplained so that readers can form their own opinions, but instead it makes the explanation feel slightly incomplete. However, it’s entirely possible that these are trivial details that may have just been too redundant to explain.
Also, one small thing I noticed and am probably too pleased by is the fact that the story comes full circle: it starts with the perspective of the murderer and it ends with it.
This was an exciting, quick read and I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Christie’s novels in the future. 4 china soldiers / 5
*Okay, so, after reading some more Agatha Christie books my feelings toward this one have changed. I think I felt pressured to say I liked And Then There Were None more than I actually did because a lot of people really love this book. It’s not bad, but I would definitely drop my rating down to 3 stars. It was good enough to make me want to read more, but doing so made me realize how average this book is (I actually kinda think this was a good thing because the bar wasn’t set too high). I still like the premise and can appreciate that there’s a very plausible solution; it’s just that this book is lacking that wow factor. I just don’t remember feeling super impressed, nor I wasn’t left with a feeling of awe like I was after finishing her other books.*
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