Information
Goodreads: And Then There Were None
Series: None
Source: Library
Published: 1939
Official Summary
First, there were ten – a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a 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. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.
Review
My primary criterion for determining whether a mystery is good is whether I had a difficult time solving the crime (within fair boundaries; the author has to provide enough clues that it would theoretically be possible for a careful reader to figure out what’s going on). And Then There Were None is only the second Agatha Christie book I have read, but she delivers complex mysteries in a way I haven’t encountered from any other author. (Though I suppose the disclaimer here is that I read only a modest amount of mysteries to begin with.)
A friend recommended this book to me, informing me that he had not cracked the case. Apparently this is common, and Christie got some irate letters from fans during her lifetime, claiming that the whole thing was unfair and impossible to solve. The truth is that Christie does provide enough clues for one to go on, but, wow, this book is tough. I only pieced together a reasonable working theory based on some prodding and hints from my friend. Left to my own devices, I might have sat around, delaying reading the end of the book until I came up with a satisfactory solution, for a good week or so. As it was, I basically threw out a theory I thought was alright but probably wrong, then tossed up my hands and let Christie tell me how the whole thing had been done. If I wanted to come up with a theory I was more certain of, I’d probably have had to reread the book.
So, yes, I was impressed.
Other than that, the book has a good cast of characters. Christie (again, based on the whole two books of hers I have read) seems to have a penchant for throwing together a largish cast of dissimilar characters; minor characters often remark that the group is diverse, spanning different social classes and professions. This adds some variety to the book, and often some clues, if having money or social connections might make a difference as to which characters would have the means to commit certain crimes. Christie does seem to rely on character tropes sometimes, but this does not really bother me. Again, I’m really reading for the mystery, not in-depth character studies.
I think I’m quickly becoming an Agatha Christie fan after reading And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, and I’m planning to pick up more of her books in the future.
I loved And Then There Were None, even though I didn’t read it to try and solve it, but rather to see how witty can her mysteries be, and how original she can make a murder ! I’ve been a fan of her for a long time, and at a point I was binge reading her books. I admit that was long enough ago that I remember zilch zero of them except this one, which I reread. But hey, a book like this just can’t be forgotten ! I remember at the end of it I was absolutely shocked, and kept thinking about the genius of it for a long time after !
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It took me quite a while to to get a good guess at the murderer. Every time I thought I had something, there was a big plot hole that meant that person couldn’t have done it! So frustrating, yet so good at the same time.
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And in the end it turned out to be something I overlooked completely ! So simple, yet it isn’t obvious ! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for what you think of Christie’s other books 😀
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I’ve not read this one, but she really could write intriguing tales.
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Yes, I’ve been really impressed by the two I’ve read so far, and I’m not exactly an avid mystery reader.
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I’ve read a lot of Agatha Christie books, but you started with my two favorites! Looking forward to see which of her books you pick up next and what you think of it.
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They were recommended to me by a friend–who has only read these two books by Christie. :p So I guess I’ll have to pick randomly from now on!
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You have lots to choose from! Although these two stood out from the rest for me, I thought all of her books were enjoyable. Happy picking! 😉
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This is such a great book–I could never have guessed who the culprit was and the ending came as a shock! I’m so glad you liked it. 🙂
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It took me a very, very long time to get a reasonable guess at the culprit! Every time I thought of a theory, I realized there was a huge hole in it!
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These are two of my favorites. You should try Death on the Nile too, or Murder in Mesopotamia. I love the local flavor that she added in them.
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Thanks for the recommendations! The friend who recommended these two hasn’t read any other Christie, so I didn’t have any plans for what to read next!
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And how could I forget The Murder of Roger Ackroyd? Classic Christie!
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Totally agree with you that Christie writes mysteries with enough clues that make it seem like you can solve them, but they are ridiculously hard to solve. This is such a great mystery – I’m glad you liked it! I would recommend watching the 2015 mini series adaptation of it too – they did a great job with the story I thought. And I’m seconding the recommendation for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd!
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Oooh good old Agatha Christie! Will definitely need to pick up some of her titles soon.
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I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to read any of her books!
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The fact that Christie write tricky mysteries but always gives you the information you need to solve them is one of my favorite things about her. I don’t read many mysteries either, but I would read more if I thought there were more authors out there like Christie!
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Same! I feel as though I’ve read too many that are too obvious or don’t give you enough clues .
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This sounds so good!! Great review!
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