And Then There Were None

This may be one of my favorite mysteries; I could barely put the book down. Granted, this title is not full of examples of faith precisely, but Agatha Christy was a devout Anglican (like C.S. Lewis). If one is going to write mysteries, one must appreciate Agatha Christy. She was an incredibly prolific author of some truly high-quality fiction. 

This was the first title I read of hers, and it set me on a path to begin collecting her books. This tale has so many elements that build tension and create a great mystery—from the isolation of the setting to… show more.

I adore Agatha Christie, and this, for me, is perhaps her best murder mystery. She was so masterful in this genre, and when my book is even compared to hers, I feel very proud. She likes to give virtually all of her characters a motive to kill, so it’s never until the end that all is revealed.

I like how Agatha Christie takes a darker turn in this book. Most of the time, I associate her works with a comfortable crime mystery, but that is not the case with this title. The mind games and mystery created within these pages made for an enthralling read that kept me guessing to the end.

The other aspect I loved was how the environment and setting were really a character all of their own and had a profound effect on the characters there on the island, as well as the reader.

I loved this book because Agatha Christie is at her most ruthless in it. It crushes the idea that she is the queen of cozy crime–there is nothing remotely cuddly about what happens on this island.

I really enjoyed the skillful way that details were gradually revealed about each visitor’s past, drawing me into the story. Then shock followed shock as an unseen hand meted out long overdue punishments.

I found these delayed retributions horrifying, yet at the same time richly deserved. The eventual solution to the mystery is as ingenious as it is satisfying. 

I love an island setting and of course, Agatha Christie always delivers.

I love the pacing, the brilliant characters, and the terror of the situation they find themselves in. Stuck on an island, dying one by one, obviously and terrifyingly.

They’re desperate to leave, but there’s only one way out—creepy and satisfying suspense. 

This book has inspired an entire genre of content where a group of people find themselves in a situation similar to her secluded island...and they cannot leave. I just ticked off a handful of books and TV shows that use this model, and I enjoy them all.

In the novel, multiple points of view drive the narrative, and the perpetrators choose the victims based on their own dubious, possibly criminal, histories. I found the reduction of the soldiers on the dining room table as each person dies to be diabolically brilliant, ratcheting up an already unbearable tension.

I strive to… show more.

This book is a classic murder mystery for a reason. The suspense and pacing that the story took me as a reader was fantastic all the way through.

Each of the characters (and their deaths) were well-crafted, and the twist at the end made for a great surprise. I also enjoyed the development that the book gave to the soon-to-be victims’ increasing fear and panic over their situation.

The emotional pressure between the characters affected their future actions throughout the story, creating this domino effect of tragedies up until the very end.

Agatha Christie will forever be queen of the murder mystery. She has more than one novel set at parties, but And Then There Were None is the best of the best in my mind.

The premise – ten strangers summoned to an island for a party by an eccentric millionaire – almost feels like a trope now, it’s been done and redone so many times. That’s because Christie did such a magnificent job of it, writers and storytellers will forever pay homage to her by plucking this setup and reworking it in wonderful ways.

And Then There Were None is a masterclass in plotting and misdirection by the Queen of the Locked Room Thriller.

And despite a large cast, it’s also amazingly economical in the way it’s written, coming in at under 55,000 words. I’m prone to overwriting – so it’s a great reminder to me that, no matter how complex I think my plot is, being ruthless when it comes to editing those early drafts will deliver a better reading experience.

I’ve been recommending books that readers may not already be familiar with, but I can’t leave out the mistress of puzzling mysteries.

In this one, it seems as though there can be no solution to the murders, although there’s no shortage of suspects until they start getting killed off, one by one.

Christie maintains suspense continuously, which made it hard for me to put the book down. The complex plot always hangs together and the denouement is thoroughly satisfying.

As a writer, I can only aspire to what Christie created—and not just in this one book. Her craft amazes me.