“Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine,” wrote Agatha Christie in her book And Then There Were None. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a masterpiece of a murder mystery. Eight strangers are invited to an island owned by Mr. Owen off the coast of Devon, in England. When the eight guests arrive on the island, which can only be reached by a boat that goes to and from the island once a day, they are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, who are in charge of the house. Mr. Owen has yet to arrive. Together, they make ten. Soon after they arrive, one of the guests drops dead. Following events make it clear that the guest’s lives are in danger as well. The boat stops coming and the people on the island fervently try to find the murderer before they too are killed.

There are several adaptations of the book. One is a BBC television series that was broadcast was in 2015. The original movie adapted from the book was released in 1945.

The book is wonderfully thought out with clues carefully laid that foretell the end of the story. The characters are all complex figures who can be either sympathized with or despised. All the characters are introduced in unique ways and the setting is wonderfully described. Furthermore, it is difficult to discern who the villain is or what is going to happen next, which keeps the reader entranced.The only thing I have against the novel is the way in which the solution is presented at the end. It is almost apart from the main storyline and seemed to be sort of a choppy ending. However, the book is otherwise magnificent.

Overall, And Then There Were None is a beautiful murder mystery that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. To be completely honest, I was not able to put the book down. I would give it a 9 out of 10 and would completely recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery or even a well written story.

Kathleen Kenney

A&E Writer