And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Release Date: November 6, 1939 (ed. Mar. 1, 2003)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rated: Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

'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 an ancient nursery rhyme counting down one by one... as one by one... they begin to die.

'Seven...' Which amongst them is the killer and will any of them survive?

After finishing Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train, I was dying to read another thriller or mystery. And who did I turn to? The Queen herself, Agatha Christie. I normally stick to reading Poirot's mysteries, because the other books didn't seem to carry the same charm for me, but I decided to give this one a go. My sister has raved and raved about this book, claiming that she always gets the endings to Christie's books well before the reveal, but this one stumped her. So, of course, I decided to dive into this one, and WOW. I'm telling you: I've read several of Christie's novels before, and they're all amazing, but I can see why this one is regarded as the best of her books.

The story kind of shifts between the ten different characters, and the perspectives start to narrow down as more of them are killed off. The thing with Christie's standalone books is that you don't feel a particular attachment to any of the characters because they're all just players in a game, and you're waiting to see who comes out on top. That being said, while it was interesting to see why each of the characters were guilty, it was far more interesting to see the manner in which they died. There's a poem (or rhyme) that goes along with the novel:

Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; 
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little soldier boys sat up very late; 
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little soldier boys traveling in Devon; 
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks; 
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive; 
A bee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law; 
One got into chancery and then there were Four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea; 
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo; 
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun; 
One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone; 
He went and hanged himself,

And then there were None.

—Frank Green, 1879

Rather haunting, isn't it? The only nuisance with this one is that I had to keep flipping to the front to find out what the rhyme was to figure out the manner in which they died...and how the next person was going to be killed off.

The ending actually had me confused, despite it's brilliance (of sorts). I had to discuss it with my sister to understand it, and only then I had a clearer answer of the motive behind the murders. Watching the 2015 miniseries (trailer below) actually helped, because not only did it pretty much stick to the original story, it gave a visual answer as to how everything happens and why. It's a fantastic adaptation as well, so I definitely recommend it to those who are fans of this novel or are in for a thrill!

There's absolutely no doubt from me: And Then There Were None was excellent. An excellent mystery written by an excellent author. I wholeheartedly think that this is the best one she's written–her masterpiece. If you haven't read this one, or any other of Agatha Christie's mysteries...you're seriously missing out.

If you like this, try...

• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie ● Goodreads
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins ● Goodreads

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WWW Wednesdays - Week 21

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. To participate, just answer the following three questions:


1) What are you currently reading?
2) What did you recently finish reading?
3) What do you think you'll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I'm a quarter way through with Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and LOVING IT so far :). I'm on the second or third chapter of And The Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky, which I received for the blog tour.


What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Ordeal By Innocence by Agatha Christie, which my aunt lent me. It was really interesting, and reminded me a lot of Christie's other mystery, Five Little Pigs.


What do you think you'll read next?

I borrowed Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder from the library and it looks very interesting, so I might read it next. However, I also have Sister Mischief by Laura Goode for review, and so I need to read that as well and get the review up, 'cause it got released a few days ago.

That's what I'm reading, read and probably going to read for this week! Leave a link to your WWW Wed in the comments, or tell me what you're currently reading!

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

The Reverend Stephen Babbington seldom imbibes, but at a gala thrown by actor Sir Charles Cartwright, he indulges in a cocktail and falls over dead. Since there is no trace of poison or foul play, the case is closed . . . until an identical death at a London party arouses the suspicions of Hercule Poirot. Also published as Murder in Three Acts.


This one, I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT. My sister knew who the murderer was before me, even though she didn't read the book or look it up. She guessed and yes, she was right. Normally with the Hercule Poirot books (haven't read Jane Marple's yet...are they good?) I kinda get a sense in who the muderer/person who committed the crime is. This one caught me off guard. It was still fantastic though, and very brain-wracking.


I only started these books by Agatha Christie from the Summer, when I read first Muder in Mesopotamia, another Hercule Poirot Mystery. Oh. My. God. It was so good, and then I kept reading. I had recommendations, on which ones to read, which ones to avoid and which ones were okay. This one was recommended to be read, and plus, I had nothing else better to do, so I just did okay?


It's a fantastic mystery. I loved how it seems like there's a dead end to the case, and there's no way to solve it, but that's the thing I love about Hercule Poirot, he always reveals it and tells how things came to be, from beginning to end, and I'm like "WOAH!" everytime. I mean, she always adds these small details which seem unimportant and insignificant and yet, it's the key to the whole mystery. Very sneaky...


but none the less, Three Act Tragedy was with no doubt, one of the best Hercule Poirot's I've read so far. Because, after all, nothing turns out  to be what it seems...