Friday 2 September 2011

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I'm a dedicated Agatha Christie fan, though of all her books my favourites are the ones starring Hercule Poirot. And Then There Were None isn't one of these novels; however it is still one of the best ones. It is the story of ten people who are stranded on an island by a storm. They have all been mysteriously invited to spend time at the house, though none know each other or the owner. The guests are all accused of murder, though most deny it or claim it wasn't their fault. One after another they begin to die, and for each death another little figurine is removed from the dinner table. It becomes obvious that the killer is one of the party, yet as more and more people die the ones that are left do what they can to convince the others that they aren't guilty while still trying to stay alive.

The first time I read the novel I was entirely surprised at the ending. The second time it was slightly more obvious to me throughout, but even then I enjoyed seeing how skilfully the identity of the killer is hidden. Agatha Christie is the best at weaving mysterious plots, and this is one of her most exciting works. Don't peek at the ending though, if you might want to. It won't be nearly as fun if you do.