And Then There Were None

Agatha Christie

Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 2011

Mystery genre, one of Agatha Christie’s most popular books

Brief Synopsis

The main characters in the plot are ten people who are invited to a week long vacation on a private island. They don’t know each other and they all received their invitations with specific instructions of when and how to get to the island. The island is accessible from the mainland only by boat in acceptable weather. At the end they all mysteriously die during a bad few day storm. Nobody is left on the island and nobody could have escaped during the storm. 

Overall impression

The book is fascinating with the impossibility of finding out what exactly happened to these ten people. The plot is beautifully crafted and is actively moving right along. The dialogue is lively and engaging. The book had me guessing till the very end. My favorite aspect of the book was the fast changing setting and action, and the surprise of who the next victim would be. I also liked the way Christie has intertwined the children’s innocent rhyme in this macabre story. I highly recommend this book. It is delightfully scary and it won’t let the reader put it down. No guess is a good guess, which makes the plot enthralling and absorbing. Any reader with some free time and a desire to spend a pleasant afternoon with a book on the beach or inside in bad weather would enjoy this mystery. It goes well with a few cups of English tea and raspberry scones. Bring in a blanket as well, get cozy, turn off the phone and read on. 

Quotation

“Into the silence came The Voice. Without warning, inhuman, penetrating….

“Ladies and gentlemen! Silence please!”,” (38).