And Then There Were None: Book Review

One of the most well known authors has one of the most popular novels under her belt. Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is a timeless classic and is one of the reasons she’s sold the most novels in the world all-time. Find out why you should read this timeless novel next!

And Then There Were None Summary

Eight people receive personal invitation to a small island. They accept and arrive on the island but find out from the butler and the cook that the Ulick Norman Owen and Una Nancy Owen have not arrived yet but have left instructions for the guests.

As the guests make their way to their rooms, an old rhyme called “Ten Little Indians”hangs in every room. After supper is served and eaten, a phonograph record plays and accuses all ten guests of murder.

The guests start talking and realize that none of them knows the Owens. One guest even points out that the guests adds up to Unknown. One of the guests finishes his drink and falls and dies.

Now the mystery of who the Owens are becomes important as someone has been killed and what the guests have in common. As the novel progresses and the victims pile up, we dive deep into the mystery and the checkered past of the ten guests.

Date and Location

The novel takes place in the 1930s on Soldier island, a small isolated island off the Devon coast which is in South West England. And to make matters worse for the characters, the island is cut off from the mainland, trapping them on the island with the killer.

Best Selling Crime Novel

This novel is the best selling crime novel of all time and has influenced many novels over the decades. And Then There Were None is also given the title of the sixth best-selling title of all time. Christie is regarded as the best mystery novelist and in this novel, we see exactly why. She sets up a wonderful scene and teases the reader and making our imagination run wild.

But this novel wasn’t without its own drama. The novel’s nursery rhyme had a racist name and the novel was published with that cover in the U.K. In the U.S., the novel’s title was changed as the title was too controversial, even in 1937.

Agatha Christie’s Disappearance

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days and it was all the public was talking about. On the 11th day, Christie was found staying at a hotel and said she didn’t remember the previous 11 days. Many people speculated what exactly happened and many theories were thrown around, one claiming it was all a publicity stunt.

For all we know, it could have been a mental breakdown because this occured after Christie adressed her husband and his affair with his mistress. Christie has never shed light on this event. But it is hard to ignore because it sounds like something from one of her novels.

The Best Mystery Writer of All Time

The success and influence of this novel alone would give Christie bragging rights as one of the best mystery writers ever. But she has many books that are just as good as this novel or even better. When a poll was done to see which were people’s favorite book by christie, And Then There Were None was the winner.

The golden age of mystery takes place around the same time as Christie’s career as a writer. It comes as no surprise that she is called the queen of mystery. And while is was one of many authors that helped make it th golden age of mystery, she was and is easily the face of that golden age as well as the first mystery writer that comes to mind.

Conclusion

The mystery genre is filled with thousands of authors and hundreds of thousands of books. But all books lead back to Christie. And if you had to read just one book by her, then this is the one.

Many authors have copied Christie’s whodunit format and have imitated her murder mysteries. Some novels have used the exact formula of And Then There Were None. That alone should ebcourage you to read this classic mystery novel and see why fans love her novels, especially this one.

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