And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 31st October 2019 by Harper Collins.

Originally published in 1939.

From the cover of the book:

‘We’re not going to leave the island. None of us will ever leave. It’s the end, you see – the end of everything…’

1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast. Cut off from the mainland, with their generous hosts Mr and Mrs U.N. Owen mysteriously absent, they are each accused of a terrible crime. When one of the party dies suddenly they realise they may be harbouring a murderer among their number.

The 10 strangers include a reckless playboy, a troubled Harley Street doctor, a formidable judge, an uncouth detective, an unscrupulous mercenary, a God-fearing spinster, two restless servants, a highly decorated general and an anxious secretary. One by one they are picked off.

Who will survive? And who is the killer? Copies of an ominous nursery rhyme hang in each room, the murders mimicking the awful fates of its ‘Ten Little Soldier Boys’.

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And Then There Were None is the best selling crime novel of all time. Its captivating plot about ten guilty strangers lured to a tiny island off the coast of Devon, and then successively bumped off, is one which has made it a worldwide hit - so much so that in 2015, to mark Christie's 125th anniversary, it was voted the global Favourite Christie novel.

There are many things about this novel that make it memorable: the quite brilliant concept of bringing ten murderers together who have gotten away with their crimes; the cracking locked-room setting; the disturbing ways they meet their ends in relation to the macabre nursery rhyme; and the almost impossible task of identifying the murderer. Only Christie could pull this off, and she was pretty pleased with herself when she managed to her satisfaction.

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 travelling 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 stung one and then there were five.
Five little Soldier Boys going in for law; One got in 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 out and hanged himself and then there were none...

The marks of Christie's genius are all over this mystery. The cast of characters is so beautifully 'Christie' - doctor, judge, detective, mercenary, spinster, general, secretary, playboy, and two apparently meek servants - handpicked from her typical fayre. And yet there is something off about each and every one, as you discover in double quick time in the meat of one her fastest paced novels of all. Her favourite methods of murder all get an airing too.

She creates such a lovely atmosphere of menace on Soldier Island, so near and yet so far from the safety of the mainland , especially when a storm sets in, and the level of fear is curiously heightened in some indefinable way by placing her characters in a stylish, modern house, rather than a creaky old manor. How she builds suspense and suspicion by splitting loyalties within the group is quite marvellous too.

And yet... and yet... no matter how much I enjoy the mystery Christie poses, and despite the well-deserved accolades piled on this story, each time I read this one I find myself vaguely unsatisfied when I turn the last page, and I am not sure why. Perhaps, it has to do with my love of a detective to guide the story and lead you to enlightenment in Christie's novels? For me, this would be so much better with a classic Poirot finger-pointing gathering (albeit with corpses), or a Miss Marple summation over a cup of tea. I cheerfully acknowledge I am clearly in the minority here, though.

In any case, it was lovely to spend time with my favourite of audio book narrators, Hugh Fraser, as I consumed this story once more for my June pick for #ReadChristie2024 as one of her books written in the 1930s. I am looking forward to moving onto Christie's books from the 40s and 50s next!

And Then There Were None is available to buy in multiple formats.

About the author:

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.