When people say, “Agatha Christie is the Queen of Mystery,” it is no cliché. This book is written with high complexity and layers of deep literary symbolism such as foreshadowing. I definitely recommend reading this book. I typically don’t like mysteries, but once I started reading, And Then There Were None, I couldn’t put it down. This book is a thriller and keeps you awake and guessing all night!
Imagine being invited to a rich, fancy party on a private island owned by Mr. U. N. Owen (get it, “unkown”?). Would you take the offer? I would! Now imagine, ten people being invited to this island and the host never even shows up. The ten guests are each accused of a past murder - mysteriously, one-by-one they start dying.
Left alone in this empty house, guests have no sense of comfort, security, or safety. These ten people have nothing a haunting nursery rhyme, a murderer, and each other.
Frightened by their own inner thoughts, and unanswered questions that swirl through their minds, the guests ponder: Who do I trust? Where do I hide? How can I escape? When am I safe? Am I next? Who is the murderer? Will anyone survive? Or will there be none?!?
What I didn’t like: I honestly can’t think of anything negative to say about this book except that I felt so dumb after I finished. In hindsight, the murderer was so obvious! I will probably read the book again to look for more clues and pay more attention to the layers of detail.
What I liked: I love how in And Then There Were None it is solved in the most intelligent, thought-out way possible. The author, Agatha Christie, spent a lot of time thinking and planning this book through. I also like how dialogue is used throughout the book; however, we don’t know who is speaking the words. This creates dramatic effect. The poem by Frank Green titled, “Ten Little Soldier Boys,” adds mystery and confusion as it appears that the deaths of the guests parallel the deaths in the nursery rhyme. How fascinating that Agatha used another’s literary works as the basis of this mystery novel. In addition, I loved the nuanced characterization - page after page, you uncover the characters feelings, thoughts and the fears that give way to their shivers.
Please move forward, And Then There Were None, in the smackdown!!!
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