and then there were none book review quizlet

And Then There Were None

By agatha christie.

'And Then There Were None' is a deceptively simple read, yet it ranks beyond the archetype of a regular mystery novel. Here are reasons to love this mystery masterpiece.

Article written by Israel Njoku

Degree in M.C.M with focus on Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

‘ And Then There Were None ‘ by Agatha Christie has remained a favorite among many generations of mystery readers. However, among critics, the reception is mixed but mostly positive. Here is a breakdown of the elements that make the novel the celebrated piece that it is.

Agatha Christie’s ‘ And Then There Were None ‘ narrates the story of ten strangers who are brought together from several walks of life to an island where they are all killed in mostly mysterious circumstances. It turns out that these characters had all at one point or the other in their lives, committed murder but got away without being punished for it in any way at all.

The manner of their deaths is patterned around the nursery rhyme, ‘Ten Little Indians.’ Also, when they arrive on the Indian Island, there are ten soldier figurines on the dining table whose number keep reducing to match the number of people who have died at any moment in time.

The story of ‘And Then There Were None’ significantly advances Agatha Christie’s reputation as a pioneering and influential mystery writer. The novel’s ingenious plotting, impactful endings, and complex characterization showcase Christie’s talent and earned her the title “Queen of Mystery.” Its enduring global appeal, cultural significance, and exploration of timeless themes further solidify her status as one of the most celebrated authors in literary history.

• Plot Twists

The plot twists in Agatha Christie’s, ‘ And Then There Were None’ is widely acclaimed and considered some of the best in the mystery genre. Christie’s gradual unraveling of the mystery, suspenseful tension, and unexpected revelations keep readers engaged and guessing throughout the story. The twists have multiple layers and present moral dilemmas, adding depth and intellectual stimulation to the narrative. The iconic ending, in particular, leaves a lasting impact on readers

Great Characterization

One key strategy that Christie employs in the presentation of her characters is long internal monologues. In this way, she gives the reader an insight into the personality of the character. She also employs a variety of techniques to enact the ominous and suspenseful mood that subsists throughout the story. For example, when the old man who is on board the same train as Blore tells him that a storm is coming and that it is judgment day, that already foreshadows the subsequent events which are going to happen shortly afterward. There is also a buildup of psychological suspense even before the deaths begin to happen. Christie can achieve this through that voice recording which accused the characters of murders that they had one way or another been associated with earlier in their lives. This triggers guilt feelings in the characters, thereby setting the mood for the deaths to seem inevitable and justified.

The author did a splendid job with the characters she created . They are part of what helps sustain the mystery of the plot through to the end. Christie took the time to differentiate and develop each character with just the appropriate amount of detail, personality depth, and complexity. That is part of how even the characters themselves become wary of each other. There is no room for taking anyone at face value. Because there is always more to each one of them than meets the eye. The same attitude is what the reader is forced to adopt throughout until the full resolution of the story.

The novel had sometimes been criticized as an unfair mystery story, the idea being that in a standard mystery sequence, a crime is committed, then a detective emerges to solve the crime, and the reader follows along as the detective makes his discoveries. In other words, by following the excursion of the detective who is attempting to solve the crime, the reader expects to be able to put things together and tell with a considerable degree of certainty who the villain is. Agatha Christie breaks this familiar pattern and keeps the reader guessing all through to the end. And even so, the reader does not find out for sure who the killer is until the Epilogue and by a written confession of the killer himself. This means that technically the crime is not even solved, or it is solved, but the criminal and the detective are rolled up in the same character by the name of Wargrave. In this way, Agatha Christie renders the story doubly mysterious.

The novel, nevertheless, does assert a certain moral order. The actions of Wargrave do not go entirely unpunished. By taking it upon himself to kill these other people on the pretext of being an agent of justice, he in turn makes himself a murderer. This means that even according to his own standards of justice, he cannot afford to go unpunished. In this way, the author manages to reassert the code of classic detective stories whereby every crime goes with a certain punishment, and nobody gets away with any infraction, no matter how insignificant or secret.

'And Then There Were None' Review

Book Title: And Then There Were None

Book Description: The best-selling mystery novel of all time written by Agatha Christie

Book Author: Agatha Christie

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Collins Crime Club

Date published: November 6, 1939

ISBN: 0-00-231835-0

Number Of Pages: 256

• Lasting Impact on a Reader

'And Then There Were None' Review

If ever there was any doubt as to the renown of Agatha Christie as ‘The Queen of Crime’, she rids every iota of that doubt with the brilliance and creativity she displayed in ‘ And Then There Were None’.  The novel engages the mind and imagination of readers so much that readers find themselves wondering about the supernatural. After taking readers down a maze of suspense and plot twists, the reader is rewarded with an ending so reasonable and logical that it cannot be faulted. Agatha Christie is indeed the author to read for all lovers of mystery.

• Characters with Depth
• Artistic Quality
• logical Resolution
• Graphic Details
• Too Many Deaths

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About Israel Njoku

Israel loves to delve into rigorous analysis of themes with broader implications. As a passionate book lover and reviewer, Israel aims to contribute meaningful insights into broader discussions.

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And Then There Were None

By agatha christie, and then there were none quiz 1.

• 1 In what part of the English countryside is the novel set? Manchester London Lancaster Devon
• 2 In what season of the year does the novel take place? fall winter summer spring
• 3 What is the name of the film star who is rumored to have bought the mansion on Indian Island? Garielle Turl Ginger Openheimer Heather Sprig Mona Mason
• 4 What is Mr. Justice Wargrave's former profession? businessman minister judge teacher
• 5 Who offered Lombard 100 guineas to perform his job on Indian Island? Colonel Sprite the little Jew the shady man Mr. Owens
• 6 Who does General Macarthur believe to have bought Indian Island? Mr. Owens Heather Sprig Gabrielle Turl the Admiralty
• 7 What does the old man in Mr. Blore's cabin predict will happen? Mr. Blore will find love There will be sunshine There will be a squall The train will break down
• 8 How many times was Agatha Christie married? two four one three
• 9 Which two travelers stay behind at the train station when they arrive in Oakbridge? Gabrielle Turl and Miss Brent Anthony Marston and Dr. Armstrong Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard Miss Brent and Mr. Justice Wargrave
• 10 Who drives a "very powerful car?" Anthony Marston Miss Brent Dr. Armstrong Mr. Justice Wargrave
• 11 What is Mr. Narracott's job? boat captain doctor butler military officer
• 12 Who signed Mr. Justice Wargrave's invitation letter? Constance Culmington Mrs. Owens Heather Sprig Gabrielle Turl
• 13 What kind of literature is "Ten Little Indian Boys?" a play nursery rhyme a novel a story
• 14 What word does Vera Claythorne use to describe Mrs. Rogers, the maid? tired worn excited fear
• 15 After dinner on the first night, where do Mrs. Claythorne and Miss Brent retire? drawing-room their bedrooms the sea shore the front porch
• 16 What is a gramophone? a computer a tape player a record player a bullhorn
• 17 After the voice accuses them all of murder, who faints? Miss Brent Mrs. Rogers Mr. Blore Vera Claythorne
• 18 What pseudonym does Mr. Blore give to the guests when he first meets them? Mr. Owen Mr. Street Mr. Curry Mr. Davis
• 19 Mr. Owen's letter to Mr. Rogers is on stationary from what hotel? Ritz Embassy Marriott Hilton
• 20 What is Mr. Blore's job away from the Island? police officer criminal detective accountant
• 21 When Mr. Justice Wargrave thinks deeply, what habit does he display? taps his foot rubs his knee strokes his upper lip his eyes twitch
• 22 What is the name of the boy that Vera Claythorne is accused of murdering? Phillip Peter Cyril Hugo
• 23 According to Lombard, what is man's first duty? self-preservation make money justice care for others
• 24 How does Anthony Marston describe his own accusation of murder? bad luck a lie a half-truth a job well done
• 25 What positive outcome occurred to the Rogers after their employer died? They were released from duty no positive outcome They received an inheritance They were given a house

And Then There Were None Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for And Then There Were None is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why did the last three dolls stay before Vera broke two?

Chapter please?

What can you analyze about chapter 13 page 211

In chapter thirteen, the characters of the novel begin to seem less than human to each other. Each seems to take on the characteristics of an animal: Wargrave is a tortoise, Vera is a terrified animal, Lombard is like a terrifying tiger. These...

Who goes down to get General Macarthur for lunch?

Dr. Armstrong volunteers to get the General for lunch.

Study Guide for And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None study guide contains a biography of Agatha Christie, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About And Then There Were None
• And Then There Were None Summary
• Character List

Essays for And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

• Murder: In the Name of Justice
• Don't Be Such a Copycat!: From "And Then There Were None" to "Ten"
• Although There Were None, but There Were Still Some Archetypes
• Wargrave, Armstrong, Claythorne: The Guiltiest Characters in And Then There Were None

Lesson Plan for And Then There Were None

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to And Then There Were None
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• And Then There Were None Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for And Then There Were None

• Introduction

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Book Review: “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie

With Halloween right around the corner, it can be hard to find books to set the mood. My advice, when in doubt, pick a mystery book. And who better to read than the one and only Agatha Christie? “And Then There Were None” is an Agatha Christie classic showcasing a closed mystery where anyone can be a suspect.

Christie was born in Sept. 1890 in England. She grew up around stories and at age five she taught herself how to read. She continued to write throughout her life, publishing a total of at least 68 books and many short stories. Some of her biggest sellers include “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Death on the Nile” and, of course, “And Then There Were None.”

Soldier Island, our setting, is known to the public as an island of mystery and wonder. Rumored to be occupied by celebrities and wealthy people alike, the average citizen is unaware of what really happens inside the walls of the ominous mansion on the island. One summer day, 10 strangers are invited to gather on Soldier Island all under different circumstances. They are unaware of the sinister truth: the host plans to murder all the guests invited.

As guests are murdered one by one, they wonder if the host even exists, making every single one of them a suspect.

Set on a fictional island on the coast of Devon, England, “And Then There Were None” takes place in the 1930s. It radiates that old-time feel and captures the iconic dinner party trope where all the guests are killed under mysterious circumstances. Its written in the third person omniscient point of view, so readers have access to all the characters in the novel. It adds suspense and makes the readers really question innocence.

Now, no spoilers. I won’t reveal “whodunit” in this review. I will leave that up to Ms. Christie.

We are introduced to 10 characters at the beginning of the novel, setting the stage for the story. First is Justice Wargrave, a wise old judge. Then there is Vera Claythorne, a young nanny, and Philip Lombard, who appears to be up to some sketchy business. There is also Emily Brent, an elderly woman looking for a vacation home. There’s General MacArthur, a World War I veteran, and Dr. Armstrong, a practicing doctor. Then there is Tony Marston, a young man looking for a party, and Mr. Blore, who also appears to be up to suspicious business. Finally, there’s Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, who are in charge of taking care of the house.

The mystery itself is constructed brilliantly. Christie does not shy away from a twisting story that is continuously full of surprises. It is a closed mystery, so the “whodunit” is not revealed until the end of the story. There is also no detective on the scene to help them solve the crime. The way Christie wrote this novel paints everyone to be innocent and guilty simultaneously. There are multiple moments where it is perceived to be impossible. How could they have died? Everyone was in the room.

Or were they?

There are clues sprinkled throughout the book that don’t seem important until the very end. The reveal was satisfying and worth the wait. I loved the setting as well, a creepy mansion on a secluded island was so fun to read. Especially during the fall time, reading books with creepy settings helps me get into the Halloween spirit.

I do have a few critiques about the book. To begin with, I felt I was several steps ahead of the characters. It could have just been my personal reading experience, and possibly due to the fact that I have been exposed to this trope before.

When the characters were putting the pieces together I realized I had already had that realization pages ago. However, I am well aware that in order for a concept like this to work the characters need to take their time figuring things out, especially in this case where there isn’t a skilled detective helping them solve it. With that being said, the characters themselves were sometimes a little challenging to read. Yes, they took their time solving the case, but some of them were very stubborn.

I’d recommend this book to any fan of mystery, especially people who love the board game “Clue.” It is not only a story written by one of the most classic mystery authors, but the premise is the basis of many movies and books written today. The dinner party trope is so ingrained in our culture it’s hard to imagine a world without it.

“And Then There Were None” is also a standalone, so it can be read without any prior knowledge of Christie’s books. It is a great introduction to her writing style and a spooky read for the Halloween and fall seasons.

Rebecca Bienskie Jackson

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And then there were none, common sense media reviewers.

Masterful murder mystery takes dark view of justice.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

And Then There Were None takes place on an island

This mystery novel takes a jaded view of justice a

All of the main characters in And Then There Were

Not all of the murders in And then There Were None

One character recalls a past affair with a married

The racially bigoted title and language that appae

Poisonous drugs are used to commit murder (cyanide

Parents need to know that in prolific British mystery novelist Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None , 10 guests visit Soldier Island and a murderer uses a nursery rhyme as a framework to plan and execute the visitors' deaths, one by one, in various ways, including by shooting, drowning, bludgeoning,…

Educational Value

And Then There Were None takes place on an island off the coast of England during the 1930s. Readers will get a feel for modes of transportation and communication in that place and time. They'll also learn a little about medicines/anaesthetics that were used (from a character who's a doctor) and about the British legal system at that time (from a character who's a judge).

Positive Messages

This mystery novel takes a jaded view of justice and human nature, but some might say that the book teaches that the harshest judgment comes from your own conscience.

Positive Role Models

All of the main characters in And Then There Were None are guilty of bringing about another's death, whether by neglect or by murder.

Violence & Scariness

Not all of the murders in And then There Were None result from violence. A couple of characters are poisoned and go somewhat peacefully. However, most are dispensed with by violent means. The book includes murder committed by drowning, bludgeoning, shooting, and dropping a heavy object on a man's head from a second-story window. The reader doesn't "witness" the murders; they're discovered after the fact, but the results are described in some detail.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

One character recalls a past affair with a married man, and she remembers his arms around her.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

The racially bigoted title and language that appaeared in the original edition of the novel have been changed, but any investigation into the history of this 1930s mystery will uncover that the original title was Ten Little Niggers. In addition, the rhyme that forms a framework for the murder mystery, which appears in modern editions as "Ten Little Soldiers" originally contained the plural of the N-word rather than "Soldiers" and used the N-word throughout the rhyme. That archaic and offensive language was changed early on in editions published in the United States (to Ten Little Indians) and later in the UK, as well. In the 1980s, both the UK and U.S. editions became known by the current title. But the book still contains characters who refer to African "natives" as inferior beings and who refer to the character Isaac Morris as a "little Jew."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Poisonous drugs are used to commit murder (cyanide, chloral hydrate). Dr. Armstrong prescribes sedatives to inhabitants of the island to calm them down. The guests also drink whiskey and brandy. Isaac Morris is described as a "dope" dealer who sells illegal drugs.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that in prolific British mystery novelist Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None , 10 guests visit Soldier Island and a murderer uses a nursery rhyme as a framework to plan and execute the visitors' deaths, one by one, in various ways, including by shooting, drowning, bludgeoning, poisoning, and hanging. The text contains derogatory references to African "natives" and a couple of anti-Semitic remarks. The book was written for adults, but teens can learn a lot about the mystery genre from this master.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (3)
• Kids say (38)

Based on 3 parent reviews

It's becoming a soon-to-be banned book!

What's the story.

In Agatha Christie's murder mystery AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, 10 guests are invited for a stay on Soldier Island, off the coast of England, by someone named U.N. Owen. Each of the guest bedrooms, and the dining room, contains a framed copy of a nursery rhyme, \"Ten Little Soldiers,\" in which each of 10 soldiers dies, one by one; this rhyme turns out to be the framework for U.N. Owen's murderous plans. It soon becomes clear that all of the island \"guests\" were duped in different ways into coming to the island, and that whoever tricked them wants justice for past crimes that the guests committed.

Is It Any Good?

And Then There Were None is a grim but riveting mystery. Characters are first introduced just so that readers can distinguish them, but as the book progresses and readers get further inside their minds and their fears, the suspense builds. One of the darkest aspects of the novel is the fact there's no "good guy" here -- all of the characters appear equally guilty in more ways than one. This is an exciting book -- however grisly -- that is to be enjoyed for its page-turning plot and Christie's masterful construction around the spooky nursery rhyme.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Agatha Christie's influence as a popular mystery writer. How this 1939 murder mystery compare with more modern mysteries you've read?

Once you've finished reading this novel, do you think there were any clues that should have told you earlier who the murderer is?

Explore more of Agatha Christie's plots by reading some of her Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple mysteries, or by watching the TV adaptations on PBS or Netflix.

Book Details

• Author : Agatha Christie
• Genre : Mystery
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date : November 6, 1939
• Number of pages : 320
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : June 10, 2015

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AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

by Agatha Christie ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 21, 1939

This ran in the S.E.P. and resulted in more demands for the story in book form than ever recorded. Well, here it is and it is a honey. Imagine ten people, not knowing each other, not knowing why they were invited on a certain island house-party, not knowing their hosts. Then imagine them dead, one by one, until none remained alive, nor any clue to the murderer. Grand suspense, a unique trick, expertly handled.

Pub Date: Feb. 21, 1939

ISBN: 0062073478

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Dodd, Mead

Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1939

MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE

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More by Agatha Christie

BOOK REVIEW

by Agatha Christie

by Sophie Hannah & Agatha Christie

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

A CONSPIRACY OF BONES

by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER

More by Kathy Reichs

by Kathy Reichs

by C.J. Box ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2015

A suspenseful, professional-grade north country procedural whose heroine, a deft mix of compassion and attitude, would be...

Box takes another break from his highly successful Joe Pickett series ( Stone Cold , 2014, etc.) for a stand-alone about a police detective, a developmentally delayed boy, and a package everyone in North Dakota wants to grab.

Cassandra Dewell can’t leave Montana’s Lewis and Clark County fast enough for her new job as chief investigator for Jon Kirkbride, sheriff of Bakken County. She leaves behind no memories worth keeping: her husband is dead, her boss has made no bones about disliking her, and she’s looking forward to new responsibilities and the higher salary underwritten by North Dakota’s sudden oil boom. But Bakken County has its own issues. For one thing, it’s cold—a whole lot colder than the coldest weather Cassie’s ever imagined. For another, the job she turns out to have been hired for—leading an investigation her new boss doesn’t feel he can entrust to his own force—makes her queasy. The biggest problem, though, is one she doesn’t know about until it slaps her in the face. A fatal car accident that was anything but accidental has jarred loose a stash of methamphetamines and cash that’s become the center of a battle between the Sons of Freedom, Bakken County’s traditional drug sellers, and MS-13, the Salvadorian upstarts who are muscling in on their territory. It’s a setup that leaves scant room for law enforcement officers or for Kyle Westergaard, the 12-year-old paperboy damaged since birth by fetal alcohol syndrome, who’s walked away from the wreck with a prize all too many people would kill for.

Pub Date: July 28, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-312-58321-7

Publisher: Minotaur

Review Posted Online: April 21, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2015

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE

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by C.J. Box

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Book review: “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie

It was their first night on the small Soldier Island, and the group of eight guests had just dined on an excellent supper, served by Rogers the butler and prepared by his wife Ethel. Their host U.N. Owen was not expected until the next day.

This is early in Agatha Christie’s 1939 novel And Then There Were None , one of the best mystery books ever written.

They were satisfied with themselves and with life.  The hands of the clock pointed to twenty minutes after nine.  There was a silence — a comfortable replete silence. Into that silence came The Voice.  Without warning, inhuman, penetrating… “ Ladies and gentlemen!  Silence please !” Everyone was startled.  They looked round — at each other, at the walls. Who was speaking? The Voice went on — a high clear voice: “ You are charged with the following indictments…”

What followed were single-sentence accusations of murder against each of the people present — Dr. Edward Armstrong, elderly spinster Emily Brent, former policeman William Blore, former nanny Vera Claythorne, soldier of fortune Philip Lombard, retired Gen. John Macarthur, socialite Anthony Marston, Judge Lawrence Wargrave and the Rogers couple.

And Christie’s story is off and running.

One of them

The Voice, it turns out, came from a gramophone record that, on written instructions he had received, Rogers put on the machine moments before, knowing nothing of its contents.

It quickly becomes clear that similar arm’s-length subterfuges have been employed — by U.N. Owen or, as someone observes, Unknown — to get each of the ten people onto the isolated island.  The large modern home is fully stocked with food, but there is no boat or other way to get back to the mainland.  A motorboat that’s supposed to visit every day doesn’t appear the next morning, and a storm rises, making future visits impossible for the time being.

Most, but not all, of the ten deny having anything to do with murder although, as time goes on, the real facts of each of their cases do come out.

Fear of exposure, however, takes a back seat to fear of death.  Within moments of the Voice’s accusation, one of the ten refreshes his drink and promptly dies of poisoning.  This is awkwardly put down to a suicide, but that doesn’t last. 

Another of the ten is found dead in the morning, and the remaining eight come to the realization that they are being stalked.  Even worse — after searching the house and the small island from top to bottom — they come to recognize that the killer can only be one of them.

Picked up by a trawler

And Then There Were None has been ranked often as one of the great mysteries of all time, and it works so well because Christie takes the genre and turns it on its head.

Ten years before the novel was published, Ronald Knox, a Catholic priest and an author of such books, promulgated the ten rules of detective fiction.

The first is this: “The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know.”  Well, Christie violates that rule during the first few pages when she enters the thoughts of each of the people heading to Soldier Island.

Then, she breaks basically all of the rest of the rules because she does away with the detective completely.

Well, not exactly completely.  In an epilogue, Scotland Yard investigators are called to the island when it’s found to be littered with ten dead bodies.  They, however, aren’t able to figure out what happened.

Only when a message in a bottle (!!!) is picked up by a trawler does the reader get the full story of what happened.

And Then There Were None is a fully satisfying mystery, shrewdly complex and convolutely simple.

There is one caveat, however.

A key plot element is a children’s rhyme that, in the American edition I read, begins: “Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.”  With each new verse, another solider boy dies until the last one hangs himself— “and then there were none.”

Another version of the rhyme is about Ten Little Indians.

But, in the novel that Christie originally published, the rhyme was one, dating from 1869, that starts: “Ten little niggers…,” and the island where the action takes place is Nigger Island, and the title of the novel, as published in the United Kingdom, is Ten Little Niggers .

In 1939, Americans were far from enlightened when it came to racial tolerance. Even so, the U.S. publishers of Christie’s book balked at her title as offensive, and it was changed to And Then There Were None .  In the U.K., it remained Ten Little Niggers in every edition until the mid-1980s when it was changed to Ten Little Indians .

The book is a great mystery.  But its publishing history is an example of the depth of racism in Western culture.

Patrick T. Reardon

Written by : Patrick T. Reardon

For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.

I have just recently learnt that the book name and some content of the book were changed. I love Agatha’s books and think that this one is one of the best which created a genre for many more thriller books and movies. Though I love reading, recently I started to watch summaries of the books prior to reading. Do you do this? For example, this video is about “And then there were none” https://youtu.be/YYpMFpZsH70

Thanks, Tanya, for your comment. This book is, I agree, one of her best. It is an indication of how things used to be that she used a racist title originally. As for looking at book summaries before reading — I avoid that. I want to encounter the book fresh. Pat

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Frappes and Fiction

Books & Philosophy

Book Review: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Nursery rhymes have always been creepy, but this book took it to another level…

Rating: 5/5 stars

Favorite quote: “Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions.” 

Ten strangers receive strange invitations to spend a vacation at the mysterious Soldier Island. When they arrive for dinner on the first night of their stay, it becomes clear that something isn’t quite right. The “Mr. U.N. Owens” who invited them all still hasn’t showed, and although their backgrounds are vastly different, all ten guests have dark secrets of their own… secrets that their absent host seems to know everything about.

A nursery rhyme is framed on the wall of everyone’s bedroom, describing the deaths of ten “little soldiers”.

At first, the guests are amused at the poem’s reference to Soldier Island (I don’t know why this freaky poem didn’t creep them out from the beginning, but then again I guess they weren’t aware they were in a murder mystery) Their amusement soon turns to terror when they realize they are being picked off one-by-one, corresponding directly to the verses of the poem. Someone on the island is a killer, and unless the guests can figure out who among them is guilty, no one will be left.

The suspense in this book was MASTERFUL. Everything leading up to the mystery was unsettingly filled with forshadowing, the atmosphere was insanely creepy, and the characters were amazingly written. The only other Agatha Christie book I’ve read is Murder on the Orient Express , and from what I remember, the story was set up in a similar way. Christie presents us with a cast of enigmatic characters and a crime, then leaves the reader to futilely hypothesize whodunnit.

The story is told in 3rd person, but Christie rotates through every character’s point of view, so the reader gets the opportunity to analyze each person’s thoughts and motives just like the paranoid guests themselves. No one is above suspicion, and the stakes rise with every tick of the clock. I spent the entire time guessing at the identity of the murderer, and my theories were frequently debunked almost as soon as I formulated them. Agatha Christie makes every character look guilty, and no one is what they seem. I knew that there would inevitably be some kind of huge plot twist, but even with that in mind I couldn’t predict the ending. Towards the end of the story I did successfully guess one part of the solution, but I was nowhere close to putting the pieces together. The plot was ingenious!

And Then There Were None is a great mystery, but it’s also a psychological thriller and a horror novel. It’s not graphic or anything, just sooo creepy. We were supposed to read this in 7th grade for our horror unit, but it got taken off the syllabus. Guilt and justice are heavy themes of the book, but I can’t get into it without giving too much away. What I can say, though, is that if you like mysteries and thrillers, this is not a book to pass up!

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A Cauldron of Haunting Tales: And Then There Were None 

Investigate these words from Agatha Christie's masterpiece to figure out why it's the world's best-selling mystery novel.

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Other learning activities, teaching tools, vocabulary lists in this collection:, chapters 1-2.

• righteousness
• as the crow flies
• conscientious
• plaintively
• surreptitious
• distinguished
• treacherous
• imperceptibly
• disparaging
• malevolence
• dispassionate

Chapters 3-6

• unobtrusive
• preposterous
• verisimilitude
• disembodied
• credentials
• reconnaissance
• asphyxiation
• indignation
• chastisement

Chapters 7-9

• speculative
• perpetrator
• coincidence
• apprehension
• incredulously
• eventuality
• noncommittal
• preoccupation
• corroborate
• remorseless
• acquiescent
• idiosyncrasy
• recrimination

Chapters 10-13

• levelheaded
• incomprehensible
• straightforward
• undertaking
• meticulously

Chapter 14-Epilogue

• painstaking
• contradictory
• hypochondriac
• incriminate
• paradoxical

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Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie book review

Agatha Christie is widely considered the greatest crime writer to ever do it. Not only did she end up writing an incredibly large number of them, but some of the “cliches” and “tropes” that we experience in crime today were literally formed by her. This last point is no more true than the incredibly popular story of And Then There Were None. Oh and when I say popular, apparently only about five other books have ever sold more than this one book which is impressive for a woman who penned 75 books, 66 of which were full-length detective novels.

Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product.

There’s something to be said for a fiction novel selling over 100,000,000 copies but what’s more of a testament to the book is that you could have nearly anybody (over a certain age of course) try and explain the plot of And Then There Were None and they’d understand the plot.

Or at least once you’d told them, they’d say “oh yeah, i’ve heard that.” In fact, after finishing the novel, I watched the 2015 BBC adaptation with my partner and she kept saying everything felt “cliche” and I had to explain that’s because Christie literally invented the cliches.

Anyway, on to my review. This is my first Agatha Christie novel. I know, shocking, considering I’m 29 years old, have reviewed over 250 books here on my blog and have been consistently talking books now for nearly four years across social media channels!

Let’s get into this then… my review of the best-selling mystery novel of all time.

And Then There Were None plot – 4.5/5

Now, for those of you who’ve never heard of the plot of And Then There Were None , a group of people are invited to an island by a mysterious couple who have told them they will meet them at the large house they’re due to meet in.

One by one, each of the ten guests is killed by mysterious means. What we find out is that there’s a little poem about ten little solider boys and how they each die and that this is in fact how each of the guests ends up dying too. That’s the basic premise.

What’s clever about the way this is written is that we never witness any of the initial murders – as is the case with any good murder novel. What this then causes is not only the reader to constantly be trying to work out who it is and what motive they might have but also how, despite no one else being on the island, everybody ends up dead and the killer is never truly found out until the very very end.

The suspense in And Then There None was fantastic. It starts out slower but once they work out that in fact the killer must be one of their own group, it becomes a fascinating game of nobody trusting anybody and tensions heightening with each passing moment where somebody could be killed.

And Then There Were None characters – 4.5/5

When your whole story is based around the group of same people, you need to make sure that those people have identifiable personalities and that you enjoy reading about them. Well, do not worry with And Then There Were None , Christie has written some iconic characters.

Each character obviously has a name but a huge part of the plot is around each of their occupations and why this could mean that they’re the killer. This creates an interesting dynamic between them as you make assumptions on people based on what they do for a living.

The interactions between the characters is also fascinating due to their class and gender too. During the time this book was written women were obviously treated differently to how they are today and so often there being women main characters is brought into contention as to why they couldn’t possibly have commited certain murders. Being of different classes is also suggested with the idea that ebing of a lower class may mean you’re more likely to commit murder. And so on and so on.

And Then There Were None final rating – 4.5/5

And Then There Were None is one of the greatest crime novels of all time for a reason. Christie manages to perfectly balance suspense with the constant want to find out what’s going to happen next. With some clearly defined characters, a cosy setting and a story that will continue to keep you on your toes, And Then There Were None is a classic for a reason. If you’re one of the last four people in the world to not have read the And Then There None yet, then I can guarantee you, you’ll have a great time reading it.

Pick up a copy of And Then There Were None

One thought on “ And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie book review ”

I haven’t read this but on the strength of this excellent review I feel that I really ought to. Thanks!

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Classic Novel

And Then There Were None: Book Review

And Then There Were None novel

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.

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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I am actually re-reading Christie books after I read ‘Poirot’ by Mark Aldridge. So, I did Curtain and am now eager to start ‘the murder of Roger Ackroyd.’

It’s hard not to binge read her books. They are always entertaining!

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