“And Then There Were None”

One of Agatha Christie’s classic thrillers – perfect for this time of year

Photo by C. Colbath

“And Then There Were None” is a chilling tale of strangers who are stranded on an island. Author Agatha Christie weaves a tale of uncertainty and fear as the characters try to discover the killer – and their intentions.

Caroline Colbath, Entertainment Editor

Outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible, Agatha Christie has written over 60 bestselling mystery novels, and many more brainteasing short stories. One of her most famous and thrilling stories is “And Then There Were None,” the story of 10 strangers who are stranded on a mysterious and deadly island.  As the strangers are killed off one by one, in increasingly terrifying ways, they search the island for the killer but discover that they are alone on the island.

In a thrilling mystery told from multiple perspectives, Christie concocts a story so bold and convoluted that the reader can only guess what will happen next. The only foreshadowing the reader receives is a taunting nursery rhyme, and 10 porcelain soldiers, which haunt the characters throughout the story as their situation becomes direr with each kill.

The characters who survive until the end are faced with the most vital question: Who can they trust?

“And Then There Were None” has all the essential elements of a classic thriller:  the dreary setting, an unreliable narrator and a plot twist for the ages.

With an end even more shocking than her other stories, Christie concludes “And Then There Were None” with an astounding plot twist that has stunned readers for decades. After all the characters have been killed off, the killer can only be revealed through a postmortem letter by an unlikely suspect.

My favorite part of the book was the ending, in which Christie reveals the final twist of the book, and solves the mystery. This twist brings the whole book together and answers every question the reader may have had by the end of the novel. As each of the character’s backstory is revealed, another piece falls into place in a magnificent puzzle carefully crafted by the queen of mystery herself.

This haunting thriller will remain in the back of your mind as you try to discover who the culprit is, and how the characters will survive.