BookBrowse Reviews And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

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Many factors make a classic: quality, influence, reinterpretations, a story that continues to appeal to new generations. They all come together in Agatha Christie's most notable novel, And Then There Were None.

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Mystery writer Agatha Christie's ongoing relevance is evident in recent film adaptations of her work, such as Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, as well as in hit homage productions, like Knives Out and Glass Onion, which revisit the tropes popularized by the author: the final meeting of suspects to reveal the culprit, or the use of an isolated setting that turns a group of characters into possible victims and potential murderers. Her works, translated into more than a hundred languages, continue to be a reference point in literature and popular culture. Among her most emblematic novels, And Then There Were None (1939) stands out not only for its popularity—it is the world's bestselling mystery novel, with more than 100 million copies sold—but also for being, according to Christie herself, the most difficult she wrote. In an introductory note, the British author confesses: "I had written this book because it was so difficult to do that the idea had fascinated me. Ten people had to die without it becoming ridiculous or the murderer being obvious." That is the premise of the novel.

The story opens with brief sketches of its protagonists, six men and two women from various social and professional backgrounds who make their way to Soldier Island, a mysterious private island to which they have been summoned for diverse reasons and vague means by someone none of them really know — only two servants, the Rogers couple, await them: ten strangers on an unknown island with no trace of their host.

From their arrival, the novel progresses according to the structure of the folk song from which its title is taken. The lyrics of the song, which describe the deaths, one by one, of "ten little soldiers," are framed in the guest rooms. Ten figurines adorn the dining room table. On the first night, a gramophone accuses each guest of having committed a murder that has escaped the law. Shortly afterwards, the first death occurs.

One by one, the guests succumb in circumstances that mimic the song, and the figurines disappear with each murder. With the passing of the pages, and the deaths, the characters face two terrifying truths: the killer is among them, and it is almost certain they will not escape the final verse's verdict: "And then there were none." In the rugged setting of the island, isolated by a storm that grows in intensity with each death, the characters must confront guilt, paranoia, and an inescapable justice.

One of the novel's greatest achievements is the construction of suspense. Like the characters, readers delve into uncertainty: they doubt and suspect everyone, they distrust, they remain on the edge of their seat, anxious to know, as if their life also depended on it, who the murderer is.

Christie builds this tension, as in all her novels, with a simple and direct style that relies heavily on irony-laden dialogue and interactions between characters who, although archetypal as they tend to be in this type of detective fiction (the military man, the doctor, the judge, the governess, etc.), manage to infect the reader with their growing desperation.

Despite the apparent simplicity of Christie's style, solving her puzzles demands great attention to detail. Even if one takes notes—as the writer of this review admits to having done—she knows how to surprise the most meticulous reader.

And Then There Were None is an enjoyable crime novel in a way that makes it stand out among many imitators, a story that invites readers to participate in an exciting, dangerous world from the comfort of home. Christie is one of the forerunners of the so-called "cozy mystery," a booming genre characterized by idyllic locations and limited overt violence, which involves the reader in solving the mystery alongside an endearing detective like Christie's creations Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. Although And Then There Were None does not feature these famous characters, it is perhaps one of Christie's best works. It's a perfect choice for entering, or returning to, the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, with one of its most celebrated authors.

This review first ran in the January 29, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.