AND THEN THERE WERE NONE | AGATHA CHRISTIE

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Author: Agatha Christie 

Publisher: Collins Crime Club

Summary:

10 people stranded on an island; 8 guests invited by the owner and 2 cooks. The owner is missing though and it doesn't take long before the problems start showing. On the first day itself, all of them, including the cooks, are accused of having committed a serious crime : murder. After just mere minutes, one of them dies. It doesn't take long for all the other guests to realize that they all had been brought here due to their crimes and if they dont take some action, soon there would be none.

Review:

Another one of Agatha Christie’s bangers. I will never get tired of reading her books since, despite all of them being murder mysteries, one can never predict the ending.

10 people on an island have no means to contact anyone outside the island. And, as if things couldn't get any worse, they realize that they would all ultimately end up dead if they dont take some action. 

After the death of Anthony Marston, due to cyanide poisoning in his drink, on the night they arrive and come to a conclusion that someone else is on the island– someone aside from the 8 invited guests and 2 cooks. However the sudden death of Anthony had shook all of them to the core, so they decided to call it a day. Things only got worse the next morning since, as it turned out, Ethel Rogers, the cook, was found dead in her bed. 2 out of 10 people were dead in less than 24 hours since their arrival and they needed to find out who was behind all this. 

They look all over the small island but come back empty handed; aside from them there wasn't a single trace of any living person on the island. Following the death of another guest, General MacArthur, the seven guests come to the conclusion that one of them was the killer. Other than this they also notice two other things: the framed copy of an old poem in every guest’s room and the figurines. Every single person in the house had died just the way the characters in the poem had died and every time someone died, a figurine disappeared. 

Epilogue….

There was one person behind it all. Single-handedly he had planned and implemented it all. Even Scotland Yard couldn't figure it out. But he had written down his entire scheme and thrown it in the sea in a bottle so that someone would find it and know.

“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 bumblebee 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.”

~Avani Endait