Throwback Thursday: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Author: Agatha Christie
First published in 1939 by Collins Crime Club

First, there were ten; a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal; and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

I commented in a recent review that this has been a so-so year for me when it comes to mysteries.  So, who do you turn to when you want a good mystery?  The queen of mysteries herself, Agatha Christie.  I know that I read And Then There Were None a long time ago, but I couldn't remember the exact ending.  I also know that the ending in the 1945 movie was very different from the book. I read that Ms.Christie admits that this was the hardest book to write out of all of her books. Given the complexity of the plot, I could understand why she would say that.

I enjoyed this re-read.  The characters were interesting enough to keep my attention.  Despite having 10 people to keep track of, it was a relatively easy book to keep straight.  I loved how the author got into the heads of each character so you could feel the fear and doubt they felt as each person dies.  The plot is pretty straight forward, but one that I had a hard time figuring out how it worked until the "confession letter".  Then it made a lot of sense.  10 people on an island and all 10 die.  How was it done?  Read it to find out!