And Then There Were None is the reason why Agatha Christie is the queen of crime fiction. For one thing the novel displays her ingenuity for plot, depth and complexity of characters, and sense of mystery. The novel follows many of characters in its initial chapters; it may leave the reader a bit confused and it may be hard for readers to keep track (this is where the character list in the front of book comes in handy) as the narrative shifts from their points of view. Lugging through it, in my opinion, appropriately reflects the sense of chaos that occurs on the island.
The book begins with 10 people, complete strangers, who are invited through a carefully worded letter by some distant acquaintance in the past to visit Indian Island, a location off the coast of Devon that has been the object of newspaper gossip. Each character has a strong purpose to comply with the strange request and has reasons for desiring to be in a place far away from home.
On the island, the visitors are distressed with the absence of their host and the presence of only the servants to greet them upon their arrival. A strange atmosphere soon settles during the guests’ dinner when a mysterious recording reveals a crime they have allegedly committed. It doesn’t take long for each of them to gather that this vacation is not what it seems as each of them are hunted down by a cunning murderer whose pattern for killing is inspired by an innocent nursery rhyme.
This is where the fun part of Christie’s novel begins: just when the reader has it down to the better of his hunches of who the murderer is, she proves them wrong chapter after chapter. The murders are spaced apart just enough that the reader never loses interest or spends too much time wondering about the previous one, and the fact that they all follow the initial poem works beautifully here – readers have a vague idea of what will happen next, but not the who, the when, or the how.
All the red herrings and tricks directed by Christie’s simple style, paired with the complexity of her deception, makes this one of the crime novels that baffles the reader. If you enjoy being fooled or are looking for a fun read, And Then There Were None is the diversion you may need.