And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie

Ten people gather for a party on a deserted island mansion just off the coast of Devon, invited by mysterious host U. N. Owen. They are Mr Justice Wargrave (a judge), Dr Edward Armstong, the elderly Miss Emily Brent, private detective William Blore, young and reckless Anthony Marsdon, Vera Claythorne, Phillip Lombard, General MacArthur and hired helps Mr and Mrs Rogers. On arrival they find their host has not arrived but continue the gathering as planned. Happy and smiling they have their evening meal and retire to the drawing room. And then, a disembodied voice: "Ladies and gentlemen! Silence please!" "You are charged with the ...  Read the complete review

It has been claimed that Agatha Christie's masterpiece was "The Murder of Roger Acroyd", written in 1926. Whilst that is an undoubtedly good read, it does not, in my opinion, come close to what I consider to be perhaps her finest work, that of "And then there were None". If you are looking for a comfortable detective story, in which Poirot, or Miss Marple, or Superintendant Battle manage to uncover the identity of the fiendish villain, you would be best to loook elsewhere. "And then there were None" might best be described as a psychological thriller, examining the mental strain imposed upon 10 people (for we must presume that ...  Read the complete review

Introduction According to the front cover of this book, 'And Then There Were None' is the world's best selling mystery novel. I can well believe that. Written in 1939, it is still popular today - a new version of the play has arrived in London's West End. Agatha Christie wrote the book during the Second World War, while working as a dispenser in a hospital. When it was published, it was praised for its seeming unsolvability. Originally published as Ten Little Niggers, the title was later changed to 'And Then There Were None' for obvious reasons of political correctness, although it is sometimes referred to as 'Ten Little Niggers'. The book has been adapted to screen ...  Read the complete review

Many many moons ago, when idodyou was slowly but surely emerging from her 'reading nothing but Jackie Collins' period, her first port of call was this author [a slight change in styles don't you think?] And now, 15 odd years later, she has read most, if not all of Agatha Christies offerings. Out of the 79 crime stories and short story collections that this author, throughout the years, has delighted and entertained her legions of fans with, this tale is an old favourite. Sitting here in my ever sticky little mitts I have a much dog eared copy of the book in question. It's weighing in with 221 pages [although, to be honest, I ...  Read the complete review

The original title of this great Agatha Christie novel was Ten Little Niggers.It was changed about 30-40 years ago because they thought it was racist! What the original title referred to was a children’s rhyme that was prevalent during Christie’s childhood and in fact provides the backbone of this murder mystery! This is Christie at her best. If you’ve seen one of the many film versions and think you know the story...forget it!!None of the films made to date has been a faithful adaptation which is a shame as each of these films has done away with the biggest shock in Christie’s story.Nor has the play adaptation of the book. ...  Read the complete review