Magnificently pacy, magnificently twisty 5 Spoiler free review

I must confess I was never really a Christie fan, as even in my just pre-teens, when I first read a couple, I found the attitudes of the times of her writing distinctly offensive, particularly the casual attitude to race and class. I know this is something which reached far wider than Christie, but Christie was the one I read at an age when I was beginning to become aware of racism in society, so I remember the shock of Christie in my reading, more acutely, and swerved away from reading any more.

Anyways, much more recently I saw some magnificent TV or film adaptations, some of which were probably cleaned up – including this one – so I was keen to read it.

Curiously enough, though I remembered some of the creepy, mounting tension terror and atmosphere of the TV adaptation, I had NO memory of the denouement or solving.

The ‘special nature’ of this ‘Ultimate Mystery Edition’ is playful and inventive. The wood book will have a sealed envelope, the published digital edition a link, and, perhaps best of all (in my eyes) the digital ARC demands the reader to send their deduction of who-dunnit with your email address, to be emailed the final chapter.

And I got it wrong, having worked out my own far less fiendishly clever solution to the version of an especially wickedly clever version of the locked room/country house hotel murder mystery. I

n this case, an off shore island, only reached by boat, where 10 disconnected people have been summoned to some mysterious house party. Each of them have some kind of dastardly secret, and, - the reader is quickly told, gruesome retribution is in store for each. A handy worsening of weather event – storms and dangerous seas – means no one can get off or even on to the island for a week. At the time of writing no helpful means of communication with the mainland exist

Christie herself found this her own favourite book, precisely because she had set herself a fiendishly clever puzzle. And had also made sure of some sort of plausibility as there were two or three clues which a fiendishly clever reader, and one, presumably, used to the way her mind worked through being a dedicated reader of all her works, MIGHT possibly have solved.

I did have ONE idea of how the murderer might have managed what was managed, but sadly it took me in one of many different wrong directions. Having sent off my ‘solution’ I was impatiently waiting for my email, and thoroughly enjoyed the solution and the revelation of everything.

Brilliant

Having recently read another incredibly clever – but FAR too long modern murder mystery, it is the pace and the swift but nonetheless sharp delineations of character without unnecessary padding which I appreciated. There was no time to pick up on any flaws with tension ratcheted so tightly and such breakneck speed

I still can’t see myself wanting to read her entire canon, but I did thoroughly enjoy this.

An absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to re-read this classic. Still a 5 star read, and makes me think about revisiting some more of Agatha Christie's novels. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

I have to confess to never having read an Agatha Christie novel before this one so I was delighted to be given an e.copy to read and review. I like the premise of ten guests being invited to an island off the south coast of England, by a host they don’t know and astonishingly, they can all make it, none question it and every one of them turn up, only to discover that their host is nowhere to be seen as he/she has been delayed. Nonetheless there are two servants to feed them and supply them with alcohol and attend to their every need. In every room is a copy of the nursery rhyme (which I’ve never heard before in my life) ‘Ten Little Indians’.

I didn’t care for any of the characters, it was obvious from the first murder that they were all going to die as per the nursery rhyme. It did keep my interest enough to keep reading it and no I didn’t work out who it was but strangely by the end of it, I didn’t much care. I did fill in the questionnaire as to who I thought it was in order to get the final chapter sent to me but I couldn’t by that point remember which male character was which, as none of the characters were particularly developed and therefore I hadn’t sorted them out in my mind.

I can imagine that in the 1930’s it would be a good book and it has probably encouraged many writers to follow suit and write murder/mysteries. I can also see that it was a very clever plot. However, I much prefer modern books. I’m very aware that I’m going completely against the grain here as most other reviews rave about the quality of the writing but for me, who has a voice in my head when I’m reading, I had the voice of a BBC presenter of those times, that ‘clipped’ English vocabulary and emotionless tone. Interesting how some of the most popular words in this book now mean something totally different!

Thanks as always to the publishers and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ‘unusual’ format book.

Agatha Christie at her best. Very enjoyable re-read of a classic story. I love all the twists and turns in this book. It's a perfect who dunnit. Highly recommended.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

A classic whodunnit. This Agatha Christie mystery has intricate plotting and twists with an unforgettable chilling conclusion. Agatha at her best

I have read this ARC with a view to providing a review
All opinions and thoughts are my own

Love Christie and went through all her books as a teenager
This was a lovely re-read
Absolute classic

I.think this is one of the best, if not the best story written by Agatha Christie; the number of films, adaptations and stories along similar lines are attest to that.
This is a well written and superbly crafted story, the characters are thrown together and then pitted against each other as one by one they are killed in a manner appropriate to the rhyme.
I read the kindle version, so the final chapter of the book, telling you the who, the how and the why is accessed on line, with the reader first submitting their guess. So you can’t cheat by just reading the last chapter.
Excellent read.

I can’t believe this is the only Agatha Christie I have read… and I call myself a reader 🫣
Anyway, what a seductively clever mystery, so simple, yet so exciting. The atmosphere on the island together with clashing characters really adds to the enigma of the story.
I can’t believe it was written over 80 years ago and it goes to show what a hit it is with this re-release. It gives a new generation the chance to read it!
The poem at the start - ten little soldiers - sure as hell lets you know what you’re in for as a reader!

What can you say about an Agatha Christie novel other than “utterly fabulous “? The novel tore along at a cracking pace whilst the reader tries to work out who done it? I failed miserably to get the culprit which always seems so obvious once you know! Brilliant and will never go out of fashion, a true masterpiece

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

The classic Agatha Christie story. Ten people invited to an island, all of whom have apparently been responsible for a death. One by one they are found dead, in the manners described in the poem ‘Ten little soldier boys’.
After several days all ten are found dead by the people of the local mainland. But by whose hand? And why?
Love the idea in this one where you are invited to guess the culprit and then given a QR code and the final chapter, explaining the mystery, is sent to you.

A classic 'whodunit' that has you guessing throughout.
I found this to be a not too overly complicated, quick read. That being said I couldn't figure out who the killer was so it wasn't a too easy/obvious read either. I'm glad that this was quite a short book as I think anything longer would have gotten boring and very repetitive as this is set in the 1930's so the characters didn't really do much aside from wait for their dinner's to be served. I enjoyed the interactive aspect of going to the website at the end to enter my guess and then getting the extra letter to tell me who did it.

I was sent a copy of And Then There Were None The Ultimate Mystery Edition by Agatha Christie to read and review by NetGalley. I had never read this Agatha Christie novel before and was intrigued by this new edition which keeps the final chapter from you until you have had the chance to predict whodunnit for yourself. It is very well crafted and has many twists and turns as you would expect. Needless to say when it got to deciding on the culprit I got it very wrong!!! I feel this was partly due to having read it on my kindle so I didn’t have the luxury of easily flicking back through the book to check certain details.... having said that I never would have got the answer right!!! I can’t say I am surprized that this novel has stood the test of time and is still hailed as one of the author’s greatest mysteries.

I had seen this on tv a few Christmas’s ago but couldn’t fully remember the story so I really enjoyed reacquainting myself with the characters. I kept changing my opinion of who dunnit! When I came to the end and had to vote for the murderer I got it wrong! I loved the final chapter that explained the who, how and why.

Agatha Christies 1939 classic which set the standard for all modern whodunnits, is being released once again on 10th October 2024 in this new "Ultimate Mystery Edition."

"Solving the world's most puzzling mystery novel just got even more fiendish in this gorgeous new hardback collector’s edition – with the final solution sealed in an envelope at the back of the book! Can you crack all the clues and catch the killer before you unseal the ending?"

The premise is a classic, ten strangers are invited to a remote island and are left to fend for themselves as the host is delayed. Following Dinner they note ten soldier figures on the dining table, a disembodied voice is then heard throughout the room, declaring in great detail how each guest is guilty of murder.

A clue to each death is an old children's nursery rhyme which tells the tale of "Ten little Soldier boys who went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were Nine." The first murder being poison, choking the victim. This is an ingenious plot device, revealing the horror of each guest as they wonder which of the ten little soldiers they will be.

As each on dies, one of the ten soldier figures mysteriously disappears from the dining table. Counting down the victims until there are none.

All are suspects. 'No exceptions allowed on the score of character, position or probability. What we must now examine is the possibility of eliminating one or more persons on the facts'

Revisiting a classic from my childhood was a joy. This edition is a great idea. I read this as an eBook and when I reached the end, I was asked to click on a weblink. You then need to say who you think the murderer was and enter your email address. The final chapter is then downloaded.

I didn't get the murder correct, but the clues are there, as subtle as they may be.

I would like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this novel. All opinions are my own

Reviewed September 2024

<img src="https://www.netgalley.co.uk/badge/7b023d00b17d28f4515cb27cb9b7dd0d850d8d71" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>

This was always one of my favourite Agatha Christie books. It gives you all of the clues but throws in so many misleading twists and red herrings that you end up confused. I like the way this book is presented with the solution hidden, no peeking at the back pages in this edition. Would make a great Christmas gift.

And Then There Were None is a cleverly written Christie in that there is no obvious killer or detective throughout. Yes there are racist undertones throughout which are significant to the time in which the book was written, hence the change in title later on but that shouldn’t hopefully prevent readers from enjoying its magnificence. This new edition has an envelope at the back so that you can make your own deductions as you go through the book and then read and reveal the final chapter to see if you are correct. Can you solve it?!

Such a good introduction for a first time reader of Agatha Christie. The story is a light, quick and entertaining read as it stands but with a novel twist at the end. Making you review all the evidence yourself before you’re given the real answer just adds to the enjoyment.

Love the book, love the concept

I would like to thank HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC for this brand-new edition of Agatha Christie’s 'And Then There Were None'.

I have two favourite Agatha Christy novels, which I read again and again. ‘And Then There Were None’ is one of them.

This is new version, though, and I like the concept. If you believe you know who the killer is, you can check if you are right by requesting the final chapter (Kindle) or opening the sealed envelop in the back of the book (hardcover).

Story: five stars. Concept: five stars.

Ten strangers, with nothing in common apparently, get summoned to a small island off the coast of Devon, through letters from old friends, employment and other means. But once on the island, after their first meal together, a chilling recording is played and the voice of their unseen host accuse each of them of committing murder and getting away with it…

Not long after the message was played, one of them chokes to death, been given a fatal overdose of cyanide in his brandy. Soon, the tension and mistrust grows as their number grows smaller and smaller and they realise that the killer is among them and is prepare to kill the all. All in the style at the now terrifying nursery rhyme of Ten Little Soldier Boys…

Where the heck do I begin with this write-up? I can totally see why everyone classes this as the Agatha Christie novel you most read. It always wins the polls and votes and I totally get it. I listened to this audiobook YEARS ago and I couldn’t stop. It became one of those stories that, even though I knew the ending (everyone knows how this ends vaguely, right?), I was still gripped by the twists and trying to get what was going to happen next/who was going to die next. If I had the book, I would be jumping back to the nursery rhyme and going “Ok, so how is the next person going to die?”.

It’s not 100% perfect, but I do think this is because it does show the it’s a product of the time it was written. For example, there was a scene within the first chapter where a character meets a minor character and he thinks to himself something along the lines of “Of course he’s careful with money. He’s a Jew, they’re always careful with money”. And the same character, later in the book, when he’s crime is announced, says something similar to “The Natives don’t feel the same way that we do”, basically saying that because the “natives” are black, they don’t feel the same way that white people do. Basically, this character is a racist and antisemistic. Plus, I was shocked that barring one character questioning him after this statement (with one question which is never really answered), no one really calls him out on this. But I do wonder if we had this because we’re not meant to like him or any character in the story…

This edition intrigues me as the epilogue where all is explain is in a sealed envelope at the back of the hardback copy and you can only open it when you have read the book. That’s right, you can’t spoil yourself by jumping to the back. You have to open the envelope and take out the epilogue, which I really like. It adds more to the mystery and give the story another layer.

Crime writers owe a lot to Agatha Christie and this is the one of the best of her works (it’s always either the top book of her collected works or within the top 3).

I read this book in one afternoon, absolutely loved every minute of it and could not have guessed the ending! Had to complete a QR code to gain the last chapter to see if my guess was correct and that wait for the email felt like years. Agatha Christie is a marvellous author and it is so refreshing to read a book which hooks you immediately.

10 stranger, 1 island and 1 nursery rhyme… murder mystery at its best! It’s the first Christie book I have read and it’s now made me want to read more, there is simplicity in the writing that was done before the trappings of technology, no overly descriptive chapters, just pure mystery and suspense!