Fab book! Although I have watched plenty of Agatha Christie, I have never actually read one of her books. Really enjoyed it, even though you have to bear in mind it was written in 1939 and our use of language has moved on since there (quite a lot of ‘queer’, ‘gay’ etc). Didn’t bother me at all though.
Fantastic plot and really enjoyed the concept of having to guess the murderer. I didn’t but loved the letter giving the explanation. Such a clever idea.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review which is what I have given.

First published in 1939, this latest edition by Harper Collins is an innovative take on a crime classic.
Ten people willingly go to a secluded island, not realising they are there under false pretenses. What unfolds almost immediately is a deadly game of cat and mouse, while it slowly dawns upon the house guests that the killer must be one of their party...
I last read this probably about thirty years ago and still really enjoyed trying to remember the clues and the red herrings. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the eArc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Then There Were None

Agatha Christie is a legend for a reason, this was the first book by her I have read, and it was brilliant!

Eight people make their way to an island mansion in Devon, all having been invited by an acquaintance from there past via letter. After bringing them altogether, the hosts are suspiciously absent. What they don’t realise is they are all there for a twisted game, each person disappearing one by one, meeting an untimely end…but on the island with no way off or on, which of them is the culprit?

This was INTENSE! A really short read but so brilliantly written. Straight away you are introduced to each of the characters; they couldn’t be more different if they tried. There is a Judge, a Doctor, a Secretary, Housekeepers, an Ex-Detective…and so much more.

There is a twist, shock and surprise with every page turn, your thoughts change, your point the finger at someone else just to change it again so quickly.

This is written in classic english, with phrases like ‘by Jove’, but I didn’t find it distracting for the story. If anything it sets the scene and character types even more, adding depth to the landscape and time the book takes place.

The ultimate who-dunnit, which I will admit I got wrong 🤭 to get access to the final chapter I had to scan a QR code and submit who I thought was the culprit…then I was sent the final chapter, and then it clicked!

I loved rereading this classic whodunnit as I hadn’t read it since I was a child. Plenty of intrigue and mystery and having not read it for so long I had forgotten ‘who done it’. It makes me want to read more of Agatha’s books again. I highly recommend this book.

The whodunnit which redesigned whodunnits forever more. A classic mystery set on a secluded island, leaving behind no witnesses. I have always loved this novel and enjoyed reading it again.

However, I am not a fan of needing to provide an email address to receive the final chapter. I like the idea of it being hidden in an envelope for the physical copy, but don’t think this format plays out well for digital versions.

I had previously read this as a teenager and it is one of my favourite of Agatha’s books. Mystery and intrigue aplenty. I had forgotten who the villain was so enjoyed trying to work it out again. Always worth a read.

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

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