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!

Agatha Christie is my favourite author and she is rightly known as the Queen of Crime. There has never been anyone who could plot and write like her. Don't make the mistake of associating Mrs. Christie with cosy mysteries, yes I do get a cosy, nostalgic feeling when I read her work but she writes dark people, doing dark things. This book is chilling, sometimes shocking and always gripping. When you start reading And Then There Will None you are very quickly absorbed and propelled to keep reading because you have to know what will happen next. The people on this Island are dying, one by one and the deaths are brutal and unrelenting. Will there be anyone left? You have to keep reading to find this out. It scared the life out of me and I LOVED IT!

One of my favourite Agatha Christie novels with a fun added twist for the new edition!

Having read And Then There Were None, it’s so clear to see where a lot of modern day thrillers took inspiration from but Christie’s mystery never gets old!