Member Reviews
Utterly fabulous to re read this absolute Christie classic. This is what authors of thriller and mystery aspire to and just what readers love about books. Fabulous storytelling, complex storylines and characters to live and hate.
Just brilliant.
And Then There Were None was such an intensely twisty and tight whodunit. I was left guessing, and second guessing myself to the very end. I guessed who the murderer was, but then I also thought it was every single person at one point throughout the book. This is without a doubt a five star read.
Quite hard to believe as a lover of mystery books that this is my first Agatha Christie, I’ve read quite a few books that follow the same premise as this book so was eager to read.
Ten guests are invited to soldier island for various reasons, once there it becomes clear that their host will not be joining them. As the individuals are killed off one by one seemingly following the details of a nursery rhyme, they all must fight to survive and work out who the killer is. Can you follow the clues and spot the killer?
Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my eARC.
Even if I read And There Were None before I was curious as I wanted to discover if there some new in this timeless classic, the mother of all psychological thriller (I consider it a thriller not a whodunnit even if it was written in the Golden Age).
There something special this novel: you can read a lot of times and it will be like reading again for the first time as it's full of details.
Did I guess the culprit: yes I did and was curious of the last locked chapter which is something that Lady Agatha would have loved.
If you ever read it you're in for a treat and one of the best mystery novel ever written.
Go, read it with attention to the clues, have fun, get the last chapter.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
My first ever Agatha book and I was surprised at how fast paced this was! I’m a sucker for a whodunnit and love guessing who the killer was. I was correct in my prediction however this book was extremely clever in how it’s written and delivered! No wonder it’s an all time favourite.
The idea of the final chapter being sealed in the envelope in the new edition is fantastic and something I feel will go down a treat!
Thank you for the opportunity and I will certainly be return reader of Agatha Cristie’s work
This book is utterly brilliant. When all is said and done it is still a mystery. Then there is the twist of all twists with the final solution. Presented as a cliffhanger in this digital era! Closed room murder times some, and more! Genius!! Read the poem careful and follow along. Totally captivating and suspenseful. Very innovative and entertaining. Confusing and clever. Highly recommend this book. Masterclass of the genre.
Enthralling and enigmatic!
A thrilling tale of ten people invited to stay on an island - and then they start to get bumped off. I've read several of this type of story but, as always, Agatha Christie is the original and the best. I was completely hooked all the way through and convinced I knew who was responsible ... wrong, again! With a great casst of characters, this is gripping all the way through and I was hooked to the very final word. Would I go to a remote island with a group of strangers? Not a hope, no way! Five sparkling stars and my highest recommendation.
My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always = my honest, original and unbiased review.
Ten strangers invited to an island all have their secrets .
One by one they will die , who will survive ? Who is the murderer?
A fantastic read !
I didnt guess the murderer.
Clever and intriguing.
Agatha Christie is the undeniable queen of crime !
A must read!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction.
I absolutely fell in love with this book!
I haven’t read any Agatha Christie before, although I’m a fan of some of the film adaptations of her books. I thought the language might be too old-fashioned for me but I was definitely wrong!
This book had me guessing all the way through and determined to find out who the killer was. I was so proud that I guessed the killer right in the end!
I would recommend this book to anyone. It would definitely appeal to more than one gender and a lot of ages from maybe 18 up.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this new edition!
This has to be my favourite Agatha Christie book!
I have read it several times, and seen the movie and I never get tired of it.
A great storyline with 10 strangers being invited to a huge mansion on a small island just off the Devon coast.
Eventhough their host doesn't reveal himself, the ten people are each accused of commiting a crime and getting away with it.
Then, one of their number is found murdered. One by one, the guests are killed, and fear spreads among the remaining people, whith no one trusting anyone else
In typical Agatha style, there are twists and turns and a real surprise ending. This will not be the last time I read this story!!
I haven't read a full length Agatha Christie at all so was pleased when the opportunity arose to read one of her most famous. It's a fast-paced, quick read full of diverse characters and lots of murder!
The premise is great - all are invited to an isolated island for a gathering by a mysterious benefactor, but none of the guests really know each other, or the underlying reason they are there. The plot development and alignment to the 'Solider' poem is clever and, although written a long time ago, I found the narrative easy to read and engaging.
Of course, I had no idea who was behind the murders and loved the way this was finally revealed. A good book, now in it's special anniversary edition, which fans of thriller / detective novels should give a go.
Well what can one say about an Agatha Christie novel? It was brilliant, such a clever plot and no I did not guess who the killer was.
I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for my ARC.
This is one of my favourite Agatha Christie novels. It is quite different from most of her others, and it is much darker in tone.
Ten people have been enticed to Soldier Island for a week end, naturally bad weather has meant that the island has become cut off from the mainland. Each of the ten harbours a secret, but it soon becomes clear that their mysterious host knows all about them. One by one, the guests start dying off and soon realisation dawns on those left that there is a murderer amongst them.
Hugely compelling as the tension ratchets up with each new death. The first time I read it, the solution was quite a shock, but then that's pat for the course with Christie.
This new hardback edition looks beautiful and has the final solution in a sealed envelope at the back. I'm thinking it will make an excellent Christmas present to and mystery fan.
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
I remember reading an Agatha Christie book while I was still at school, and really loving it. Yet for some reason, I've not picked up another one since. This novel follows one of my absolute favorite mystery formats. We have 10 strangers, isolated on an island, and one by one they are mysteriously dying. Is one of them a murderer? And if so, who?
I was lucky enough to receive a digital ARC of this book, which was missing the final chapter. At the end, we got to vote on who we thought the killer was, in order to receive the final chapter, and find out if we were right. I absolutely loved this aspect of it. Readers who purchas the physical copy of the book, will find there final chapter sealed within an envelope at the back of the book...so no peeking! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will be purchasing a few of the physical books to give as Christmas presents.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Agatha Christie was indeed and thought the master of mystery, thriller, crime and horror. She could mix them all together and leave the reader spellbound with her thoughts and words. AND THEN THERE WAS NONE is a line from the poem TEN LITTLE SOLDIERS but in Christie's hands becomes the sentence for the ten individuals stranded on an island. They all accepted an invitation to a party that has now become their execution for the deeds each of them thought they'd gotten away with. First published in 1939, it will still give you goosebumps as each character receives a punishment from the poem. If you've not read Christie's library, this is a great one to start with.
And Then There Were None has always been my favourite novel from Agatha Christie even before the title was changed to be more politically correct so I knew the identity of the murderer prior to reading this edition but for the first time I read this story solely looking for the clues to their identity which I’ve always missed before and yes, they are definitely there if you have an eye for detail. The actual writing has withstood the test of time despite being written pre-WWII and there were only a couple of instances where the language used wouldn’t be appropriate in a modern day setting but only because they’re now used as slang for something different to what the author meant. Aside from this, the only thing that would date it was the deference shown between classes, with the working-class former policeman calling his so-called betters in the middle-class ‘Sir’ every time he spoke to them.
The overall flow of the story was steady and fast paced and the plot itself ingenious and intricate proving why now, nearly fifty years after her death Dame Agatha Christie still reigns supreme as the true Queen of crime fiction as ten strangers with supposedly nothing in common are brought together on a remote island only to be accused by their mysterious host of having gotten away with murder. With no way of escape, one by one the alleged killers meet their ends with each death corresponding to the lyrics of a children’s rhyme until there was no one left alive on the island. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend you do. With all it’s twists and turns and red herrings it’s the perfect epitome of the classic whodunnit. If you don’t believe me, then how about the multitude of readers who with over 100 million copies sold worldwide, have made this particular book the best-selling mystery of all time.
First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each one has been marked for murder. A famous nursery rhyme is found hung in every room.
This is my favourite Agatha Christie book. When I saw that Harper Collins has it up for request on NetGalley, I had to get myself a copy. I have rad this book numerous times over the years.
Eight strangers have been invited to secluded Soldier Island off the Devon Coast by Mr. & Mrs U.N. Owen. They think they've been invited for a specific reason. The guests were met by Mr. & Mrs' Rogers, the butler, and housekeeper. They had also been invited to work for this event. Before the night is over - one of them is dead.
No matter how many times I've read this book, or seen the film, it never gets stale. It was very cleverly crafted.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #AgathaChristie for my ARC of #AndThenThereWereNone in exchange for an honest review.
Ten strangers, seemingly unconnected except that each one of them is accused of having committed a murder, are lured to a mansion on an isolated island near the Devon coast. Cut off from the mainland, with their hosts mysteriously absent, soon they start dying one by one. It is not long before the guests realise they may be harbouring a murderer among their number but who could it be and can they stop them before it’s too late?!
This was my first Agatha Christie novel and I really enjoyed it. It is very cleverly woven, easy to read and the ending is very satisfying. I kept guessing as the story went on and I loved reading the “solution” to the whodunit. Extremely superbly crafted!
And with a new hardback collector’s edition, solving the world's most puzzling mystery novel just got even more fiendish – with the final solution sealed in an envelope at the back of the book!
As always the author writes a mystery leaving the reader guessing right to the last page. I have enjoyed reading Agatha Christie books and watching the movies/series for many years and always return to them. I can always reread a book by this author. Brilliantly plotted and the characters are vividly brought to life.
'Ten people had to die...It was clear, straightforward, baffling, and yet had a perfectly reasonable explanation'.
From page one, we are introduced to a seemingly disparate cast of characters who've all been invited to an island, for a short summer holiday, off the coast of Devon. Although each invite is somewhat vague, all of them are happy to be ferried across to the small, and isolated, Soldier Island - only to be told that their host has been detained. Odd, but nothing a pre-dinner drink won't fix. All is going swimmingly until a recorded voice booms across the room claiming each of the ten tenants is directly responsible for someone's death. As questions begin to be asked, the first death occurs. As the wind whips up, cutting them off, paranoia is palpable, 'Thoughts that ran around in a circle like squirrels in a cage..what next? What next? Who? Which?'. When and how will it all end?
It's been a long while since I've read an Agatha Christie murder mystery and I'm so glad I did. Not only is the plot clever and well thought out, I just love being transported back to another era too. Pick it up. You'll be pleased you did.
'They're going mad...They'll all go mad...Afraid of death...we're all afraid of death...I'm afraid of death...Yes, but that doesn't stop death coming...'.