BOOK REVIEW - And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - Audiobook - 5*

 

BOOK REVIEW

And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie - Released 1939

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Yet another book selection based purely on the audio play time. I had a little internet browse, looking for shorter audiobook with high ratings, and this Agatha Christie mystery cropped up in more than one place. I had listened to a few long books in recent weeks, including a memoir about the Second World War, so I was keen to listen to a quick and straightforward fiction. 

I haven't read any Agatha Christie works before. So many have been adapted for film and TV, especially Poirot, that I feel familiar with her back catalogue despite my lack of intimate knowledge. For a girl who loves a locked room, whodunnit mystery, I knew that this would float my boat! 

BLURB

Ten strangers, apparently with little in common, are lured to an island mansion off the coast of Devon by the mysterious U.N. Owen. Over dinner, a record begins to play, and the voice of an unseen host accuses each person of hiding a guilty secret. That evening, former reckless driver Tony Marston is found murdered by a deadly dose of cyanide. 

The tension escalates as the survivors realise the killer is not only among them but is preparing to strike again...and again...

AUTHOR

Probably one of the most well-known novelists ever, Agatha Christie is synonymous with mystery and detective fiction. She created Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, both famous and beloved in their own right. I found a great website with so much information about the author, pictures of her surfing, 100 greatest facts, articles, interviews, and insights into her life and process. 

I wasn't aware that she was a playwright too, so successful in fact that (and here's your trivia for the day!) her name has appeared in every newspaper with a West End theatre listing, every single day for 53 years (minus the 2020 covid lockdown!)

Check out the website here, it's a really interesting site! 

PLOT/STORYLINE

This book is a slightly expanded locked room mystery. Instead of a body in a locked room with a limited number of suspects and a seemingly impossible crime this story takes place on a remote and inaccessible island. There are 10 people in the island's only house, all guests of an anonymous host. 

Each person has the motive and opportunity to be the culprit. Each person has reason to suspect everyone else. As the bodies pile up and the list of suspects reduces, it's every man (or woman) for themselves, each desperately trying to survive, and get to the bottom of the mystery. 

The story switches perspective many times, giving the reader a sneak peek into everyone's mind, taking the suspicion in one direction before masterfully moving at breakneck speed into another area of suspicion. 

There's a nursery rhyme/poem that plays a key role in the narrative, which adds foreshadowing and an air of tension to the storytelling, tying everything together effectively.

I really can't say much more about the plot without creeping into spoiler territory. There are plenty of characters to explore though, each being accused of being a killer in different ways.  

The narration was well paced and added personality to each of the characters individually. 

CHARACTERS

U.N. Owen is the mystery host. The reader knows nothing about them, neither do the other characters. One of their main goals is to find the true identity of their host, and hopefully understand their motives. 

William Blore was a copper previously and is now a private investigator.  He's got inside knowledge on how to conduct an investigation, given his occupations and he takes the lead in conversations. He's sometimes a bit brash, but I quite liked his forthright approach. 

Thomas and Ethel Rogers are the hired help, they have been employed by U.N Owen to cook, clean and generally serve the other guests during their visit. They are also very much part of the master plan however and were chosen for a reason, much like everyone else. They don't seem terribly compatible a a couple, with one having a distinctly stronger stomach for the macabre than the other and I didn't feel a real connection with either of them. 

Tony Marston is the first to kick the bucket (not a spoiler, it's in the blurb!), his guilty secret is that his poor driving skills resulted in a fatal accident, not that he seems terribly upset about the situation. He definitely seems like a spoiled brat who expected everything to go his way at all times and though his time in the book was short, I felt like I got a good view of his mean character. 

Isaac Morris is another of the hired help, who's job it was to get everyone to the island and put all the plans in place. Similarly to the Rogers, he was chosen for this job for a reason, he's also got a secret!

Judge Wargrave is a slightly bullish, but very intelligent man. He commands respect and has an air of authority and leadership, reflective of his years of service as a judge. He is the one who starts trying to put things together, tries to organise the group and investigate. He comes across quite arrogant though and not all of the other characters are drawn to him, neither was I, he was very observant and came across quite sly. 

Dr Armstrong is a successful doctor, but his personality is quite weak, he's very easy to sway and doesn't take on any real leadership within the group. He's a bit too trusting at times, which makes him quite annoying. There's a murderer on the loose doctor, it's OK to be suspicious :) He also seemed very shady, as they all do, keeping his cards close to his chest and trying to be the good guy. 

General Macarthur is an elderly gent, former military. He's an interesting character and I was intrigued listening to his story from his own perspective. He reminded me of a wise but slightly naive elderly relative, really not a people person at all. He did seem the most likeable to me, not gung ho and inquisitive or scared like the rest of them, which endeared me to him a little. 

Vera Claythorne kept her cards close to her chest, she is struggling with guilt relating to her reason for being chosen, but she is quite cunning and manipulative, while also being quite highly strung and emotional. I felt empathy for her, and her motives, but also felt wary of her intentions throughout. 

Emily Brent was a character I felt real disdain for, a god-fearing woman who uses this as a mask for her absolute disregard for other people. She is selfish and genuinely believes that she can do no wrong. None of the characters are nice people, that's the point of the book, but she really grated on me! 

The writing of the characters was spot on, everyone was suspicious enough and there was enough balance between perspectives that each character got a fair share of attention especially when we got to the final few. This again made sure that no one person was more suspicious than the others and kept the mystery and tension going from beginning to end. 

OVERALL REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SPICE: 🆒

I absolutely adored this book. I have never read Agatha Christie and was a little worried that it would seem old fashioned and less gripping, given that it is almost 100 years old, the writing style of the time can feel long winded and a little over the top, so I was interested to see how this translated into a thriller mystery style story. 

Let's just say I needn't have worried. Christie was ahead of her time in so many ways, there's progressive views and portrayal of women that really impressed me and the writing was eloquent with hidden meanings, subtexts and foreshadowing throughout, though not quite enough to figure it out before the time came. The pacing was spot on, with a really nice balance between dialogue, internal narration, and action. 

I honestly had no idea who the culprit could be, how (or where) he or she could be hiding on the island, and as the reveals started to come thick and fast at the end, I almost leapt with joy. I had a similar feeling when I read Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, which is a more traditional locked room mystery. 

It was a nice, quick and thoroughly entertaining read which I listened to in one sitting while attempting to crochet a blanket one afternoon (the crocheting isn't going well but I'm a beginner so I will forgive myself!)

Agatha Christie has stood the test of time, and for good reason, she is the original master of the crime/detective genre and I look forward to reading more of her work. 

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?

This book is a classic for a reason, and is a must read for all mystery, thriller, crime and detective readers. ESPECIALLY if you enjoy locked room, whodunnit style mysteries. This will knock your socks off!

Anyway, that's all for today's review, I hope you enjoyed my take on this classic! If you want to stay up to date, you can click here to subscribe. I also post bookish content on TikTok, along with full video reviews on my YouTube channel. Feel free to pop in and check them out, follow along and subscribe there too!