And Then There Were None

Title: And Then There Were None 
Author: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is  known for her detective novels, short story collections, plays and famous detective sleuths Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

  "And Then There Were None” is based on a childhood poem which is exquisitely converted to a murder mystery.

Ten little Soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Soldier boys sat up little late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Soldier boys traveling in Devon;

One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Soldier boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Soldier boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Soldier boys going in for law;

One got into Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Soldier boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Soldier boys walking in the zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Soldier boys playing with a gun;

One shot the other and then there was One.

One little Soldier boy left all alone;

He went out and hanged himself and then there were none."

  Ten strangers of different professions were invited to Soldier Island for different reasons. The Island had no connection with the mainland. The host who had invited all was missing mysteriously. When the ten strangers had their first dinner and started to get acquainted, a recorded message accusing each one of them of some atrocious crime was played. Then one of them dies and after a few more deaths they realise that the killer is amidst them. But who could it be?

  At first, I started reading it as an assignment given in the class. But as I went deep into it, I just couldn’t stop reading and completed it in a day. There are many characters, each of them well described. The writing style gives a clear picture about the plot. There is curiosity with every turn of page. The suspense level increases as the number of character start decreasing. The mystery is not predictable which makes it interesting.

If crime fiction is your thing you should definitely read it.