This was a re-re-read for me, but the book never loses its awe factor. This is arguably the best of Dame Agatha Christie's books. It is the perfect murder or murders committed flawlessly to paper, and that paper so well-written that it was like I was there on that remote island. I am never short of admiration for this consummate writer. And I think everyone should read or listen to this classic at least once. For me it's my fourth or fifth time, but the first time on audible. Listening to it on audible made it almost brand new. Many have tried to copy Agatha Christie's writing style, but in my opinion, none have ever achieved this pinnacle of mystery, crime writing.

And Then There Were None (1939) by Agatha Christie. This was an instant classic from the first printing more than 80 years ago and it is still a gem. If you have not read it, stop reading this now and rush off to pick up a copy. If you haven’t read this in a while, do yourself a favor and enjoy it again. If you only know this book by any of the movies drawn from it, you will find that the source material outshines the film versions every time.
This is actually a simple story. Eight people are invited to be guests at a very modern home set on an island about a mile off the shore of south England. There to greet the guests are the butler and his wife, the cook. Except for the last couple, all the invitees are strangers, although their names in a case or two might be known to the others.
The host, it is explained, has been detained elsewhere and the guests are to enjoy themselves in his absence. That evening, after dinner, a mysterious recording is played that explains the crimes of all ten. There is bluster and more talk as each denies or agrees with the charges, One guest appears to poison himself and the game is begun.
By morning there are two dead and the guests suspect that neither was a suicide. They scour the small rock upon which the house sits but find no one besides themselves. And there is no where for a person to hide, either outside on in the house.
Another one dies and suspicions abound. And another dies and another dies… and, finally, there are none.
This is a beauty of a puzzle. Dame Agatha plays fair with the reader. Thee is no hidden killer, no dark boat in the middle of the storm to ferry the killer to and from the island. We start with ten living people and end with none. The penultimate chapter will leave you wondering as to what just happened.
But don’t worry, there is an explanation for the events of the party, and it is far superior to any of the tacked on endings I’ve seen in the movies.
This is what it means to be a classic from the “Golden Age of Mysteries.” ( )

Ten strangers are lured to a small island by various means and an unknown host, their secret past crimes are revealed, and then they are killed off, one by one. Who is this maniacal, justice-seeking host? Is it some eleventh person, somehow hiding on the island, or is it…one of them?

Ooooh, this is now my second favorite Christie ever (after Murder on the Orient Express), and one of a few of hers that actually packs a bit of a scary atmosphere. Think Clue, but without the hilarity and with a lot more spookiness. I adored it. ( )

I faintly remember this book from when my mother read it to my sister because my sister had to read it for school, but I had honestly forgotten a lot of what happened. I decided to pick up the audiobook while I was cooking one day, and it then became what I looked forward to every day when it came time to cook.

The audiobook I listened to was well narrated, and I was hooked from the start (albeit a little confused). The book keeps you guessing. It's impossible to figure out who is conducting these murders because there's always some small detail that makes it seem like any of them could be doing it. My guess was that maybe they were drinking something or eating something that made them slowly go mad and kill themselves. I, of course, was wrong. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a gripping story with suspense and mystery.

I enjoyed the characters. I liked how at the beginning it was hard to tell them apart because their introductions were back to back and very fast, but by the end of the book, you could easily pick them out because you slowly found out more about each of them throughout the book. It was even better with the audiobook because the narrator gave them each their own voice. Christie is a master at writing, and I cannot wait to read more.

Needless to say, this is my first 5 star novel of the year. ( )

every scene and piece of dialogue in this story works to consistently build anticipation and dread. the narrative does not lose focus for one moment. i think this economy of language in AC’s storytelling is one of the main reasons her work has maintained enduring interest (it’s certainly not the casual bigotry). ( )