Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - And Then There Were None

Essentially no details extraneous to the plot are included in the book. This allows for extremely rapid and tense plot progression at the expense of any meaningful character development. The book therefore reads more as a series of facts in a logic puzzle than an emotional journey. Nonetheless the book is short enough that the plot and mystery are enough to retain the reader's attention.

I would have preferred not to have the "message in the bottle" at the end. Now if I reread it won't be quite as interesting, although it will have a new perspective

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jcreads85's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was my first Agatha Christie novel. I didn’t hate it, but neither was it a 4 or 5 star either. It was intriguing but her tales don’t age well in some ways. I do think I’ll give her work another chance; however, I'm not part of the camp who will say she’s top notch. At least, not yet. I can say, though, that I see how her books and writing style transfer well to the screen.

I’m grateful for the list of the cast of characters at the beginning. I just wish I hadn’t needed to reference it so much. I also loved the mini parts, basically a shift in perspective, within each chapter. However, this really started out slow and I almost put it aside. I was just so determined to get it read this month as it was so short.

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maralyn2215's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There is a lot of murder and suicide talk

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passionatereader78's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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foramen_magnum's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Agatha Christie at some of her most genre defining -- you know all along that there's some trick, but without a Belgian detective to point it out to you, you go through the whole book not entirely sure what it could be.

A group of seemingly random people are invited to a mysterious island for various reasons. Quickly, they realize they all have a secret that has led to their invitation.... And may lead to their deaths, as dictated by an eerie children's rhyme. What's worse, the killer seems to be among them-- but who? Will they figure out whodunnit in time for anyone to escape the Island?

This was a quick read and, as Christie always is, was good fun that leaves a slight tingle up your spine. None of the characters are at all likeable (and those that verge on being so don't fare very well), and the ending is a bit of a twist for twist's sake, but this one is worth the read to understand the way modern mystery thrillers were shaped.

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