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

For as much as I enjoy older literature, I can't believe it took me this long to read Agatha Christie! She truly is in a class above the rest in making murder mysteries that truly keep you guessing. It's easy to see how later films, shows, and books have used this novel in particular as a framework (i.e. the movie Clue opens and has very similar scenes in the beginning for instance). While I did find the story captivating and thrilling to read through, there were a few things I took issue with. I've always disliked when authors insert obscure or rarely used words despite the rest of their writing being wholly different in tone and style (i.e. Christie uses "verisimilitude" for instance as something a character says, which even an educated person would probably have used other verbiage in this time/setting). I also dislike when an author continuously uses ONE adjective repeatedly for EVERYTHING. Christie does this with the word "queer" (the older version of the word mind you), and she makes every character say or think practically everything is "queer." There are dozens of other words that she could've used to broaden the diction of her characters and world, but, alas, it's the one she stuck with until the very end. Overall, I did quite enjoy the story and the surprise at the end, demonstrating her aptitude for mystery writing that is hard to match, and I do recommend it to anyone considering it. Now, to check out some other Christie novels and see what other mysteries she has in store!

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zoeblair's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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danajoy's review against another edition

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3.5

I struggled a little to keep track of who was who in the beginning.
I didn't particularly care for any of the characters but I did enjoy the atmosphere and remained engaged.

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lollymac's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.75

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itsame_dio's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.25

It’s a reason this book has inspired many mysteries to do this day. It was published in 1939 so there’s casual antisemitism and racism but it’s mainly at the beginning and not focused on. I would recommend reading the psychical book over the audiobook. While the narrator had distinct voices for everyone, I couldn’t really grasp onto any of the clues.

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