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A review by eyreguide
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
5.0
If you have read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, this book might not hold as many surprises for you. And I only say that because the logistics of having ten people in an isolated spot and a hidden killer in their midst, presents certain complications that Agatha Christie had worked out, and Gretchen McNeil deals with it in a similar way. Only in these mechanics are the stories similar, but in the characters and the heart of the narrative there are many differences, which made Ten an absolutely compelling and page-turning mystery.
The variety of characters, and the amount of teen angst and drama make up that heart of the narrative that I found so interesting. There is a reason why someone is killing off the unfortunate party attendees, and unravelling the circumstances that led up to the events on the island was an intricately fitted puzzle. The clues were all in place to figure out the culprit, and I must admit, because I read And Then There Were None, I was able to guess the murderer pretty early and I enjoyed spotting all the evidence that supported my theory as I read the story. Even with certain suspicions, I was surprised by a few things and I could not put this book down until I had finished the last page. The resolution of the story was not at all as straightforward for me as guessing the murderer was, and I was breathless anticipating how it would all end. There is also a nicely built, tension-filled romance and Meg is a great snarky protagonist who drove the narrative perfectly. Absolutely an amazingly immersive mystery, I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys their mysteries fast-paced, insidious and compelling.
The variety of characters, and the amount of teen angst and drama make up that heart of the narrative that I found so interesting. There is a reason why someone is killing off the unfortunate party attendees, and unravelling the circumstances that led up to the events on the island was an intricately fitted puzzle. The clues were all in place to figure out the culprit, and I must admit, because I read And Then There Were None, I was able to guess the murderer pretty early and I enjoyed spotting all the evidence that supported my theory as I read the story. Even with certain suspicions, I was surprised by a few things and I could not put this book down until I had finished the last page. The resolution of the story was not at all as straightforward for me as guessing the murderer was, and I was breathless anticipating how it would all end. There is also a nicely built, tension-filled romance and Meg is a great snarky protagonist who drove the narrative perfectly. Absolutely an amazingly immersive mystery, I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys their mysteries fast-paced, insidious and compelling.