Written by Agatha Christie
SUMMARY:
Originally published in 1939, this 247-page softcover edition was released by publishing imprint William Morrow (through HarperCollins) in 2011.
Ostensibly invited for a weekend house party on secluded Soldier Island off the Devon coast, eight British strangers are lured there under varying false pretenses. The guests are: alcoholic Dr. Edward Armstrong; elderly General John MacArthur; chilly spinster Emily Brent; tortoise-like Justice Lawrence Wargrave; roguish mercenary Captain Philip Lombard; demure secretary Vera Claythorne; undercover ex-cop William Henry Blore; and obnoxious stud Anthony Marston. Joining them at the island’s mansion is a low-key servant couple, Thomas and Ethel Rogers. The nursery rhyme, “Ten Little Soldiers,” is viewed with mild amusement as the manor’s omnipresent theme.
After dinner, an ominous recording from their absent host, ‘U.N. Owen,’ accuses his guests of ghastly crimes that had evidently eluded justice. Friday night frivolities instantly cease. Inside of twelve hours, two corresponding toy soldiers from a dining table decoration vanish.
Horrific reality sets in that an enigmatic predator is stalking the marooned captives; each one is systemically killed, in accordance with the rhyme’s suggestive lyrics. With a violent storm bearing down, will anyone survive the death trap of Soldier Island?
Note: The novel’s U.S. title was previously Ten Little Indians, though the term ‘soldiers’ is substituted for ‘Indians’ in the storyline.
REVIEW:
Despite its contrivances (i.e. the omniscient culprit), Christie’s bleak novel remains a masterpiece long after this premise practically spawned its own suspense genre. In large part, the plot’s brilliance is attributable to Christie plausibly conveying distinct personalities without resorting to caricatures. Without a super-detective like Poirot, Marple, or even Inspector Battle on hand, Christie’s unlikable captives are imbued with everyday reality that spell out increasingly desperate shades of human nature.
Unlike its sanitized film and stage adaptations, this novel’s intensity ranks among Christie’s darkest material, with Endless Night and Crooked House completing that Top Three. For fans of vintage murder-mysteries that don’t resort to cheap cop-outs, And Then There Were None is truly a ‘dark-and-stormy night’ experience. As a high-quality softcover book, this particular reprint is definitely recommended!
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Quoted from her autobiography, Christie provides a brief note. The publisher also includes Christie’s mini-biography. Again inserting the less-offensive term of “soldier,” poet Frank Green’s notorious 1869 ‘nursery’ rhyme is reprinted.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 10 Stars
Note: Of its numerous film and TV adaptations, arguably its best comes first. Starring Barry Fitzgerald and Walter Huston, the same-named 1945 film (based on Christie’s less-intense play) is top-caliber black-and-white entertainment. Otherwise, the most faithful renditions belong to a 1980’s Russian adaptation and the recent BBC mini-series.
