And Then There Were None

By Agatha Christie

Suitable age: 12 and above

Written by Agatha Christie, this mystery novel begins when ten strangers are invited to an isolated island by an unknown host called U. N. Owen. When one of the ten guests dies, the others believe that it was no more than a mere suicide. They are forced to think likewise when another guest dies in accordance to a nursery rhyme hung in every room. They search the area but there is no one else on the island. They come to one conclusion; the murderer is one of them.

This book is unlike regular mystery books due to the lack of a main character who investigates the case. Furthermore, the murderer is not caught and succeeds in his goal but his identity is revealed in a letter at the end of the book due to his urge to be recognised. It is impossible to guess the identity of the murderer because in each of the crimes the culprit specifically creates a situation where anybody can be the murderer. This singles out the creativity and thought the author put into the book. The setting of the book reminds me of a murder mystery game where nobody knows who the murderer and the sheriff is. The murderer has to kill everyone anonymously with a knife. The sheriff has to find and kill the murderer with a gun.

Recommended for people who enjoy mystery novels. This book will be impossible to put down.

Thank you to 四丈公 for recommending Agatha Christie to me.

3.5 Elliot Stars (out of 5)