By: Agatha Christie
and then there were none.”
Ten little sailor boys went out to dine . . .
Ten strangers brought together by an eccentric millionaire on his (or is it her?) private island. Whoever this U.N. Owen is, they went to a lot of trouble to gather this group together.
After dinner, the butler plays a recorded message from the mysterious U.N. Owen, which tells the guests that they have all been brought here for the same simple reason: to die. . . Then someone drops dead.
Nine little sailor boys sat up very late . . .
This is the original “We’re all trapped here, and one of us must be the killer!” story and there is a reason that everyone rips it off.
What I love is that the point of view shifts so that you get everyone’s perspective, and without the main character it’s harder to tell who will live and who will die. Since the POV shifts to all ten characters, you actually do see the mind of the killer, and Christie’s writing gives you the motive, without ever making you realize who the killer is until the end.
I can’t recommend this book enough to the die-hard mystery fans, or the slasher flick fans out there. If you are only going to read one Agatha Christie novel in your life, make it this one!
Odd Librarian Out 