And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie

Expectation: A classic whodunit of misdirection, mystery and murder.

Reality: An expertly plotted slow burn that holds up nearly 100 years after its publication.

My Take:

Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” is the best selling mystery of all time for a reason — it’s good. 

While many elements of the plot have not aged well — you know, the casual racism — it’s easy to see why this has endured for nearly 100 years. Expertly plotted (pacing is a different story), it keeps the readers off-balance and offers a satisfying, if somewhat trite by today’s sensibilities, conclusion. 

I particularly enjoyed how she framed the murders around the nursery rhyme, record and figurines and used karma as the main driver of vigilante justice. While the mystery falls apart if you think about it too much, it’s exactly the type of story that is worth the read, if for no other reason than to see how much it still influences popular culture today.

The riddle I’ve been trying to solve since finishing this is whether Dan Stevens’ audiobook narration was great or terrible. In some ways his summer stock with a Shakespeare company delivery perfectly suited the over-the-top elements of the plot, but more often than not I found myself giggling at his complete lack of nuance. 

Was it a terrible way to experience the story? No. Would I have enjoyed a physical read better? Probably.

Rating (story): 4/5 stars

Rating (narration): 2.5/5 stars

Format: Audiobook (library loan)

Dates read: October 7 – October 9, 2023

Multi-tasking: Good to go. Even with a first listen, you’ve heard a variation of Christie’s novel before to easily follow all the twists and turns.