And Then There Were None [#books #review]

by Agatha Christie

Rating: 9/10

One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself and then there were none.

(Page 28)

A novel considered, with good reason, Christie's masterpiece. Dame Agatha managed, in fact, to produce a detective story that even if basically respects the classic canons, in other ways completely subverts them, and she invented a setting that became a cliché.

This novel is full of suspense and mystery, it keeps us glued to the pages until the very end, and the final solution surprises and amazes.

In short, it's beautiful as a novel, it's exceptional as a detective story: a splendid read.

Quotes

In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in The Times.

[incipit]

Vera moved to the tea-table. There was a cheerful rattle and clink of china. Normality returned.

Tea! Bless ordinary everyday afternoon tea!

(Page 145)