And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie

4 out of 5 stars

First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

So, last night I was supposed to be finishing that huge bloody tome The Goldfinch. What was I doing instead? Enjoying my very first Dame Agatha book, that’s what. And I regret nothing. So there, Donna Tartt.

There’s not much that I can say about this little mystery that hasn’t been said before. It moves along quickly, my brain was working continuously, and before I knew it, Christie had surprised me. Pulled the rug out from under me, in fact. Because I never saw that ending coming.

It was a pleasure to get to know one of the accepted masters of the mystery. I’ll try to squeeze in another of her books soon.