I know it is a bit daggy but I just love Agatha Christie. I love the way there are always the predictable elements but I usually still cannot guess who the identity of the murderer. I love the way that the murder is so sanitised that it is difficult to imagine that anyone real has actually died. The murder usually happens in such an idyllic English setting that you wonder why it seems so peaceful when the murder rate is so high.
In many of her books, an extra fun element is the way she plays on nursery rhymes. Mousetrap and Pocketful of Rye are probably the best known.
I had not read “And Then There Were None” so I was pleased when one of my book clubs nominated it for our next meeting. The title was originally “Ten Little Indians” so it was obvious from the beginning that was the nursery rhyme that would offer our first clue of what was in store.
When ten strangers are invited to a mansion on an island by a mysterious “benefactor”, we know exactly what is about to happen to them. What we do not know is who the owner of the house is, why they have invited everyone to stay and who they can trust between themselves.
I know Christie has her detractors and they will not like this book anymore than any of her others. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Christie including an implausible plot and sometimes inane diaglogue.
For those of you who, like me, just like the fun and silliness of these stories, you will love it.
