Summary
And Then There Were None, published in 1939, is one of Agatha Christie’s best known works. It’s also one of the most popular mystery novels of all time, with more than 100 million copies sold worldwide. This ingenious “locked room” mystery has inspired numerous adaptations across film, television, and theater. The 1945 film version directed by René Clair is considered one of the most famous and faithful screen adaptations of Christie's cunning plot.
Plot
And Then There Were None follows the intertwined fates of 10 strangers who are lured to a remote island off the coast of Devon, England, and mysteriously killed off, one by one, according to the verses of a dark nursery rhyme. Soon after arriving at the mansion retreat on Soldier Island, the guests realize they have never met their host, known only as “U.N. Owen," and have all been invited there under various pretexts. At dinner, a recorded message accuses each of them of being responsible for someone's death. Later that night, one of the guests dies from cyanide poisoning.
Over the next few days, guests continue to be killed off in ways matching the deaths described in the nursery rhyme that hangs on the wall in each of their rooms, “Ten Little Soldiers.” As suspicion and paranoia mount, they conclude the killer must be one of them. They search the island but find no one else. More deaths follow–by poisoning, stabbing, bludgeoning, and drowning. As their numbers diminish, the guests desperately try to determine the murderer's identity–before they become the next victim. Eventually, only two guests remain alive. In a shocking final twist, the killer is revealed.
Themes
Justice and judgment
Guilt and responsibility
Isolation and paranoia
Deception and mistrust
Order versus chaos
The nature of evil
The psychology of fear
Setting
Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None takes place in the late 1930s, on the eve of World War II. The story unfolds over a single weekend in August, reflecting the tense atmosphere of pre-war Britain. Christie vividly captures the social dynamics and class distinctions of this era through her cast of characters from varied backgrounds.
The primary setting is a small, isolated island off the coast of Devon, England. Known as “Soldier Island” (or “Indian Island” in some versions), it is a rocky, barren place accessible only by boat. The island's sole building is a modern mansion perched atop a cliff, designed in a stark modernist style that contrasts sharply with the rugged natural landscape. This remote location serves to cut the characters off from the outside world, heightening the suspense as they find themselves trapped with a murderer in their midst.
Within the mansion, Christie creates a claustrophobic atmosphere as the dwindling group of survivors moves between key locations like the dining room, drawing room, and their individual bedrooms. The author uses the mansion’s layout and the characters' movements to build tension and drive the plot forward. Beyond the island, the novel makes brief references to London and other parts of England, providing context for the characters' backgrounds and the events that brought them to this fateful gathering.
Characters
Justice Lawrence Wargrave: A retired judge known for handing out harsh sentences.
Vera Claythorne: A former governess who was accused of allowing a child in her care to drown.
Philip Lombard: A soldier of fortune and adventurer with a shady past. He brings a revolver to the island.
Dr. Edward Armstrong: A Harley Street doctor with a drinking problem and a secret past.
William Blore: An ex-police inspector turned private investigator. He arrives on the island under an assumed name.
Emily Brent: A rigid, religious spinster accused of driving a young servant girl to suicide.
General John MacArthur: A retired World War I general haunted by his past actions.
Thomas Rogers: The butler who arrives on the island with his wife to serve as staff.
Ethel Rogers: The butler’s wife, who serves as the cook and housekeeper.
Anthony Marston: A reckless, wealthy young man with a history of dangerous driving.
Isaac Morris: A shady lawyer who arranges for the guests to come to the island.
Fred Narracott: The boatman who ferries the guests to the island.
Quick facts
And Then There Were None is Agatha Christie's top bestselling novel, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide.
Christie wrote And Then There Were None after a “tremendous amount of planning” and considered it her most difficult book to write.
And Then There Were None has had more adaptations than any other work by Christie, including films, TV, radio, and stage versions.
Christie changed the ending to a happier one when adapting it for the stage in 1943.
The isolated setting was inspired by Burgh Island off the coast of Devon, England.
And Then There Were None was voted the “World's Favourite Christie” in a 2015 poll marking her 125th birthday.
The rhyme and plot structure of characters being killed off one by one has been widely imitated and parodied.
Christie herself said it was not necessarily her best work, but she was most pleased with its craftsmanship.
Early reviewers praised the novel’s ingenuity. The New York Times called And Then There Were None Christie's “most baffling mystery” yet.
About the Author
Agatha Christie is one of the most beloved mystery writers and the bestselling novelist of all time. During her prolific career spanning more than five decades, she wrote 66 detective novels and 15 short story collections that have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in at least 100 other languages worldwide. Her most famous creations–the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the spinster sleuth Miss Marple–appeared in dozens of her whodunits and became household names. In addition, her play The Mousetrap set records as the world's longest-running show.
Christie was born in Torquay, a seaside town in Devon, England, in 1890. She began writing detective fiction while working as a nurse during World War I. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920. Beyond her detective fiction, Christie wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, allowing her to explore more personal and romantic themes. She also chronicled her experiences on archaeological digs with her second husband, Max Mallowan, in her nonfiction work Come, Tell Me How You Live.
While her public persona was that of the “Queen of Crime," Christie was an intensely private individual. Her personal life took a dramatic turn in 1926 when she mysteriously disappeared for 11 days, sparking a nationwide manhunt. The incident remains one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries surrounding the author's own life.
Agatha Christie died in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in 1976, at the age of 85. Nearly 50 years later, her ingenious plots, colorful characters, and masterful misdirection continue to captivate readers and inspire adaptations. Her enduring popularity and influence on the genre are undeniable.
