“And Then There Were None,” previously known as “Ten Little Indians,” is a mystery novel written by Agatha Christie. A short but amazing piece of literature, “And Then There Were None” is perhaps the best mystery novel I have read. I have read her work before and was eager to experience another brilliant case of murder.

The book starts with a seemingly random poem by Frank Green before delving into perspectives of eight characters. Along with two other characters, all ten people have been lured to an isolated mansion on an island by a peculiar U. N. Owen, which is a play on words for 'unknown'. The mansion owner’s lack of appearance and mysterious identity raise questions and suspicions. Tensions between the characters rise, culminating in an incident in their first dinner, during which a recorded message plays. It accuses each of them of a guilty secret, a crime that falls in the loophole of justice. By the end of the night, one of the guests is dead. As time passes, the group realizes that they are isolated on the island with a murderer. One by one, each of the guests dies as described in a poem hung around the house, the same one that first appeared in the novel. The remaining group grows frantic, trying to stop the killings.

Who among them is the killer and will anyone survive?

I was completely blown away by this book because it was different from what I expected. It felt more gripping and more dangerous. The style is so drastically different from Agatha’s Poirot series that I felt like I was reading someone else’s book entirely. The plot is simple yet complicated at the same time. It’s easy to follow each event, and the purpose of the murders is quite clear to the readers. However, the murderer’s identity is well-hidden and how he or she carries out the murders remain a mystery until the end of the book. The author puts hints throughout the entire event so that the readers can draw conclusions on their own, and I personally like this because it allows the readers to interact with the story. The best thing about this book is that the events don’t drag on. Too often, I would skip over a few paragraphs in a book because I feel like they don’t serve any purpose to the plot, but “And Then There Were None” has plot points woven together so tightly that you can’t miss a word. Also, the short time intervals between the murders make the book much more thrilling and scarier.

The writing style is concise, as I expected from Agatha Christie, but still manages to paint a whole picture of the story. There is little descriptive language, and most of the narrative shows the thoughts of each person. Not a lot of modern authors write in this style anymore, but I thought that this novel succeeded in expressing each individual’s emotions. Plus, how often do you read a book told from the perspectives of the victims right until the moment they die? The characters are brilliantly designed and written, despite the book having ten of them. Juggling ten points of view in one novel is a feat not to be overlooked. Each of them has a different occupation and background story that contribute to the diversity and mysteriousness of the book.

I personally love this book because even though it’s a quick read, it’s filled with action and details. As a busy person, sometimes I prefer a book that I can finish quickly, and this is one of them. I am impressed with Agatha Christie ability to differentiate people into unique individuals—none of them is outshined by another. Furthermore, I think her book touches on an interesting topic in the justice system: crimes that escaped the law by technicalities. It seems to make the statement that intention matters more than whether the law deems someone guilty. The only shortcoming I could think of is that you may feel disconnected to the narrative due to the rapid changes in perspectives. As long as you focus more on the plot, I think you can still fully enjoy the book.

I rate this book 9/10. I’d recommend it to all mystery-lovers out there, or to those who have little time for reading.

Check out And Then There Were None at the Newport Beach Public Library.