Ten little soldier boys went out to dine
One choked his little self and then there were Nine;
Nine little soldier boys sat up very late
One overslept himself and then there were Eight;
Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven;
Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six;
Six little soldier boys playing with a hive
A bumblebee stung one and then there were Five;
Five little soldier boys going in for law
One got in Chancery and then there were Four;
Four little soldier boys going out to sea
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three;
Three little soldier boys walking in the zoo;
A big hear hugged one and then there were Two;
Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun
One got frizzled up and then there was One;
One little soldier boy left all alone
He went and hanged himself and then there were none
Ten deaths. Ten bodies. An island with no way off. What happened? Who killed them? What is the answer to the mystery of Soldier Island?
‘And Then There Were None’ is often touted as the greatest mystery novel ever written and it’s not hard to see why. The atmosphere Christie creates is palpable. The tension ramps up as the bodies start to pile up and the claustrophobia and danger emanate from every page.
Our ten characters are set up brilliantly as we meet each one individually in the opening section. Ten strangers. All summoned to Soldier Island by different people and for different purposes. 35 pages in the action begins as a mysterious voice announces that all ten are there to answer for their parts in the deaths of people they once knew. This message is one of many masterstrokes from the pen of Christie. Before we know what’s about to unfold, we understand why someone thinks each of the ten must die. Extra-judicial justice is a theme of many of Christie’s stories. This is a shining example matched only by her other iconic mystery ‘Murder on the Orient Express’.
The only other indication we get of what’s coming is a brilliant piece of foreshadowing. I am talking of course about the nursery rhyme the novel takes it’s title from. There are other shall we say ‘problematic’ versions, but the soldier version works here. The rhyme is framed on the wall of every room of the house on Soldier Island.
The novel grabs you at this point and doesn’t let up for a second. There are of course the obligatory red herrings as the shadow of suspicion is cast over each of the dwindling number of survivors in turn and it’s feasible that any could be responsible. Is it Blore the undercover police officer? Do the deaths by poisoning point to Dr. Armstrong? Is the puritanical Miss Brent striking down sinners? The genius of Christie is that she crafts reasons for suspecting someone and then giving us a reason why that may not be the case.
Every potential plot hole is paved over. We understand why there can be no escape. Why the killer can ultimately only be one of the ten. This is all compounded by the lack of a central protagonist. A few people begin to seemingly take on the role but then either take a step back or get summarily bumped off. From the opening page where we meet the first ‘little soldier boy’ to the final act with only two left standing, it is never clear who is most likely to be behind all of this. By the time the final body hits the floor I don’t think even the savviest mystery reader could work it all out.
The final chapter and epilogue are brief but in a few pages we get to find out not only the identity of the murderer but also how and why all of this has happened.
Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is that it loses almost none of its power on subsequent re-reads. The clues to the truth are all fiendishly subtle but they are there. A line here, an action there. Quite simply it’s a masterpiece and a flawless mystery
Rating: 10/10
