Reading the Detectives discussion

Susan wrote: "WWI had a huge impact on British readers being tired of death and violence. Also, the fad of puzzles, such as crosswords, and jigsaws, were huge at that time and I think those books were puzzles, to be worked out and enjoyed ..."

Thanks Susan I hadn't considered that before. It opens up a whole fascinating idea about how crime literature fits into a country's history and culture! I feel a book search coming on! If anyone knows of a book covering that subject, I'd love to know.

Lesley, I feel the same. No matter how many times I come back to this book, I do find it creepy and, as you say, full of suspense.

Having seen the movie a while ago, but vaguely remembering that there was a romance and a few people who survived, I thought right up until the end that Vera and Lombard might go that way. Quite a different ending though! I think there is a part of us that wants to see people escape the jaws of a killer, whether or not they themselves are less than good. However, I think the book has so much more impact, and really sticks with you, by virtue of not going that route. Its dark, its dreary, but its also darn good!

Good to hear you enjoyed it, Tara. Yes, you do think that Vera and Lombard might just join up and defeat the killer, don't you? Does anyone wish that they had?

I have read the book several times and seen many versions (television and film) of it over the years. It still stands out as a fantastically original and well plotted story, beautifully developed and still full of suspense! I think the comments about crosswords and puzzles being in vogue at the time are really apposite. The story really does fall into that incredibly detailed and precise way of thinking which is behind this story’s construction. She really was mistress of the genre!

Susan wrote: "Good to hear you enjoyed it, Tara. Yes, you do think that Vera and Lombard might just join up and defeat the killer, don't you? Does anyone wish that they had?"

I do - I definitely prefer the happier ending of the play, but this might be partly just because that's the version I came across first, so it seems like the "real" ending to me!

I absolutely wanted them to walk into the sunset together.

Vera and Lombard also probably are the most interesting aspect of the book from a story teller's point of view: They had to be relatable (perhaps even likeable) enough to be suitable as the reader's main point-of-view characters, since they accompany you through the whole book, while at the same time had to have convincingly committed the worst crimes. Christie solved this in a rather spirited fashion by turning the qualities which would have made both of them heroes of any other tale (They are both clever, quick-thinking, take charge and face problems head on *coughs*) into exactly the qualities which made them capable of committing the most shocking crimes.

Though, admittedly, Christie took the easy way out in Lombard's case, as his crime is never much discussed. He admits to it, explains it and that's about it.

Lombard is interesting as he suffers no guilt, which is presumably why he was left so late to die. It was clever to pit Lombard and Vera against each other at the end. If it had been me, though, I would have hidden somewhere and waited for someone to turn up and rescue me, had I been Vera. I would have faced the questions then...

Can you imagine being the first person to land on the island and discovering what had happened?

The scene when Vera returns to the house after shooting Lombard, when she is walking up those stairs, so haunting, and the part of the narrative that has stuck with me the most.

That first arrival on the scene afterwards would be a little like the start of Beau Geste.

I'm glad I haven't seen the movie - one of Christie's great strengths is that anyone can be the murderer. I've been thinking about this & believe that Vera & the manservant were the most guilty as they knew there was very little chance their victims would survive.

I guess I would put the old major at third most guilty then, even though he had accepted his guilt & welcomed death.

Lombard is probably one of the less guilty ones as there was a chance his men could have survived - he just didn't care either way.

Anska wrote: "I absolutely wanted them to walk into the sunset together.

Vera and Lombard also probably are the most interesting aspect of the book from a story teller's point of view: They had to be relatable..."

I have seen the 1945 version of the film in which you get your wish, Anska.

I just finished this book. This was my first A.C. book I read as a teen, many years ago, and I remember that I loved it. I know this is at least the third time I have read it and I saw the play a couple of years ago. This time around I found it a little too spooky for my tastes even though I remember how it ended. I kept wishing for Jane or Poirot to show up and save somebody. Funny how at different times in your life books hit you in different ways.

I totally agree with you, Sandy. No matter how many times I read this, it still gives me the creeps!

I really like this book-- as many people have already pointed out in the comments above, it has a high creep factor which makes it very enjoyable for me. Although I like mysteries that have strong character development and really let you get involved with the characters, sometimes it's fun to read a mystery that is simply a very well-crafted puzzle.

I was glad that this came up as a group read, because last month I read the Japanese mystery The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji which was strongly inspired/ influenced by Christie's And Then There Were None, although Decagon has some wonderful twists and puzzles of its own, and it really made me want to reread None. (If you liked the Christie book, you would very likely also enjoy this one.)

Unfortunately for me, I had only read And Then There Were None about a year and a half ago, so although I had forgotten much of the detail, I still remembered who the murderer was, so I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous time. It's a book I'll go back to a few years from now (hopefully, I will have forgotten all the plot points by then) because it is definitely one of my favorite Christie books.

The Decagon House Murders looks really interesting, Suki. Thanks for recommending it - and glad you enjoyed And Then There Were None, which is definitely one of my favourites too :)

I've just started a dramatised version of this and couldn't believe that, within the first five minutes they referred to Justice Wargrave reading a letter he had written to himself! Talk about a give away! Unless perhaps, if you are reading it for the first time you might not see the relevance of that?

Was that a letter inviting himself to the island, Sue? Or one explaining the whole plot ;)

Susan wrote: "Was that a letter inviting himself to the island, Sue? Or one explaining the whole plot ;)"

Just inviting himself to the island. It's at the beginning when they are all on their way to the island and each one is reminiscing about why/how they were invited. I have listened to the rest of it now and it's a good version overall, but that seemed too obvious a clue too early on.

That is a little obvious; especially if it is pointed out that he invited himself...