And Then There Were None (Audio Version Redux)

 And Then There Were None (1939) by Agatha Christie
[read by Hugh Fraser

For those who would like a more in-depth look at my views on the story itself, please see my previous review under the previous title: Ten Little Indians

And Then There Were None (1939) is one of Agatha Christie's most famous mysteries and the plot is well-known among mystery fans. It regularly makes "Best Of" lists--from Best Crime & Mystery Novels to Best Books of the 20th Century to PBS's Great American Read. One would think that everyone would know the story by now. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I regularly find people in my life who don't--who have never read it. Or seen one of the adaptations. Or listened to it on audio. And every time I convince one of them to give it a try, I make the same offer. If they can read it and honestly tell me at the end of the book that they figured it out before the grand reveal...then I will buy them dinner at any restaurant of their choosing. Over 30 years of periodic offers and I have not had to pay up once. Dame Agatha was that good at what she did.

This time it was my own son who hadn't experience this particular Christie masterpiece. Whenever he and I make a car trip together (usually to go visit my parents), he indulges me and listens to audio mystery novels. I prefer to listen to audio novels for books I've already read in print form (especially in the car so it won't matter if I don't hear every detail). It is always fun to listen to his commentary as he hears a story for the first time that I already know what happens. When we got to the afterword portion of ATTWN, I stopped the CD and asked if he knew who did it. He didn't--I will say that he (like a few of my friends) had his eye on the correct culprit until certain events made him revise his guess. By the time everyone was dead, he was just as baffled as everyone else I've known. (Including me--I didn't figure it out when I first read it either). 

Christie's story is always a five star read for me. If I could give double-points this time I would--just because I had such a good time listening to it with Kyle. ★★★★★

First Line: In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times.

Last Line: And they will find ten bodies and an unsolved problem on Indian. Island. 
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Deaths = 21 total [eleven by the island murderer (four poisoned; one strangled; one stabbed; two shot; one drowned; two hit) and ten+ caused by our current murder victims (two run over; three neglect/medical malpractice; one shot (war); two drowned; one hung; one overdose [and a bunch of unnamed natives that Philip Lombard left to die in the jungle])