"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

I've been a big fan of Agatha Christie since I was a teenager. Her style of writing fascinates me quite easily. I don't quite know how to explain it, but she creates the perfect "mood" of murder mysteries for her readers.

Even though this is arguably her best story - and by far her best-known - I had read at least a half-dozen of her other books before I ever got to this one. Why did I wait so long? The book was fantastic!

The plot is simple: ten people are lured to an island to be guests of a mysterious host for seven days. The host is nowhere to be found. The first evening, a voice comes out of nowhere and accuses them each in turn and by name of committing murder. The guests then begin to die one by one. They are now trapped on the island with no way off, and they each begin to suspect one another as the murderer. Will any survive the week? And what is the identity of the murderer?

My only complaint with the book was the multiple swear words. There were far more than I remembered from any other of Agatha Christie's books that I have read. But the plot and timing of the book were superb. And the mystery really kept me guessing until (and even AFTER) the murderer was revealed. Even though Christie introduced 10 characters in a short book, she developed their personalities very well. I worried at first about keeping the characters separate in my mind, but it was never a problem.

If you are an Agatha Christie fan, you have probably already read this book. If you are not a fan, I heartily recommend both the author and this book. She is the standard by which all other murder mystery authors are measured.