Dissecting Suspense in Christie's And Then There Were None

After reading the jaw dropping novel And Then There Were None, it definitely left a big impact on me. The storyline and plot was literary wondrous, and every page inclined me to read more and more. Agatha Christie developed suspicion in every scene, character, and setting. Christie’s title of being the “the queen of mystery” was definitely accurate, with enticing words from start to beginning.

To start off, the story doesn’t stick with one character. Personally, I favor this point of view. This way, the audience was able to listen to each perspective and find out the truths about each character. For example, a certain character might have said one thing to another, but then might admit their wrongdoing to the audience. This irony creates more suspicion- why did this character lie? What are they truly hiding? Why would they hide it? Christie’s point of view in the plot hits suspicion spot on. In the beginning of the book, the characters all explain themselves for the crimes they have committed. At first, some lie, and some tell the truth, but are they really? For instance, Philip Lombard was called to Soldier Island by a Mr. Morris. But

Page after page there are numerous examples of comments, phrases, and actions that make yourself wonder, “that’s supposed to mean something more, isn’t it?” For example, when the guests settle down in their new rooms, Vera Bradley notices a nursery rhyme framed in her bedroom. Doesn’t that sound a little odd already? Furthermore, the nursery is about 10 soldier boys, and how each of them are killed. Pretty gruesome for our current time, but back then it wasn’t unusual. However, the mentioning of this poem clearly pinpoints something isn’t right. Christie didn’t just randomly put this nursery rhyme to be included. Again, there are ten soldier boys, just as there are ten guests. Wouldn’t it seem a little too much more than just a