Classic Double Challenge: And Then There Were None

I read this book many years ago, and after discovering the Classic Double Challenge, decided to reread it. And Then There Were None was written by Agatha Christie and was originally published in 1939. The retelling, which I will read and review later, is Ten by Gretchen McNeil.

And Then There Were None follows ten individuals, all guilty of a murder that is beyond the reach of the justice system. They all go to Indian Island under dubious circumstances and are slowly killed off according to the 10 Little Indians nursery rhyme. The murderer is never clear and the remaining victims try desperately to figure out who their mysterious murderer is. While I won't spoil the plot here, the big reveal is surprising and juicy!

Though I read this book many years ago, I had forgotten who the murderer was. Unfortunately, I spoiled the surprise while searching for information on the book on Wikipedia. Though I still enjoyed the book, I had wished I had not spoiled the twist for myself. However, despite knowing the twist, the book is still an amazing piece of literature. I am usually not a big mystery fan, but Christie was obviously a master at her game. I remember reading this years ago and seeing the film, and being impressed at how tight the plot was and how I was guessing the whole time, while still being ultimately wrong. The book is also definitely a product of the time it was written in. I have yet to read Ten by Gretchen McNeil, but I am a little worried about the retelling. The original book was written in 1939, before cell phones, before computers...well, before a lot of things! I don't know if McNeil will be able to keep the same suspense and keep it believable as the original.

I really don't have much more to say, because I think this book is perfect. It's also a good book for anyone interested in reading mysteries or Agatha Christie. Definitely one of my favorites in the mystery genre.