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I read this book ages ago; I believe it was my very first Agatha Christie book. I recall searching through the shelves of the local library in the mystery section trying to find something I hadn’t already read. This was during a phase when all I wanted to read were mysteries and nothing else � I suppose I was attempting to create some sort of balance with the high school required reading curriculum. I have to admit that I don’t think I had ever heard of Agatha Christie until that moment. (My parents and grandparents were non-readers, so I was generally on my own to discover new books and authors � unless it was assigned reading.) Imagine my delight when I noted a whole slew of her mysteries all lined up neatly on the shelf � more to look forward to if I liked my first! To make a long story short, I loved the book and to this day recalled the clever twist at the end.

When one of my book groups chose to read this last month, I didn’t think I would manage to squeeze it in. Then I discovered the BBC audio production. I don’t generally listen to audio books; my mind tends to wander far too easily. However, since I’d read it before I thought this would be a fun option. And it was! But it was far too short! All of a sudden it ended and I thought there was something more to be heard! I know there was something missing� my memory of it all those years ago told me so. I wasn’t even sure whodunit when the audio ended. So I promptly returned to the library and signed out the actual book, which includes both an epilogue as well as a copy of a ‘manuscript� found in a sealed bottle out at sea. Whew! All my questions were answered and it all came together quite brilliantly once again. What I came to realize was that my ‘audio book� was more like a recording of a dramatization � missing all the little details I’d have read in the actual book, but with the addition of all the sound effects and plenty of engaging dialogue - ice tinkling in glasses, music fading, doors slamming, different voices for the various characters� but lacking the narration in between that helped make the story solid.

An entertaining and very slick little mystery, And Then There Were None should appeal to most lovers of this genre. I recommend reading the actual book or the true audio book rather than the BBC dramatization, unless you are already familiar with the story. Otherwise, this version would make for great fun! 3.5 stars rounded up