And Then There Were None

So the one very important thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that I've decided to start with And Then There Were None. I know it's not her first, which would make more sense, but what can I say? I walked into the book store, it was the first one on the shelf, and I just plain liked the title. So that's where I'm starting.

Something else to keep in mind, should anyone ever read this but me (which is doubtful), is that this blog is, by necessity, going to be very spoilery. Since I'm reading mysteries, that could really suck for someone who's not read these books before and might want to at some point. So, reader beware.

I can already tell that there is going to a be a lot to keep track of in this book. I'm one chapter in and I think I'm already seeing a hint of the Agatha Christie formula. She's got a group of people, all from different backgrounds and with different motivations, heading to a strange, remote place they've been invited to. Invited, I should mention, by someone they do not know, but who seems to know a great deal about them. I thought I'd start with a little character rundown.

1.) Owens, the mysterious benefactor who is bringing everyone to Soldier Island. It is as yet unclear if this is a man or a woman, or possibly both.

2.) Mr. Justice Wargrave, a former lawyer. He believes he is going to reunite with what appears to be an old flame whom he has not seen in several years.

3.) Vera Claythorn, a middle age woman, who believes she is being sent to the island to fill a secretarial position. She has tragedy in her past of an unknown nature having to do with someone named Hugo, whom she does not want to think about. From the flashes we are given, it appears he might have drowned and she was unable to reach him in time to save him. It appears there may have been a touch of scandal attached to this death as well.

4.) Philip Lombard, an unknown quantity. He is down on his luck and nearly out of money. He was engaged by a third party representing Owens who appears to know that Lombard is down to his last bit of cash. He believes whatever he is going to do will only last a week or so and may or may not involve something illegal.

5.) Miss. Emily Bent, possibly my favorite character judging by the description. She's a sixty five year old spinster, and she's completely snooty and I already love her. Christie writes: "Enveloped in an aura of righteousness and unyielding principles, Miss Brent sat in her crowded third-class carriage and triumphed over its discomfort and its heat." She believes she is getting a free holiday from someone she met at a retreat of some sort a few summers back, though she cannot exactly recall the woman.

6.) General Macarthur is another one with very little information. He clearly has some skeletons in his closet as he is concerned that someone named Armstrong "talked." He believes he is headed out to meet with some old cronies to discuss the good old days. He suspects the island is owned by the army or the air force at this point.

7.) Doctor Armstrong is a youngish man for his profession who happened to get a few lucky breaks with some accurate diagnosis and a few grateful female clients with plenty of wealth and influence. Since then he's been far too busy and is glad for what he thinks will be an easy little break. He believes he is going to take a look at the benefactor's wife who has a problem with her nerves. The doctor believes there will probably be nothing wrong with her that a little placebo won't fix, and is looking forward to the rest this trip offers.

8.) Tony Marston is obviously a playboy. He's handsome, tan, blue-eyed, and presumably rich. He drives his car way too fast and to devil with everyone else on the road. He believes he's headed to some large party opportunity, and he is clearly used to that. He's not concerned at all by the fact that he doesn't know the Owens at all. I like Christie's summation of him: "Anthony Marston proceeded on his triumphal progress."

9.) Mr. Blore is apparently a con man and may, in fact, be the elusive Mr. Owens. He has a list of the other guests and is trying to decide what persona to give himself, at last deciding on a man from the colonies of South Africa. It's foreign and exotic enough that he feels he'll be able to bluff his way through it. We get an interesting bit of foreshadowing here. His companion in the compartment is an old sea dog who, upon waking, tells him that the squall is coming. He tells Bore that the day of judgment is close at hand, and that it's coming right for him. He dismisses the man as old, possibly crazy, and clearly much closer to judgment day than he was. But, as Christie tells us, "But there, as it happens, he was wrong..."