And Then There Were None
Study Guide and Text
Book Resources
Character List
Anthony Marston
Marston is a young, handsome, rich playboy. He is a dangerous driver and is accused of killing a young couple with his car.
Mrs. Rogers
Mrs. Rogers is the house servant and the wife of the butler, Mr. Rogers. She is accused by the gramophone recording of taking part in the killing of her former employer.
General Macarthur
Macarthur is a retired World War I general who is accused of sending a man with whom his wife is having an affair into battle so that he will be killed. The General has a strong sense of foreboding upon arriving on the island.
Mr. Rogers
Rogers is the butler and caretaker of the house on Indian Island. He, along with his wife, withheld an important medication from a former employer, which killed his employer.
Miss Emily Brent
Miss Brent is a religious fundamentalist who believes she is morally superior to everyone else on the island. She is accused of killing a young girl by causing her to commit suicide after being kicked out of her house.
Mr. Justice Wargrave
Wargrave is an old judge who is accused by the gramophone of having murdered Edward Seton, a man over whose trial he presided.
Dr. Armstrong
Armstrong is a surgeon who is accused of having killed a patient after performing an operation on her while intoxicated. He is tricked by the killer into helping him in his plot.
Detective Blore
Blore is a former detective with Scotland Yard. He committed perjury and thus locked up an innocent man.
Philip Lombard
Lombard is a soldier of fortune. He is responsible for the deaths of a native African tribe.
Vera Claythorne
Vera is a former nursemaid coming to the island under the pretenses of becoming Mrs. U.N. Owen's secretary. She caused the death of a young child who drowned and lost the true love of her life, Hugo, over the incident.
Fred Narracott
Narracott is the captain of the boat that ferries over all the Indian Island guests.
Sir Thomas Legge
Legge is a policeman with Scotland Yard who attempts to solve the mystery of the murders on Indian Island.
Inspector Maine
Maine is a policeman with Scotland Yard in charge of the Indian Island investigations.
Isaac Morris
Mr. Morris is the man used by U.N. Owen to arrange for the details of Indian Island. He bribes Lombard into going to the Island.
Glossary
bestial
Refers to animalistic characteristics.
brandy
Brandy is a type of sweet liquor.
ceramic
A crystalline material similar to glass.
Chancery
Chancery is a branch of the court system in England and Wales.
china
A molded piece of glass or ceramic; often very fragile.
chloral hydrate
A sedative used to treat short-term insomnia.
cyanide
A chemical compound used to create lethal poisons.
Dalmain
A type of European sports car manufactured in the early twentieth century.
Genre
A literary term that denotes any types of literature, film, or art grouped similarly based on particular characteristics. This can also refer to a type of popular literature with a narrow subject meant for entertainment.
gramophone
A device for recording and playing recorded music or sound.
guinea
A British denomination of money.
hypodermic needle
A needle used in medicine for injecting liquids through the skin.
mackintosh
A British term for waterproof clothing.
Modernism
A period marked by particular architecture, literature, film, and other art forms during the first and middle parts of the twentieth century. Modernism offered stark and realist interpretations of the world.
Natal
A town in South Africa.
plump
A British expression denoting a guess, or suspicion.
pukka sahib
Pukka sahib is a Hindi term used for British military officers during the early twentieth century. It denotes an aloof, impartial, incorruptible arbiter of the political fate of a large part of the earth's surface.
sine qua non
Sine qua non refers to an indispensable and essential action.
The Crown
A shorthand term for the British government, which is a constitutional monarchy.
tongue
An inexpensive piece of beef -- the tongue of a cow -- that often comes in cans.
About the Author . . . Agatha Christie
Did you know Agatha Christie helped make surfing popular?
What is a mystery?
Mystery (pronounced mis-tuh-ree, ) is a genre of literature whose stories focus on a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved. The term comes from the Latin mysterium, meaning “a secret thing.” stories can be either fictional or nonfictional, and can focus on both supernatural and non-supernatural topics. Many mystery stories involve what is called a “whodunit” scenario, meaning the mystery revolves around the uncovering a culprit or criminal. by LiteraryTerms.net
7 SUB-GENRES EVERY MYSTERY LOVER SHOULD KNOW
... How do I choose the best book for me? Knowing and understanding the different categories of mysteries is the key to narrowing your search and finding your next great read. The mystery genre is divided into several sub-genres or sub-categories. Though there are numerous sub-genres, most can be placed within 7 main types.
1. Classic/Traditional
In these mysteries there is a crime committed, usually a murder, in a closed social setting. For example, a small village, university, or club. The murder is solved by a professional or amateur detective by asking questions and finding clues. The murder is solved and the murderer caught by the end of the story. Look for these authors: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan-Doyle, P.D. James, and Ruth Rendell.
2. Crime
These novels focus on the planning or committing of a crime and offer detailed descriptions of the criminal and criminal underworld from perspective of those who live in it. Look for these authors: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan-Doyle, Tana French, and Michael Connelly.
3. Police Procedurals/Hardboiled
These are like crime mysteries but instead of focusing on the criminal, they focus instead on the police investigation. More recent procedurals will include the latest scientific forensic technology. Look for these authors: James Patterson, Michael Connelly, J.D. Robb, Patricia Cornwall, and James Lee Burke.
4. Noir
Mysteries like these are atmospheric, stark, and gritty. Classic Noir protagonists are complex characters who are flawed, risk takers and often self-destructive. Look for these authors: Dashiell Hammet, Walter Mosely, Raymond Chandler, Steig Larsson, Elmore Leonard and Mickey Spillane.
5. Gumshoe/Private Detective
Novels in this category focus on the professional investigator. There are no amateurs here. He or she is tough, experienced, and often an ex-cop or ex-military. Look for these authors: Walter Mosley, Sara Paretsky, Alan C. Bradley, and Raymond Chandler.
6. Cozy Mysteries
Like classic mysteries in that the crime will take place around a small or closed setting, for instance an inn or summer house. They may involve a specific set of people like crafters, bakers, or knitters or otherwise stick to a theme. The mystery is solved and perpetrator caught at the end of the story. Cozy mysteries are defined by their lack of graphic violence, explicit sex, or foul language. The tone can be serious but often is lighthearted, playful, or humorous. Look for these authors: M.C. Beaton, Donna Andrews, Susan Albert Wittig, Ellery Adams, and Janet Macomber.
7. Capers
They include one or more crimes that are open to the reader, they happen in plain view. Often the crooks are a bunch of colorful misfits and the police or authorities are inept or bumbling. Planning and the execution of the crimes, like theft, kidnapping or swindling is the story focus, not the solving of the crime. Look for these authors: Donald E. Westlake, Janet Evanovich, Lawrence Block, Elmore Leonard, and Richard Stark.
Whether it’s your first attempt at writing a mystery novel or short story, or you’re simply trying to improve your mystery-writing skills, there are a few things you should keep in mind as you write:
Start with an exciting hook. Mystery novels draw in the reader from the first paragraph—or better yet, the first sentence. Pique a reader’s interest immediately and make them want more.
Set a mysterious mood. Even the most shocking plot twist will fall flat without the right mood. Setting a mysterious mood that immediately puts your readers into the world of your novel. A dark setting, such as an abandoned building or an isolated cabin in the woods, descriptive language of the chilling details of the case, and suspenseful dialogue will set your readers in the middle of the action and encourage them to keep reading.
Reveal information slowly. As you write, consider how your reader will react to how you pace your storytelling. Create the element of suspense by controlling how much information you reveal, and how and when you reveal it. Every mystery novel has a main storyline, but it’s often built on smaller moments that sustain the audience’s interest along the way. Learn more about creating suspense in writing here.
Leave clues behind. Let the reader feel like they’re part of the story. Drop clues throughout the novel that let them be an active participant in solving the mystery. They shouldn’t be too obvious, but discovering them and thinking through the possible explanations should feel exciting and satisfying for the reader.
Provide a few red herrings. The best mysteries are the ones readers can’t solve right away. Divert the reader’s attention with details about people, places, and objects that may not be true and misguide them with contradicting evidence. When they finally learn the truth, they’ll feel satisfied with the journey it took to get there. Learn more about red herrings in our complete guide here.
Tie up loose ends. Mystery novels don’t typically end with cliffhangers. You should solve the crime, explain the mysterious disappearance, or reveal the murderer. Your ending doesn’t have to be happy necessarily, but it should answer all of the outstanding questions the reader has about what happened and what the outcome means for all of the characters involved.