And Then There Were None: A Mystery without a Detective 

Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None is the highest-selling crime novel of all time, with over 100 million copies sold since it was published in 1939. (In fact, It’s one of the ten highest-selling novels ever). Its publication cemented Agatha Christie’s spot as one of the world’s most successful novelists. Nevertheless, And Then There Were None deviates from Christie’s iconic formula: the central detective character is absent.

Christie’s novels are described as ‘mysteries,’ ‘crime novels,’ or ‘detective stories.’ But the most accurate descriptor may be one that was coined much earlier, by gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe. In addition to crafting iconic horror stories, Poe also pioneered the detective genre with Murders in the Rue MorgueThe Purloined Letter, and The Mystery of Marie Roger. These stories saw the introduction of C. Auguste Dupin, the ingenious detective who inspired characters like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. The word ‘detective’ wasn’t even coined until 1849, eight years after Poe introduced Dupin into the literary canon. For this reason, Poe didn’t refer to his stories as ‘detective fiction,’ or even ‘mysteries.’ He preferred the term ‘tales of ratiocination’- a tale of logical reasoning.

Christie’s detective fiction, like Poe’s, tends to feature a central character who serves as an avatar for the reader. Whether it be Poirot or Marple, the effect is the same: the reader is guided through a complex yet satisfying logical maze, experiencing exciting moments of clarity as the detective makes their impressive deductions.

And Then There Were None is still a tale of ratiocination, in that the mystery reaches a logical conclusion inscribed in the clues interspersed throughout the story. It differs from the works of Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle in its surprising decision to remove the detective character from the equation. The result is a tale that feels darker, murkier, and more foreboding than much of Christie’s other work. The reader’s hand is no longer held by a brilliant and amusing detective who will, somehow, make sense of the mess. Rather, we are plunged into an uncertain and senseless world, where all explanation is withheld until it is far too late.

Christie herself was aware of the darkness of And Then There Were None. She even rewrote the ending to conclude the story on a more positive note. Her initial pessimistic impulse was perhaps a reflection of the political situation in Europe at the time of the novel’s publication. And Then There Were None was published only months after Britain entered WWII in1939.  This era yielded an outpouring of more cynical work from European writers. For the 30th anniversary of its Summer Chills series, the Alley has decided to present And Then There Were None with its original ending, honoring both the unsettling spirit of Christie’s story, and reaffirming the Alley’s commitment to presenting bone-chilling murder mysteries every summer.