And Then There Were None
Updated: 12/10/2025, 4:41:39 PM Wikipedia source
And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, who described it as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939, as Ten Little Niggers, after an 1869 minstrel song that serves as a major plot element. The US edition was released in January 1940 with the title And Then There Were None, taken from the last five words of the song. Successive American reprints and adaptations use that title, though American Pocket Books paperbacks used the title Ten Little Indians between 1964 and 1986. UK editions continued to use the original title until 1985. The book is the world's best-selling mystery and, with over 100 million copies sold, is one of the best-selling books of all time. The novel has been listed as the seventh best-selling title (any language, including reference works) of all time.
Infobox
Author
Agatha Christie
Original title
Ten Little Niggers
Language
English
Genre
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Publisher
Collins Crime Club
Publication date
6 November 1939
Publication place
United Kingdom
Pages
272
Preceded by
Murder Is Easy
Followed by
Sad Cypress
Website
And Then There Were None
Tables
Modes of death of the victims vs the wording of the rhyme · Motivating rhyme › Correspondence between rhyme and modes of death
–
–
No.
–
Character
Isaac Morris (the killer's agent)
Accusation
Sold illegal drugs to a woman who became an addict and later died by suicide
Mode of death
Tricked into taking a lethal drug overdose to combat his imagined ailments
Rhyme
N/A
1
1
No.
1
Character
Anthony James Marston
Accusation
Struck and killed two young children while recklessly speeding
Mode of death
Drinks a glass of cyanide-laced whisky
Rhyme
one choked his little self and then there were nine.
2
2
No.
2
Character
Mrs Ethel Rogers
Accusation
Withheld an employer's medicine in order to cause her death and collect an inheritance
Mode of death
Dies in her sleep after drinking brandy spiked with an overdose of chloral hydrate
Rhyme
one overslept himself and then there were eight.
3
3
No.
3
Character
General John Gordon MacArthur
Accusation
Ordered his wife's lover, an officer under his command, on an unsurvivable mission
Mode of death
Killed by a blow to the head
Rhyme
one said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
4
4
No.
4
Character
Thomas Rogers
Accusation
Withheld an employer's medicine in order to cause her death and collect an inheritance
Mode of death
Struck in the head with an axe
Rhyme
one chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
5
5
No.
5
Character
Emily Caroline Brent
Accusation
Dismissed her teenage maid for becoming pregnant out of wedlock, thus causing the maid to drown herself
Mode of death
Injected with cyanide after being sedated with chloral-laced coffee
Rhyme
a bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
6
6
No.
6
Character
Lawrence John Wargrave (Mr Justice Wargrave)
Accusation
Influenced a jury to deliver a guilty verdict against a man thought to be innocent, then sentenced him to death
Mode of death
Shot in the head, dressed as a judge
Rhyme
one got in Chancery and then there were four.
7
7
No.
7
Character
Dr Edward George Armstrong
Accusation
Operated on a patient while drunk, resulting in her death
Mode of death
Drowns after being pushed off a cliff into the sea
Rhyme
a red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
8
8
No.
8
Character
William Henry Blore
Accusation
Gave perjured evidence in court, resulting in an innocent man being convicted and sentenced to life in prison, where he died a year later
Mode of death
Head crushed by a marble clock shaped like a bear
Rhyme
a big bear hugged one and then there were two.
9
9
No.
9
Character
Philip Lombard
Accusation
As a soldier of fortune, stole food from a group of East African tribesmen he was working with, then left them to die
Mode of death
Shot by Vera on the beach with his own revolver
Rhyme
one got frizzled up and then there was one.
10
10
No.
10
Character
Vera Elizabeth Claythorne
Accusation
As a governess, allowed her young charge to drown so that his uncle could inherit the family estate and marry her
Mode of death
Hangs herself
Rhyme
he went out and hanged himself and then there were none.
| No. | Character | Accusation | Mode of death | Rhyme |
| – | Isaac Morris (the killer's agent) | Sold illegal drugs to a woman who became an addict and later died by suicide | Tricked into taking a lethal drug overdose to combat his imagined ailments | N/A |
| 1 | Anthony James Marston | Struck and killed two young children while recklessly speeding | Drinks a glass of cyanide-laced whisky | one choked his little self and then there were nine. |
| 2 | Mrs Ethel Rogers | Withheld an employer's medicine in order to cause her death and collect an inheritance | Dies in her sleep after drinking brandy spiked with an overdose of chloral hydrate | one overslept himself and then there were eight. |
| 3 | General John Gordon MacArthur | Ordered his wife's lover, an officer under his command, on an unsurvivable mission | Killed by a blow to the head | one said he'd stay there and then there were seven. |
| 4 | Thomas Rogers | Withheld an employer's medicine in order to cause her death and collect an inheritance | Struck in the head with an axe | one chopped himself in halves and then there were six. |
| 5 | Emily Caroline Brent | Dismissed her teenage maid for becoming pregnant out of wedlock, thus causing the maid to drown herself | Injected with cyanide after being sedated with chloral-laced coffee | a bumblebee stung one and then there were five. |
| 6 | Lawrence John Wargrave (Mr Justice Wargrave) | Influenced a jury to deliver a guilty verdict against a man thought to be innocent, then sentenced him to death | Shot in the head, dressed as a judge | one got in Chancery and then there were four. |
| 7 | Dr Edward George Armstrong | Operated on a patient while drunk, resulting in her death | Drowns after being pushed off a cliff into the sea | a red herring swallowed one and then there were three. |
| 8 | William Henry Blore | Gave perjured evidence in court, resulting in an innocent man being convicted and sentenced to life in prison, where he died a year later | Head crushed by a marble clock shaped like a bear | a big bear hugged one and then there were two. |
| 9 | Philip Lombard | As a soldier of fortune, stole food from a group of East African tribesmen he was working with, then left them to die | Shot by Vera on the beach with his own revolver | one got frizzled up and then there was one. |
| 10 | Vera Elizabeth Claythorne | As a governess, allowed her young charge to drown so that his uncle could inherit the family estate and marry her | Hangs herself | he went out and hanged himself and then there were none. |
References
- From Zehn kleine Negerlein to Und dann gab's keines mehr
- From Tien kleine negertjes to En toen waren er nog maar...
- From Tio små negerpojkar to Och så var de bara en
- From O Caso dos Dez Negrinhos to E Não Sobrou Nenhum
- From Dziesięciu Murzynków to I nie było już nikogo
- From Dix petits nègres to Ils étaient dix
- From Tíz kicsi néger to Mert többen nincsenek
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