the greatest murder mystery from the murder mystery great, Agatha Christie? i think it’s a strong contender. christie’s ability to weave a succinct narrative & plot through each distinct character & twist is truly astounding, keeping me captivated enough to finish it in one sitting! i’ve had a wary relationship with christie’s work throughout my life, reading many books but only really enjoying a handful which i’ve made clear along with my disappointments, *cough* halloween party *cough*. what i loved about this book was the puppeteering of christie’s wonderful writing in the absence of a reliable narrator or source; in many cases we have miss marple or poirot, but in this instance, the reader is completely alone. this both heightens the mystery for them as they have no one to rely on for answers, only themselves & the story unfolding. 

i also loved the enclosed aspect, trapping all the characters in one space that not only isolates them immensely but turns them against each other. as each character dies, you become dependent on those surviving to carry the mystery along & become both attached & weary of each one. there were sadder deaths than others, one occurring at the end which i knew was coming but dreading to read it, which just shows how much christie can manoeuvre such an ensemble of a cast. the only thing that bothered me was the lack of clues throughout, leading me to get the murderer right but only really out of guessing. overall, a great read from one of the most creative & compelling mystery writers ever.