34. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and twisty, atmospheric mystery novels

Nov 3, 2020

Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. We’re sipping some red wine while we talk about this classic locked-room mystery and pair it with some atmospheric, page-turning reads. We discuss Christie’s legacy in the mystery world (and her impact on literature in general), what we look for in the mystery genre, and that wild ending.

 

Our discussion includes:

• How Christie’s novels have shaped today’s literary landscape, perhaps more than any other classics [17:18]
• The appeal of locked room mysteries [23:00]
• Spoiler alert: the twisty ending [26:42]

 

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a Japanese mystery in translation and a Christie-inspired campus novel.

 

We do discuss some spoilers in this episode, but we’ll give you fair warning. 

 

Books Mentioned:

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

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Shop the pairings:  https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-and-then-there-were-none

 

Chelsey’s Pairings:

• The Guest List by Lucy Foley [38:50]
• The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji [46:45]
• • Honkaku murder mysteries
• The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda [55:25]

 

Sara’s Pairings:

• The Truants by Kate Weinberg [42:08]
• Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty [51:18] 
• The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton [1:00:48]

 

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jane Ashford

• When Agatha Christie Vanished 
• Drunk History Agatha Christie

Sara: Clue