Ten people are invited to an island, called “Indian Island”, by letters that were signed by people they had met before. When they got
to the island, they found out that their host, U.N. Owen, had not arrived yet. At dinner, they heard a voice, accusing each of them of a murder, which they were all guilty of. After one of them is killed, according to the first verse of a poem that is framed above each of their beds called “Ten Little Indians”, they figure out that the murderer is one of them! As more people are killed off, one by one, the group narrows the suspect list down, until only one is left alive but she figured that she would never get off the island anyway, and she hung herself from the ceiling by putting a noose around her neck and kicking the chair away on which she was standing, but she was not the killer. One of the mysteries to this book was, of course, who killed all of the innocent people. Another mystery was that every time another person was killed a little Indian figure would disappear from the edges of a serving plate. One more mystery was that every murder followed, in order, the famous poem “Ten Little Indians”, which reads: Ten little Indian boys went out to dine; One chocked his self and then there were nine. Nine Indian boys sat up very late; One overslept himself then there were eight. Eight Indian boys traveling in Devon; One said he’d stay there then there were seven. Seven Indian boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves then there were six. Six Indian boys playing with a hive; A bumble-bee stung one then there were five. Five Indian boys going in for law; One got in Chancery then there were four. Four Indian boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one then there were three. Three Indian boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one then there were two. Two Indian boys sitting in the sun; One got all frizzled up then there was one. One Indian boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were none.
