“I don’t know. I don’t know at all. And that’s what’s frightening the life out of me. To have no idea…”
Agatha Christie famously named her 1939 mystery novel And Then There Were None as one of the most difficult books to write. Yet this story of eight people receiving a strange invitation to a remote island off the Devon coast only to start getting killed by an unknown culprit has become the blueprint formula for mystery-thriller writers to follow for nearly a century since. It’s a trope that remains timeless – there’s just something so deliciously enthralling about claustrophobic settings, the suspense of who might be next, and the final shocking twist that readers love to lap up. So, join us today at What We Reading as we pay homage to this formula with the best whodunit books like And Then There Were None!
Criteria
Before we dive into the best books we’ve picked out similar to And Then There Were None, here are some of the core themes and requirements we wanted to see:
- Locked room mysteries.
- Isolated/claustrophobic settings.
- Hidden agendas and secrets brought to light.
- Victims being killed off by an unseen villain.
The Decagon House Murders (House Murders #1) – Yukito Ayatsuji
Kicking off our list of the best books like And Then There Were None, The Decagon House Murders is a classic Japanese mystery-thriller by Yukito Ayatsuji. In it, readers are taken to the lonely island of Tsunojima, a notorious site of a series of bloody murders that many report to be haunted. Which makes it the perfect destination for the K-University Mystery Club’s annual trip.
However, when one of the party members is killed, these amateur sleuths quickly realize that they will have to rely on all the lessons they’ve learned from murder mysteries if they ever hope to get off the island alive. More and more of the group are picked off, leading to paranoia and suspicion engulfing the remaining surviving members. One of the most significant Honkaku books in Japan, The Decagon House Murders follows the group in their desperate attempt to solve the mystery of Tsunojima before it is too late.
One By One – Ruth Ware
Set against a beautiful backdrop of a rustic mountain chalet filled with a cosy fire and breathtaking views, One by One is a 2020 mystery thriller by Ruth Ware. The story follows eight coworkers who have gone away for an off-site company retreat designed to encourage collaboration, bonding, and mindfulness.
That is until an avalanche hits and the order of the corporate hierarchy is utterly shattered. Distrust was already present in the group before the disaster, and it is only heightened as survival takes over from togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members of this work team will be left standing? Like And Then There Were None, One by One is a story built around suspense, with the bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and The Woman in Cabin 10 at her very best.
They All Fall Down – Rachel Howzell Hall
Another perfect And Then There Were None read-alike comes from Rachel Howzell Hall in They All Fall Down. Mirim Macy has received a surprise invitation to a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico along with six strangers – a chef, financial advisor, lawyer, nurse, an ex-cop and a young widow. Surrounded by the gloriously green Sea of Cortez, she is soon shocked to discover that her group and she have been summoned under nefarious circumstances.
From the lush forest to the halls of the lonely mansion, danger lurks everywhere. With no mobile phone service and miles after miles of open ocean keeping them in place, a series of strange accidents soon sees suspicion begin to mount between the group and the dark secrets they’re all keeping hidden.
The Guest List – Lucy Foley
One of the best books like And Then There Were None, Lucy Foley’s The Guest List takes place on a remote island in the Irish Sea and follows the wedding of Jules and Will, an affluent and good-looking couple whose ambitions have yielded an idyllic life. Yet, through the dark atmosphere of this storm-battered island that any Agatha Christie is sure to love, one wedding guest soon finds themselves with blood on their hands.
Told through multiple perspectives and jumps back and forth in time, Foley once again showcases herself as one of the best claustrophobic mystery writers. The identity of both perpetrator and victim is kept secret right up until the last, making for a tension-packed and thrilling read.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Guest List
An Unwanted Guest – Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena, the bestselling author of The Couple Next Door, takes readers to the Mitchell’s Inn, a cosy mountainside lodge in the Catskills in her 2018 thriller, An Unwanted Guest. This romantic spot for a weekend getaway comes with spacious old rooms, wood-burning fireplaces, and a well-stocked wine cellar. It’s the perfect place for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or curling up with a good murder mystery book like And Then There Were None.
So when the weather outside takes a turn for the worse and a snowstorm knocks out the electricity, the remaining guests at the lodge do their best to hunker down and wait things out. But, when guests start turning up dead, panic begins to grip the group. Someone is picking them off one at a time, and there’s nothing they can do besides stay inside and hope they survive both the storm and each other.
The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin
Another classic mystery similar to And Then There Were None, The Westing Game is a 1978 young adult book by Ellen Raskin.
The story follows a group of sixteen people as they gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will, only to discover then that they have been ensnared in a game of intrigue and mystery. Why has this eccentric, game-loving millionaire chosen a virtual stranger – and possible murderer – to inherit all of his fortune? The group are forced to unravel the clues left by the deceased man to work out what’s behind this strange series of events. Even in death, nothing is going to stop Samuel Westing from playing one final game.
The Dying Game – Asa Avdic
Asa Avdic’s The Dying Game is a locked room mystery like And Then There Were None set in a near-future Orwellian society.
The year is 2037 and on the small island of Isola, seven individuals have been chosen to partake in a 48-hour-long competition. The prize is a top-secret intelligence position with the totalitarian Union of Friendship. Anna Francis is no stranger to the game; in fact, she’s the test herself. Her assignment is to stage her death, hide inside the walls of the house the group is staying in, and observe how the other six candidates react to the possibility of a murderer among them. Who will take control? Who will crack under the pressure? A storm soon engulfs the island, which is where the real game begins and Anna’s dark secrets threaten to catch up with her.
The Launch Party – Lauren Forry
Ten lucky individuals have won the trip of a lifetime – an all-expenses-paid trip to the grand opening of Hotel Artemis, the first hotel built on the moon. For those on board the spaceship departing from Earth, it promises to be two weeks of ultra-luxury, champagne and spacewalks. Yet, upon arrival, they soon realise they are the only ones inside the building.
And when one of the guests is found murdered, fear and paranoia soon begin to spread amongst the group. With death only being the beginning of what soon becomes an excursion from hell, the ten individuals have no means of contacting Earth and a three-day journey home. Lauren Forry takes readers into the heart of Hotel Artemis and the secrets of its guests in her 2023 homage to And Then There Were None in The Launch Party.
Check Out Our The Launch Party Review
Nine Lives – Peter Swanson
Nine strangers receive a list with their names in the mail. Having never met nor interacted with each other, they don’t recognise any of the others on this single sheet of paper. Figuring it to be junk mail, they all dismiss the list out of hand. Until tragedy begins to work its way down the names on the note. A well-liked elderly man is drowned, and a father is shot in his sleepy suburb, leading to the revelation that a frightening pattern is emerging.
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, whose name is also on the list, is determined to find out what links all of these people, and why someone wants them all dead. Peter Swanson’s Nine Lives is a gripping thriller novel that follows Jessica and the remaining names on the list as they struggle to work out the mystery behind its sender, looking over their shoulder and wondering if they could be the next to be bumped off at the same time.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
