And Then There Were None/Ten Little Indians (1939)

By far the most chilling and scariest book of Christie (it actually made me shiver while reading it) was Ten Little Indians, also published as And Then There Were None. This is one of my favorite books because of the plot (although some critics think it's ludicrous): 10 people guilty of murder (but never tried) are invited as houseguests on Indian Island, off the coast of Devon. There, systematically one by one, they die: they must pay for the murders they've committed in the past! That's the demented logic behind the murderer, his or her plan meted out to fulfill justice. Their deaths and secrets actually haunt you. As the novel progresses, thoughts of each of the 10 are revealed to the reader; the reader is told of each of their past histories and their secrets. One of the 10 surely must be the murderer: when there is no one left on the island, the reader has run out of suspects. Who is it then? What kind of mind must it be to create such a plan?

Only one person is guilty: Agatha Christie. She truly had surpassed herself on this one. This is an example of the genius of Christie as one of the best plot creators of all time. This novel is the epitome of the Golden Age of mystery novels. I really need to say one more thing I've been dying to say: I know Poirot could've solved the murder if given the chance to. It's psychological, really.