Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you read Ten Little Indians, which is now published as And Then There Were None, read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Five Little Pigs, then The Guest List and The Hunting Party. All are twisty puzzles about a group of suspects with something to hide.
Agatha Christie's 1939 novel, originally published in the UK under a title that is no longer used and now known as And Then There Were None, brings ten strangers to an island where they are killed one by one. It is the best-selling mystery of all time. The books below offer similar closed-circle puzzles and classic whodunits.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder on the Orient Express | Agatha Christie | Adult | the train classic |
| The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | Agatha Christie | Adult | daring twist |
| Death on the Nile | Agatha Christie | Adult | cruise murder |
| A Murder Is Announced | Agatha Christie | Adult | village puzzle |
| The ABC Murders | Agatha Christie | Adult | serial puzzle |
| Crooked House | Agatha Christie | Adult | family secrets |
| Five Little Pigs | Agatha Christie | Adult | cold case |
| The Guest List | Lucy Foley | Adult | wedding murder |
| The Hunting Party | Lucy Foley | Adult | snowed-in lodge |
| In a Dark, Dark Wood | Ruth Ware | Adult | hen party horror |
| One by One | Ruth Ware | Adult | ski chalet thriller |
| The Word Is Murder | Anthony Horowitz | Adult | detective duo |
| Magpie Murders | Anthony Horowitz | Adult | mystery within a mystery |
| The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle | Stuart Turton | Adult | looping mystery |
| The Thursday Murder Club | Richard Osman | Adult | cosy humour |
1. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Poirot investigates a murder on a snowbound train. Clever and famous.
Best for: the train classic.
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Poirot solves a murder in a quiet village. Famous for its surprise.
Best for: daring twist.
3. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Poirot investigates a murder on a Nile steamer. Glamorous and clever.
Best for: cruise murder.
4. A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple investigates a murder advertised in the local paper. A model of the village mystery.
Best for: village puzzle.
5. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
A killer sends Poirot letters before each murder. Inventive and tense.
Best for: serial puzzle.
6. Crooked House by Agatha Christie
A rich old man dies and his family is suspect. A late, dark Christie.
Best for: family secrets.
7. Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
Poirot revisits a sixteen-year-old murder. Thoughtful and clever.
Best for: cold case.
8. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A wedding on an Irish island turns deadly. Dramatic and well plotted.
Best for: wedding murder.
9. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Friends gather in a Scottish Highlands lodge for New Year's, and one is killed. Tense and twisty.
Best for: snowed-in lodge.
10. In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
A woman attends a reunion at a remote glass house. Atmospheric and suspenseful.
Best for: hen party horror.
11. One by One by Ruth Ware
A tech company retreat turns deadly in a snowed-in chalet. Tense and claustrophobic.
Best for: ski chalet thriller.
12. The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
The author himself is drawn into a murder investigation. Clever and playful.
Best for: detective duo.
13. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
An editor reads a manuscript and finds clues to a real crime. Smart and bookish.
Best for: mystery within a mystery.
14. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
A man relives one day in different bodies to solve a murder. Dense and clever.
Best for: looping mystery.
15. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Four retirees solve cold cases and then a murder. Funny and warm.
Best for: cosy humour.
How to Choose
For more Christie choose Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile or A Murder Is Announced. For modern closed-circle puzzles pick The Guest List, The Hunting Party or One by One. For clever twists read The Word Is Murder, Magpie Murders or The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. For warmth try The Thursday Murder Club. Christie's older titles reflect their time, so modern editions often update titles and language. The novel's original title came from a nursery rhyme and has been replaced in modern editions. It is now published as And Then There Were None, which is the title most readers know. If you enjoy the closed-circle mystery, try reading the originals before the modern versions. If you want fair-play clues, Christie is unbeatable. If you want modern twists, Foley and Ware are fast. Audiobooks of Christie are popular. Libraries and second-hand shops stock many of her older titles.
Related: 15 Books Like Little Women You’ll Love: Sisters, Families and Classic Stories · 15 Books Like Little Fires Everywhere You’ll Love: Family Secrets and Suburban Drama
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the book about?
Ten strangers are lured to an island and killed one by one, following a nursery rhyme.
Who wrote it?
Agatha Christie.
When was it published?
1939.
What is the book called now?
And Then There Were None.
Why did the title change?
The original title used a term now considered offensive.
Is it Christie's best-selling book?
Yes, it is among the best-selling novels in history.
Is it a good first Christie?
Yes, it is a standalone and a masterpiece of plotting.
What should I read next?
Try Murder on the Orient Express.
Are there adaptations of this book?
Yes, many, including TV, film and stage versions.
Is it scary?
It is suspenseful and bleak, but not gory.