Cover of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

6 book recommendations

Books Like “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie’s masterpiece set the ultimate standard for isolated locked-room thrillers, enthralling readers with its suffocating paranoia and cunning, dwindling-survivor puzzle. If you crave that same unrelenting suspense and wicked moral reckoning, look no further. Explore these handpicked mysteries to uncover your next brilliantly twisty read.

  1. Cover of The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

    Cover not available

    The Decagon House Murders

    by Yukito Ayatsuji

    "Ayatsuji's brilliant and richly atmospheric puzzle will appeal to fans of golden age whodunits... Every word counts, leading up to a jaw-dropping but logical reveal" — Publishers Weekly

    A hugely enjoyable, page-turning murder mystery sure to appeal to fans of Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, and Agatha Christie, with one of the best and most-satisfying conclusions you'll ever read. A classic in Japan, available in English for the first time.

    From The New York Times Book Review:

    "Read Yukito Ayatsuji’s landmark mystery, The Decagon House Murders, and discover a real depth of feeling beneath the fiendish foul play.

    Taking its cues from Agatha Christie’s locked-room classic And Then There Were None, the setup is this: The members of a university detective-fiction club, each nicknamed for a favorite crime writer (Poe, Carr, Orczy, Van Queen, Leroux and — yes — Christie), spend a week on remote Tsunojima Island, attracted to the place, and its eerie 10-sided house, because of a spate of murders that transpired the year before. That collective curiosity will, of course, be their undoing.

    As the students approach Tsunojima in a hired fishing boat, 'the sunlight shining down turned the rippling waves to silver. The island lay ahead of them, wrapped in a misty veil of dust,' its sheer, dark cliffs rising straight out of the sea, accessible by one small inlet. There is no electricity on the island, and no telephones, either.

    A fresh round of violent deaths begins, and Ayatsuji’s skillful, furious pacing propels the narrative. As the students are picked off one by one, he weaves in the story of the mainland investigation of the earlier murders. This is a homage to Golden Age detective fiction, but it’s also unabashed entertainment."

    Why it's similar

    Like Christie's novel, it features a group of individuals trapped on an isolated island who are systematically murdered one by one by an unknown killer among them. Both works are closed-circle whodunits centered on deception, isolation, and retribution for past sins.

    What's different

    Ayatsuji's novel is written in the Japanese 'shin honkaku' tradition, emphasizing fair-play logical puzzle-solving and meta-fictional elements over psychological dread.

  2. Cover of One by One by Ruth Ware

    Cover not available

    One by One

    by Ruth Ware

    “An excellent mystery/suspense novel that will remind you of Dame Agatha at her best.” —Stephen King

    This instant New York Times bestseller and “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) from Ruth Ware follows a group of employees trapped on a snow-covered mountain.

    Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers…each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.

    When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech start-up, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hadn’t made it back from the slopes when the avalanche hit.

    As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further…one by one.

    Why it's similar

    It uses the same closed-circle elimination structure, stranding a group of people in an isolated ski chalet cut off by an avalanche while they are murdered one after another. Paranoia and mutual suspicion drive the narrative tension in both books.

    What's different

    Ware focuses heavily on modern corporate politics and tech startup culture through dual first-person viewpoints, whereas Christie relies on traditional moral reckoning and an omniscient perspective.

  3. Cover of An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

    Cover not available

    An Unwanted Guest

    by Shari Lapena

    AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

    Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Not a Happy Family

    “A gripping mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.” –Good Housekeeping

    “Another nail-biter perfect for an all-nighter.” –Entertainment Weekly

    A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

    It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

    So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in and try to make the best of it.

    Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

    Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm--and one another.

    Why it's similar

    Both stories isolate a group of strangers in a remote location cut off from communication—here, a snowbound mountain inn—where guests are picked off one by one. The core tension in both arises from the claustrophobic fear that the killer is one of their own.

    What's different

    Lapena's novel functions as a contemporary domestic thriller focused on immediate survival and panic, lacking the theatrical nursery-rhyme motif and fatalistic sense of moral judgment present in Christie's work.

  4. Cover of The Guest List by Lucy Foley

    Cover not available

    The Guest List

    by Lucy Foley

    *Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Crime Fiction Book of the Year*

    * The June 2020 Reese's Book Club pick*

    *The Times Best Crime Fiction of the Year pick*

    *Longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award*

    A gripping, twisty murder mystery thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

    'Lucy Foley is really very clever' Anthony Horowitz

    'Thrilling' The Times

    'A classic whodunnit' Kate Mosse

    'Sharp and atmospheric and addictive' Louise Candlish

    'A furiously twisty thriller' Clare Mackintosh

    On an island off the windswept Irish coast, guests gather for the wedding of the year - the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater.

    Old friends.

    Past grudges.

    Happy families.

    Hidden jealousies.

    Thirteen guests.

    One body.

    The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped.

    All have a secret. All have a motive.

    One guest won't leave this wedding alive . . .

    Why it's similar

    Set on a stormy, isolated island off the coast of Ireland, the story mirrors Christie's use of a harsh, inescapable setting where a gathering of guests hides dark secrets and guilt. Both books explore the theme of past misdeeds catching up with the guilty.

    What's different

    Foley uses multiple non-linear perspectives leading up to a single murder, whereas Christie features an escalating body count where nearly all characters are systematically eliminated.

  5. Cover of Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers

    Cover not available

    Strong Poison

    by Dorothy L. Sayers

    Strong Poison is a brilliant Golden Age detective novel featuring the legendary sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. When mystery writer Harriet Vane is accused of murdering her lover with arsenic, the evidence against her seems overwhelming. With only days left before execution, Wimsey undertakes a race against time to uncover the truth behind a meticulously constructed case of circumstantial guilt.
    Set in 1930s England, this classic British mystery blends sharp intellect, courtroom drama, and refined wit. Dorothy L. Sayers combines logical deduction with social insight, creating a story that is as emotionally engaging as it is intellectually satisfying. Strong Poison introduces Harriet Vane, one of the most memorable female characters in classic crime fiction, and marks the beginning of one of the genre’s most celebrated literary partnerships.
    A must-read for fans of classic detective fiction, British whodunits, and Golden Age mysteries, Strong Poison remains a timeless example of elegant, intelligent crime writing.

    Why it's similar

    Both use a puzzle-plot structure with a closed circle of suspects and a focus on logical deduction to unravel a murder that hinges on carefully planted clues.

    What's different

    The story centers on a courtroom drama and an investigation in London society, with more emphasis on character relationships and less of the claustrophobic isolation and relentless deaths.

  6. Cover of In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

    Cover not available

    In a Dark, Dark Wood

    by Ruth Ware

    *AUTHOR OF THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 and THE LYING GAME
    *INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER
    *SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

    An NPR Best Book of the Year * An Entertainment Weekly Summer Books Pick * A Buzzfeed “31 Books to Get Excited About this Summer” Pick * A Publishers Weekly “Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers” Pick * A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year * A BookReporter Summer Reading Pick * A New York Post “Best Novels to Read this Summer” Pick * A Shelf Awareness “Book Expo America 2015 Buzz Book” Pick

    What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

    Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself.

    When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods.

    Why it's similar

    Both feature an isolated gathering where secrets among a small group turn deadly, using confinement and mounting paranoia to drive a suspenseful, mystery-centered plot.

    What's different

    It relies heavily on unreliable narration and psychological tension, with a modern setting and thriller pacing rather than the strictly logical, puzzle-driven structure of a classic whodunit.

Looking for something else?

Use our book recommendation tool to discover books similar to any of your favorites.

Find similar books with LibroMatch