Countdown to Death

I have read all of Agatha Christie's novels several times over. Thus, I was intrigued by the idea of a modern retelling of And Then There Were None. Iain McChesney's novel is a fantastic tribute to the Grand Dame of Mystery. He is a skilled author whose approach does justice to the original.

The wealthy and elusive Lord Black invites a number of people to his estate on a remote Scottish island. Each feels there is something to gain. When they arrive, the only people they meet are the newly hired caretaker and his wife. There are no other staff, and no sign of the illustrious Lord Black. That evening, a letter is read, condemning each of the guests and sentencing them to death.

At first, the letter appears a cruel joke, but as their numbers fall, the remaining guests begin to crack, turning against one another in suspicion. Where is Lord Black? Who is leaving the drawings depicting the gruesome deaths? Is one of the guests in league with Lord Black? Will anyone survive?

I had a lot of fun figuring out who could be behind the murders. I had my suspicions, but there were definitely plenty surprises, particularly as to why each of the individuals were selected. The illustrations were a wonderful addition to the book, both humorous and gruesome.

I definitely recommend McChesney's Countdown to Death to anyone who enjoys Agatha Christie and other mystery classics.

5/5
I received a copy of Countdown to Death from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

A Death Sentence for 10 http://muttcafe.com/2015/09/countdown-to-death/

9/30/15

And then there were none...kind of. I really liked this book. I became hooked on this author's writing with his first novel, so I was definitely curious to see what he would do next. I'm excited to say that he surprised me in a pleasant way.

This book is a modern retelling of a classic work, and although they are different enough that they can't be directly compared--I have to say, that for once, I liked this story better than the original.

One of my favourite things about McChesney's writing, is the way he blends dark humour into an ordinary scene, making it fun. I like the ironic things that happen to his characters and the way he gets an already quick plot moving even faster with unexpected events.

I couldn't figure this one out until the very end, and I laughed when I realised that the clues were there all along--but I was so involved with the writing and the characters that I didn't see what was right in front of me.

I truly like this author, and recommend his work to anyone looking for a great read.

So much fun!

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and was provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.