Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 10 (click to see context) from:
to:
* Reread the first section of the book. The one narrated by Wargrave. Christie is an evil genius.
--> Constance Culmington, he reflected to himself, was exactly the kind of woman who ''would'' buy an island and surround herself in mystery. [[RewatchBonus Nodding in gentle approval of his logic]], Lawrence Wargrave allowed himself to drift to sleep.
--> Constance Culmington, he reflected to himself, was exactly the kind of woman who ''would'' buy an island and surround herself in mystery. [[RewatchBonus Nodding in gentle approval of his logic]], Lawrence Wargrave allowed himself to drift to sleep.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** That was the defining clue for me. Out of all of them, the only ones who could possibly secure the funds were Marston, Armstrong, Brent, and Wargrave. None of the others could acquire anywhere close to that much money, and we have no clue how much the playboy and old lady actually have.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9 (click to see context) from:
to:
* "Ladies and gentlemen! Silence, please! You are charged with the following indictments..." You know what that sounds like? [[spoiler:A judge reading out the charges.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 33 (click to see context) from:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to someone before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he certainly suspects, Wargrave can't actually know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's baiting Vera so that he can confirm for himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
to:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to someone before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, Claythorne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he certainly suspects, Wargrave can't actually know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's baiting Vera so that he can confirm for himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
*** But is that convincing, or is that just denial? Emily Brent might have convinced ''herself'' of her own innocence, but everyone else probably didn't have to spend very long with her to realise that there's more than a hint of self-righteousness and hypocrisy to her character.
to:
*** But is that convincing, or is that just denial? Emily Brent might have convinced ''herself'' of her own innocence, but everyone else probably didn't have to spend very long with her to realise that there's more than a hint of self-righteousness smug self-righteousness, self-satisfaction and hypocrisy to her character.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** But is that convincing, or is that just denial? Emily Brent might have convinced ''herself'' of her own innocence, but everyone else probably didn't have to spend very long with her to realise that there's more than a hint of self-righteousness and hypocrisy to her character.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** One most convincing in her innocent act was probably Emily Brent, whou wouldn't even admit to herself her actions had anything to do with the girl's death. It might be symbolic that both Anthony's and Vera's victims were children.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** And why is Vera Wargrave's "favourite"? Because she's both the worst murderer of the lot and is also the most convincing in her innocent act. It's far more satisfying to expose, break and destroy her than, say, Anthony Marston, a little brat who's too self-absorbed and narcissistic to even bother pretending he didn't do it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
This page will contain unmarked spoilers. If you have not read or seen ''And Then There Were None'' and wish to go in unspoiled, turn back now. '''You have been warned.'''
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Wargrave may also have had another reason to talk to Vera instead of simply letting her hang herself without interference linked to how guilty he found her. In the book, he says that he wanted to save the guiltiest people for last so that they would experience the greatest psychological torment and the most painful deaths. Vera had, in spite of everything that happened, managed to enter a strange sort of zen state where she believed herself to be the [[FinalGirl final surviving heroine]] who had bested the treacherous villain Lombard and would now [[FaceDeathWithDignity gracefully accept her fate to reunite with Cyril]], but Wargrave revealing himself to her destroyed that small bit of peace of mind and turned her into a pathetic, flailing woman who realized that she had made the worst decision possible in killing Lombard instead of listening to him, experienced a lengthy period of agony from the noose literally tightening around her neck as Wargrave talked to her, and only confirmed that she was a ManipulativeBitch who lied to everyone about Cyril's death and was willing to throw the man she had seemingly fallen in love with under the bus to save her life through her desperate attempts to bargain with Wargrave. By not letting Vera calmly hang herself and instead making it clear to her that she had ''not'' in fact "won", Wargrave both exposes Vera as the AssholeVictim she is ''and'' ensures that she suffers the most prolonged and painful death of the cast as the one he considered to be the guiltiest.
Added DiffLines:
* At the beginning of the series, Vera becomes uncomfortable with Lombard ogling her on the train and moves to sit in the same compartment as Wargrave. This cleverly foreshadows Vera's ultimate fate -- her distrust of Lombard in spite of their sexual attraction to each other causes her to abandon him and enter a place where Wargrave lies in wait.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Adding possible rationale
Added DiffLines:
*** Maybe he's just getting into character for his role?
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** It ''is'' hinted at though, as when Lombard remarks: "there's always another war..."
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** By the way, it's strange that the police don't mention Constance at all - Dame Agatha must have totally forgotten about her :)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them (especially those who had died far from the house), but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to locate someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body.
to:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them (especially those who had died far from the house), but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to locate someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body. Well, at least he probably wasn't alone, as the policemen mention "the other men" alongside him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them (especially those who had died far from the house), but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to talk to someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body.
to:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them (especially those who had died far from the house), but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to talk to locate someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them, but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to talk to someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body.
to:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them, them (especially those who had died far from the house), but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to talk to someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** Maybe he didn't find all of them, but he almost surely encountered more than one corpse, because on discovering the first one he probably tried to talk to someone alive to ask/tell about the dead body.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
added an answer
Added DiffLines:
**I doubt he would have found ten. he'd come across the first body and then run back to his boat.
Added DiffLines:
**How would you know Wargrave were terminally ill though? No electronic medical records, a private doctor - and one who would need a subpoena before revealing medical documents which are confidential.
Added DiffLines:
***Talk of dummy corporations is anachronistic. How would the police know the difference? No such thing as financial forensic analysts in the 20s.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 29 (click to see context) from:
** It's not the only nightmarish war looming over events either, although the characters don't know it. [[WorldWarII The story is set in late August 1939.]]
to:
** It's not the only nightmarish war looming over events either, although the characters don't know it. [[WorldWarII [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII The story is set in late August 1939.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** It's not the only nightmarish war looming over events either, although the characters don't know it. [[WorldWarII The story is set in late August 1939.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** [[MediumAwareness He knows the narrator is hovering over his shoulder and describing his actions,]] [[JokingMode and is deliberately pretending to wonder and re-read, just to throw it off the scent.]]
Added DiffLines:
* The use of "Soldier Boys" instead of "Indian" or "Nigger," and "Soldier Island," works so well in the series, and not only because it removes unnecessary, racist artifacts of the language. In the screenplay, the Great War looms over the entire cast like a stormcloud. Those who remember living and fighting in the war (especially Armstrong and Macarthur) are deeply scarred by it. The use of the world "Soldier" just brings this nightmare back to those that remember.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he certainly suspects, Wargrave can't actually know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's baiting Vera so that he can confirm for himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
to:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' someone before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he certainly suspects, Wargrave can't actually know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's baiting Vera so that he can confirm for himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he can certainly suspect, Wargrave can't know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's baiting her so that he can confirm for himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
to:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he can certainly suspect, suspects, Wargrave can't actually know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's baiting her Vera so that he can confirm for himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave can't know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
to:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- her story is very plausible, she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. While he can certainly suspect, Wargrave can't know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him that it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming baiting her so that he can confirm for himself'' himself that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
to:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocent act has been incredibly convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave can't know for certain that it ''wasn't'' just a tragic accident in her case... until she herself tells him it wasn't. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocence act has been incredibly convincing, only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
to:
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocence innocent act has been incredibly convincing, convincing ("Miss Claybourne, how beguiling you are!"), only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
*** I would say that the killer did figure out that they had found the body (otherwise it would be unclear why Vera shot Lombard, if there still was Armstrong to blame everything on). The real reason seems to be much simpler: even if Lombard (as Vera must think at that moment) removed the fourth figurine after he had killed Armstrong and installed some trap to kill Blore, she's still pretty damn sure that he did not enter the house since they all left it (and at that moment there were three figurines left). So any messing with the figurines would have immediately alerted her to the presence of someone else - and remember, at this point Vera is still relatively sane and armed with a revolver.]]
to:
*** I would say that the killer did figure out that they had found the body (otherwise it would be unclear why Vera shot Lombard, if there still was Armstrong to blame everything on). The real reason seems to be much simpler: even if Lombard (as Vera must think at that moment) removed the fourth figurine after he had killed Armstrong and installed some trap to kill Blore, she's still pretty damn sure that he did not enter the house since they all left it (and at that moment there were three figurines left). So any messing with the figurines would have immediately alerted her to the presence of someone else - and remember, at this point Vera is still relatively sane and armed with a revolver.]]
revolver.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Creating the page. Also removing the spoiler code: if you're on the Fridge page, you've likely seen or read it.
Added DiffLines:
This page will contain unmarked spoilers. If you have not read or seen ''And Then There Were None'' and wish to go in unspoiled, turn back now. '''You have been warned.'''
[[folder: Book]]
[[AC: Fridge Brilliance]]
* Even if there'd been a last survivor, the killer might [[TheBadGuyWins still have gotten their way]]. Whomever was left behind on the island would naturally be blamed for the murders, and hanged for them. (Technically that wouldn't match the poem's suicide, but it could be MetaphoricallyTrue that they'd put themselves into the noose by committing their original crime, and then coming to the island in the first place!)
** Vera finding three unbroken figurines makes sense when you consider that the killer was accounting for Blore's death (as Vera and Lombard had definitely seen his body), but not Armstrong's (as he didn't know whether or not they had discovered his body yet).
*** I would say that the killer did figure out that they had found the body (otherwise it would be unclear why Vera shot Lombard, if there still was Armstrong to blame everything on). The real reason seems to be much simpler: even if Lombard (as Vera must think at that moment) removed the fourth figurine after he had killed Armstrong and installed some trap to kill Blore, she's still pretty damn sure that he did not enter the house since they all left it (and at that moment there were three figurines left). So any messing with the figurines would have immediately alerted her to the presence of someone else - and remember, at this point Vera is still relatively sane and armed with a revolver.]]
[[AC: Fridge Horror]]
*What exactly did Fred Narracott do to deserve being the man who found the 10 dead bodies?
** Also, the bodies of Marston and Mrs. Rogers would have been starting to stink by the time Narracott got there.
*** Not to mention that Rogers (hacked up with a hatchet) and Blore (brains literally bashed in / stabbed with a carving knife) would have had very gory deaths, as well. I'm pretty sure that in the book, Blore was simply left lying in plain sight with brains leaking out all over the terrace, since neither Lombard or Vera were in any state (or had any time) to put his body in his room.
[[AC: Fridge Logic]]
* In addition to the three clues acknowledged by the killer, there are additional reasons not mentioned that would lead an investigator to the killer. The investigators consider that U.N. Owen must be one of the ten dead people. The murderer, who is terminally ill should come under suspicion as one willing to commit suicide.
** Although the book mentions that the purchaser of Indian Island covered up the financial tracks, an investigation of the victim's accounts should reveal suddenly missing money invested in dummy corporations.
*** And what will it prove? The police already know who technically purchased the island and already guessed "that death of Morris' is a damned sight too opportune". Maybe you meant '''the murderer's''' accounts?
** And indeed the murderer would have to be someone wealthy enough to buy an island. That rules out nearly all of them.
** Also, as mentioned on the Headscratchers page, despite the diaries' evidence the police must have only found Wargrave's blood in his room, not in the parlor, where he presumably was killed. While the absence of the blood in the parlor might be explained away with mere cleaning that was not deemed important enough to be mentioned in the diaries, the amount of blood in the room might be more suspicious.
* Judge Wargrave sending himself a letter of invitation to the island is a pretty slick move, since it could be used as cover later if the group members try to establish their legitimacy by showing that they too were invited by the murderer. However, in his first scene, Wargrave clearly reads the letter to himself as if he's never seen it before, recalls the woman who supposedly sent it to him, and takes a few minutes to wonder about the identity of the island's mysterious owner. None of these things make sense if Wargrave orchestrated the murder plot.
** He was remembering what's been written about the island in the newspapers and re-reading the letter, to make sure it was plausible, e.g. that Constance would buy an island and send him an invitation like that.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: 2015 television mini-series]]
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocence act has been incredibly convincing, only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Book]]
[[AC: Fridge Brilliance]]
* Even if there'd been a last survivor, the killer might [[TheBadGuyWins still have gotten their way]]. Whomever was left behind on the island would naturally be blamed for the murders, and hanged for them. (Technically that wouldn't match the poem's suicide, but it could be MetaphoricallyTrue that they'd put themselves into the noose by committing their original crime, and then coming to the island in the first place!)
** Vera finding three unbroken figurines makes sense when you consider that the killer was accounting for Blore's death (as Vera and Lombard had definitely seen his body), but not Armstrong's (as he didn't know whether or not they had discovered his body yet).
*** I would say that the killer did figure out that they had found the body (otherwise it would be unclear why Vera shot Lombard, if there still was Armstrong to blame everything on). The real reason seems to be much simpler: even if Lombard (as Vera must think at that moment) removed the fourth figurine after he had killed Armstrong and installed some trap to kill Blore, she's still pretty damn sure that he did not enter the house since they all left it (and at that moment there were three figurines left). So any messing with the figurines would have immediately alerted her to the presence of someone else - and remember, at this point Vera is still relatively sane and armed with a revolver.]]
[[AC: Fridge Horror]]
*What exactly did Fred Narracott do to deserve being the man who found the 10 dead bodies?
** Also, the bodies of Marston and Mrs. Rogers would have been starting to stink by the time Narracott got there.
*** Not to mention that Rogers (hacked up with a hatchet) and Blore (brains literally bashed in / stabbed with a carving knife) would have had very gory deaths, as well. I'm pretty sure that in the book, Blore was simply left lying in plain sight with brains leaking out all over the terrace, since neither Lombard or Vera were in any state (or had any time) to put his body in his room.
[[AC: Fridge Logic]]
* In addition to the three clues acknowledged by the killer, there are additional reasons not mentioned that would lead an investigator to the killer. The investigators consider that U.N. Owen must be one of the ten dead people. The murderer, who is terminally ill should come under suspicion as one willing to commit suicide.
** Although the book mentions that the purchaser of Indian Island covered up the financial tracks, an investigation of the victim's accounts should reveal suddenly missing money invested in dummy corporations.
*** And what will it prove? The police already know who technically purchased the island and already guessed "that death of Morris' is a damned sight too opportune". Maybe you meant '''the murderer's''' accounts?
** And indeed the murderer would have to be someone wealthy enough to buy an island. That rules out nearly all of them.
** Also, as mentioned on the Headscratchers page, despite the diaries' evidence the police must have only found Wargrave's blood in his room, not in the parlor, where he presumably was killed. While the absence of the blood in the parlor might be explained away with mere cleaning that was not deemed important enough to be mentioned in the diaries, the amount of blood in the room might be more suspicious.
* Judge Wargrave sending himself a letter of invitation to the island is a pretty slick move, since it could be used as cover later if the group members try to establish their legitimacy by showing that they too were invited by the murderer. However, in his first scene, Wargrave clearly reads the letter to himself as if he's never seen it before, recalls the woman who supposedly sent it to him, and takes a few minutes to wonder about the identity of the island's mysterious owner. None of these things make sense if Wargrave orchestrated the murder plot.
** He was remembering what's been written about the island in the newspapers and re-reading the letter, to make sure it was plausible, e.g. that Constance would buy an island and send him an invitation like that.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: 2015 television mini-series]]
* At the climax, Wargrave delivers a MotiveRant to Vera while she's hanging precariously from the noose, in which he explains why he did what he did. Why? It could just be Wargrave wanting to reveal his perfect crime to ''someone'' before he dies, but there's another possible explanation. While begging for her life, Vera points out that there are no more bullets for Wargrave and offers to help him throw the blame on Lombard if he'll spare her. After Wargrave points out some possible holes in her proposed story, Vera assures him that "they believed me last time," and it's only ''after'' this that Wargrave pulls away the chair she's balanced on and leaves her to die. While Vera's crime is arguably the most abhorrent, it's also the most potentially ambiguous -- she's already been cleared by a coroner's court, her innocence act has been incredibly convincing, only two people know for sure exactly what happened in her case and one of them is dead. Wargrave isn't just gloating or explaining the plot for the audience; he's ''confirming for himself'' that she ''is'' a murderer before he carries out her 'sentence'.
[[/folder]]
