"I have wanted . . . to commit a murder myself. I recognized this as the desire of the artist to express himself! . . . But—incongruous as it may seem to some—I was restrained and hampered by my innate sense of justice. The innocent must not suffer." -Justice Wargrave

This novel follows ten seemingly normal individuals invited to a remote island by a mysterious host. Upon arrival, they discover that their 'host,' known simply as "Mr. Owen," is not there, but choose to remain on the island ("Soldier Island" or "Indian Island" depending on the version of the story) out of curiosity. The guests find an odd, morbid nursery rhyme (Ten Little Indians/Soldiers) hanging in each of their rooms, but do not fully realize the true intentions of their host until dinner.

At their first dinner together, the strangers learn about each other's secret pasts. An ominous voice announces that they've been summoned for judgment. After listing each guest's (previously unpunished) crimes, the voice declares that they've all been found guilty as charged. Cyanide kills Anthony Marsten shortly after the announcement, fulfilling the first verse of the prophetic nursery rhyme ("One choked himself").

The frightened guests realize their mistake, but it is too late. The boat that brought them to the island has left, leaving them stranded. The remaining guests follow the trail of the mysterious murderer, but to no avail. The body count rises, begging the question: "Will anyone make it off the island alive?"

A locked-room mystery is a plot structure that features an impossible chain of events that seem to indicate that the murderer either vanished into thin air or could be any one of the potential victims/witnesses. The detective (or detectives) attempting to solve the mysterious event (in most mystery genre novels, a murder) must figure out which "victim" is actually the criminal. Novels and short stories following this plotting arrangement usually have many twists, red herrings, and dead-ends.

Ten Little Indians going out to dine; One went and choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine Little Indian Boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight Little Indian Boys traveling to Devon; One got left behind and then there were seven.

Seven Little Indian boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five Little Indian boys going in for law; One got in chancery and then there were four.

Four Little Indian boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three Little Indian boys walking to the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two Little Indian boys playing with a gun; One shot the other and then there was one. One little Indian boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself …and then there were none. http://www.waysidetheatre.org/Education/images/tenlittleindiansteachguide.pdf