My Favorite Thrillers Like And Then There Were None

What are my Favorite Thrillers Like And Then There Were None? Fasten your seatbelts, because I’m going to break down exactly what makes And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie SO compelling. Then I’ll tell you my favorite books that were inspired by this 1939 thriller that is still a bestseller nearly a century after its publication.

New “And Then There Were None” Titles for 2025 and 2026:

• The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego (2026)
• The Alpine Retreat by Sarah Goodwin (2026)
• The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (2026)
• You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego (2025)

Why is And Then There Were None so popular?

Some Agatha Christie experts consider And Then There Were None her ONLY thriller, so maybe it’s that.

But the concept of And Then There Were None is 100% compelling:

1. A group assembles at a lovely, probably isolated location for some fabulous vacation or party.
2. But then … plot twist. They are on a list that no one ever wants to be on: a hit list for a murderer.
3. When the first body turns up, they rationalize it. Just a tragic accident. But then there’s another “tragic accident.”
4. They realize the terrible truth: they are all on a killer’s list and any of them could be next!

Jen’s Quick Breakdown of the two types of And Then There Were None Stories:

Just my opinion as a lifelong thriller reader, but I think And Then There Were None books go in one of two directions:

1. The assembled victims are complete strangers to one another. When they figure out what’s up, they also have to figure out the connection between them if they want to identify the killer, who is probably among them. And figure out how to work together.
2. The assembled victims have a known connection. Maybe they are old college friends, or family, or colleagues. Yes, this is a similar concept to a Friend Group Thriller, which I’ve discussed in another post, but I’d argue it’s the exact opposite. Friend Group Thrillers usually feature a group with a shared secret, while in an And Then There Were None story, the group members are often keeping juicy secrets from one another, which are going to come out!

Do you have a preference? Tell me in comments. I think both types have their fun elements.

My Favorite Thrillers Like And Then There Were None

Alpine Retreat by Sarah Goodwin

I’ve enjoyed Goodwin’s books in the past, especially Stranded, so decided to try this story of a professional “Fixer” who decides to go off the grid for a much-needed vacation.

But when the guests at her luxury resort are trapped by weather and then start dying, can she fix THAT? For fans of The Sanatorium!

The Library After Dark by Ande Pleigo

This has the same premise but a TOTALLY different vibe from You Are Fatally Invited!

The Library After Dark feels atmospheric and Gothic, with a strong dose of the macabre!

My Readers Guide for The Library After Dark.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pleigo

• A fun retelling of And Then There Were None
• But all the characters are writers!
• There are also puzzles and dark games.
• Really fun, though if you’ve read the Christie book you may find some clues there to solving this one!

My Review of You Are Fatally Invited

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

• A family gathers for a birthday party
• The high tide cuts their mansion off from the mainland
• The first body is discovered
• As in And Then There Were None, there are little clues and puzzles left for the group as they are eliminated one by one. Be sure to read my Spoiler Post!

Spoiler Free Review of Daisy Darker, a Evil Family Thriller

My Daisy Darker Spoiler Discussion

One by One by Ruth Ware

• A group of work colleagues gathers for a retreat at a ski chalet
• As if a work retreat isn’t bad enough, a storm traps their group on site
• One by one, they are picked off by a killer

My Spoiler Free Review of One by One: Worst Work Trip Ever! by Ruth Ware

My Spoiler Review of One by One by Ruth Ware

There Should Have Been Eight by Nailini Singh

• A group of friends gathers at a remote New Zealand estate to celebrate the life of their friend, who has passed away
• First, there’s a tragic accident. Then another.
• Is this the unluckiest friend group ever, or is someone among angry at the others, and WHY?

My Review of There Should Have Been Eight with (protected) spoilers

One by One by Freida McFadden

• A group of six: four college friends plus two significant others, head for a fun getaway in the Colorado mountains. But will it be fun?
• But their car breaks down. They lose cell service. They get out to hike the rest of the way to the inn.
• Then the first one of them dies. Another goes missing. Who will be next?

My Spoiler Discussion for One by One

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

• A group of strangers are sent a list of names, including their own
• One by one, they start dying
• This book is different in that the people on the list are NOT assembled. But the book is clearly inspired by And Then There Were None, and the characters even discuss the book.

My Spoiler Free Review of Nine Lives

My Spoiler Discussion for Nine Lives

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

• A woman and her new boyfriend head to a vacation in the mountains
• The tour bus (filled with other guests) breaks down
• There’s a storm and the group has to seek shelter
• Guests start going missing and the tour guide turns up dead

My Review of Dead of Winter, a (somewhat gory) thriller!

Breathless by Amy McCulloch

• Cecily, a journalist, tags along on a Himalayan mountain climbing trip
• One climber dies. Tragic, but it’s a dangerous pasttime
• Then another. Until Cecily is convinced that there’s a killer among them!

Check out my Review of Breathless, a chilling mountaineering thriller!

Hope you enjoyed my list! Please let me know your own favorites in the comments!

I hope you will also check out this related list: