One by one the chess pieces fall
Endgame By Jeffrey Round Dundurn Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: June 18, 2016 Review And Then There Were None is perhaps one of the best known of Agatha Christie's novels. Numerous film and television adaptations have been made, as well as literary tributes inspired by the mystery classic. Endgame is one of the most recent tributes, but while it takes inspiration from Christie it is far from derivative. At its heart, Endgame, like And Then There Were None, is a tale of justice and revenge. The Ladykillers, an aptly named group of has-been punk rockers, are invited to an island where they are to complete a long unfinished album at the behest of a wealthy new investor. Surprisingly a number of others are also invited to the isolated estate. The reader quickly discovers that each played a role in the tragic death of a young woman who died as a result of an overdose of ecstasy. Her death was a great scandal, and the Ladykillers barely escaped prosecution and jail time. Now, someone is ensuring that justice is done, killing each of the 11 guests one by one in accordance with the lyrics of their one hit - The 12 Days of Shagging. With each death, the tension mounts and paranoia grows. If no one else is on the island, how are the murders being committed and who is the murderer. The only certainty is that there will be no survivors. While the characters are in a way pitiful, their past actions and present behavior make them easy to despise. Even when acknowledging their guilt, they lay blame on each other rather than accepting responsibility. Because of what they were, the girl was unimportant only becoming significant after her death. It makes the rough justice of their individual deaths easier to accept. Laden with emotion and the ghostly vestiges of a bygone era of music, Endgame is a fascinating reworking of Agatha Christie's signature piece. It is well worth reading, whether you are a fan of the Grand Dame of Mystery or are simply looking to escape with a unique thriller. 5/5 Endgame is available for preorder and will be released June 18, 2016. I received a copy of Endgame from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description A modern retelling of the classic Agatha Christie tale of suspense and murder, And Then There Were None. When Harvey Keill, ex-manager of the Ladykillers, arranges a reunion for his notorious punk band on a remote island off the coast of Seattle, it seems as though the group’s glory days are about to return. One by one, the band members and their guests arrive. Lead singer Spike Anthrax, bassist Pete Doghouse, and guitarist Max Hardcore confront one another for the first time since their well-publicized and highly acrimonious split fifteen years earlier stopped them from finishing their musical testament to punk rock genius: Endgame. They are joined by an entourage of groupies, girlfriends, one of America’s best rock critics, and a real estate agent invited to put the island up for sale. But where’s Harvey? No matter — a party’s a party, right? Wrong. Once everyone has gathered, a dark secret emerges from the past to haunt them and, one by one, the guests begin to fall prey to a mysterious fate.
