The Three Deaths
What object, besides the glass itself, did Dr. Armstrong examine and smell to confirm cyanide was in Anthony Marston's drink?
The whisky and soda bottles themselves (he smelled and tasted them; they were untampered with; the poison was only in the glass).
What weapon does Philip Lombard admit to carrying, which makes Blore suspicious of him?
A revolver.
What activity does Emily Brent almost always have in her hands, even during the tensest scenes?
Her knitting.
After General Macarthur's death, how many china soldier figures are left on the dining table?
7
What sarcastic phrase does Lombard use to describe Judge Wargrave's speech to the group after lunch?
He calls it "the summing up" (and later, "the court will now adjourn")
How did General Macarthur die, and what telling detail could Dr. Armstrong NOT produce as evidence?
He was struck on the back of the head with a blunt object, like a 'life preserver' or cosh, and the actual weapon was never found.
Who approached Lombard before the trip, and what was he paid to do?
A man named Morris paid him one hundred guineas to come to the island and 'keep his eyes open,' expecting trouble.
Before she opens her private notebook, what book does Emily Brent pick up first and then set aside?
Her Bible.
What nursery rhyme are all the murders following, verse by verse?
"Ten Little Soldier Boys"
What is Judge Wargrave's central conclusion about the identity of 'Mr. Owen'?
That Mr. Owen must be one of the seven people remaining on the island
Lombard tells Armstrong he can't believe in either Marston's suicide OR Mrs. Rogers' suicide alone. What is his exact chain of reasoning?
He could believe Marston's suicide if not for Mrs. Rogers' death, and believe her suicide if not for Marston's; together, two 'suicides' within twelve hours is too much to swallow, so both must be murder.
What is Blore's alibi for the time of Macarthur's murder, and why does Dr. Armstrong needle him about it?
Blore says he went to the house alone to fetch a coil of rope; Armstrong points out that he was gone 'a long time,' implying he had time to commit the murder.
In her fugue state, what exact words does Emily Brent scrawl in shaky, uneven capital letters in her notebook
"THE MURDERER'S NAME IS BEATRICE TAYLOR."
According to the poem what will be the next death
One chopped himself in half, and then there were six.
By the start of Chapter 10, Judge Wargrave tells Dr. Armstrong something surprising about his own suspicions. What does he say, and what does he refuse to do?
He says that, while he has no court-worthy evidence, one particular person seems to him 'sufficiently clearly indicated'
According to Dr. Armstrong, a sedative doesn't always work instantly. Explain the exact scenario the judge imagines for how Mrs. Rogers could have been poisoned AFTER she was already given her sleeping draught.
Someone could have slipped into her room later, while the sedative was still only partly taking effect, and handed her a tablet or draught saying 'The doctor says you're to take this', she'd have swallowed it without question.
Judge Wargrave states plainly that reputation or profession cannot clear anyone of suspicion. What two professions does he specifically name as having 'gone mad before now,' and whose objection is he responding to?
Doctors and judges (he adds 'so have policemen' to Blore), he's shutting down Dr. Armstrong's claim that being a 'well-known professional man' should exempt him from suspicion.
Think back to the class about names: what Brent's name might mean?
She might B-renting her personality
What household item does Rogers report missing right before dinner on the second night, unsettling everyone at tea?
The scarlet oilsilk bathroom curtain.
Contrast Judge Wargrave's demeanor and approach across Chapters 9 and 10 with how he behaved earlier in the novel (Chapters 3–8). What changes, and why is that shift significant?
Earlier, he was withdrawn and inactive, observing passively from his chair; now he takes direct command, interrogating everyone with the same cold precision he used as a judge in court, a shift that makes him appear both the most capable leader and, suspiciously, the character most comfortable assuming authority over life and death.
Vera proposes a specific theory for how and when Dr. Armstrong could have murdered General Macarthur despite his short alibi window with Lombard. Explain her full reasoning, including why she thinks he could get away with it.
She argues Armstrong had the opportunity later, when he went alone to call Macarthur in for lunch, and since he's the only person on the island with medical knowledge, he could simply lie about how long the body had been dead, and no one could contradict him.
Summarize Judge Wargrave's full method for examining the suspects in Chapter 9: what two grounds does he say CANNOT be used to eliminate anyone, and what is the only valid method he proposes instead?
He rules out eliminating anyone based on character/reputation or on probability/likelihood alone
the only valid method is examining the hard facts of opportunity: who could NOT possibly have had the chance to commit each of the three murders.
Who was Beatrice Taylor, and why is it significant- not literal, but significant- that her name is the one that surfaces from Emily's subconscious?
Beatrice Taylor was Emily's former servant, driven to suicide after Emily turned her out for becoming pregnant; Emily shows no conscious guilt over it, so the name surfacing in a blackout suggests buried guilt pushing through despite her denial.
On the night Chapter 10 ends, Rogers personally locks the dining room, the pantry, and the hall door, confident he's stopped any more 'china-soldier tricks.' Explain the dramatic irony in this moment.
Rogers believes he's protecting the house from an outside trick or intruder, but the group has already concluded the killer is one of the seven people already locked safely inside with everyone else, his precautions can't protect anyone from a threat that isn't coming from outside.
Make the case, using evidence from Chapters 9 and 10 specifically, for why Judge Wargrave is a believable suspect even though he's also the one leading the investigation. Then note what makes this theory hard to prove.
Evidence for: he has no alibi for Macarthur's death (he sat alone on the terrace), he takes command with eerie comfort and 'plays God' by profession, and he privately claims to suspect someone but withholds it. What makes it hard to prove: he is also the one supplying the clearest, most rational analysis of the case, and nothing he says is factually inconsistent; suspicion here rests entirely on character and behavior, which Wargrave himself argues is not valid evidence.