The title says it all. Agatha Christie is THE greatest writer, and this is her greatest book of all. If ever I could recommend a book to bring a reader into the crime genre, this would be it.
I wont go into the story, as many have already done that for me, suffice to say that, improbable as the story sounds, it is utterly baffling, and yet, when the truth comes out, the true genius is revealed.
But it is not just the sheer genius of the story. As a crime novel, this work holds something else, a dark, sinister, brooding atmosphere, as people begin to expire. We are treated to some internal reflections of the characters, though we have no idea from whom the musings come.
Another factor is the way she writes, so simply, with such simple descriptions as to encourage our own mental image, so each will have their own picture of the scenes. This allows one to consume this marvellous novel in a single sitting, and yet, also you do not want it to end, even as the death toll rises. Everything is perfect, characters, setting, those teasing clues, and a truly twisted villain, as the end will reveal.