And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a crime novel classic. Ten strangers are lured to a remote island mansion by the mysterious “U.N. Owen”. At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them of having a secret and by the end of the night one of them is dead. They are stranded by a violent storm and one by one they begin to die but who is the killer and will any of them survive? The living are haunted by the old nursery rhyme Ten Little Soldiers:

Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law;
One got into chancery and then there were Four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three.

Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself

And then there were None.

—Frank Green, 1869