All Smoke and Mirrors Trivia Quiz

Anthony Marston is the first character to die. He is a reckless young man who enjoys driving fast and shows little remorse for his actions, including causing the deaths of two children in a car accident. During a dinner with the other guests, Marston drinks a cocktail that has been poisoned with cyanide. He collapses and dies instantly. His death mirrors the first verse of the nursery rhyme "Ten Little Soldiers", which reads:

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

Mrs. Rogers is the second character to die. She and her husband were involved in the death of their former employer, an elderly woman, by withholding medicine, which they were accused of doing to inherit money. After the shock of Anthony Marston's death and the accusations against her, Mrs. Rogers appears extremely nervous and unwell. She dies in her sleep after being given a sedative, possibly due to an overdose or heart failure. Her death corresponds to the second verse of the nursery rhyme:

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

General Macarthur is the third character to die. He is haunted by his past, having sent a subordinate to his death during World War I out of jealousy over his wife's affair. Overcome by guilt, General Macarthur becomes resigned to his fate and almost welcomes death. He is killed by a blow to the back of the head while sitting alone by the sea, waiting for what he believes is his inevitable end. While the murder weapon is not definitely known, Dr. Armstrong tells the others he believes that the general "was hit with a life preserver or some such thing on the back of the head." His death matches the third verse of the nursery rhyme:

"Eight little soldier boys traveling in Devon;
One said he'd stay there and then there were seven."

Mr. Rogers is the fourth character to die. After Mrs. Rogers' death, Mr. Rogers continues his duties as the house servant. He is killed while chopping wood to prepare breakfast for the guests. Someone strikes him in the back of the head with an axe, killing him instantly. His death corresponds to the fourth verse of the nursery rhyme:

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

Emily Brent is the fifth character to die. She is a strict, self-righteous woman who shows no remorse for her role in the death of a young girl, whom she dismissed from employment, indirectly leading to the girl's suicide. Brent is injected with poison, specifically potassium cyanide, after becoming drowsy from a drug placed in her coffee. She hallucinates moments before her death, believing she sees the young girl's spirit. Her death aligns with the fifth verse of the nursery rhyme:

"Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five."

If you've been following closely, you'll notice that I've been going in order of the characters' deaths. However, there is a very good reason that we are skipping Justice Wargrave's rhyme here, as you will see at the end!

Dr. Armstrong is the sixth character to die. He was accused of causing the death of a patient by operating on them while drunk. Armstrong is manipulated by Justice Wargrave into thinking they can work together to catch the killer. Under this pretense, Wargrave lures Armstrong to the edge of a cliff and pushes him into the sea, where he drowns. His death is linked to the sixth verse of the nursery rhyme:

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

William Blore is the seventh character to die. He is a former police inspector who is accused of causing the wrongful conviction and death of an innocent man. Blore's death occurs when he separates from the remaining survivors to check the house. As he returns, he is killed by a heavy marble clock shaped like a bear, which is pushed from a second-story window and crushes his skull. His death matches the eighth verse of the nursery rhyme:

"Three little soldier boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two."

Philip Lombard is the eighth character to die. He is a resourceful yet ruthless man, accused of abandoning a group of tribesmen in Africa, leading to their deaths. Lombard carries a revolver for most of the story, but Vera Claythorne, the last surviving guest with him, manages to take it. Believing he is the murderer, Vera shoots Lombard in self-defense, killing him. His death corresponds to the ninth verse of the nursery rhyme:

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

Vera Claythorne is the ninth character to die. She is accused of causing the death of a young boy in her care, allowing him to drown so that the man she loved could inherit his fortune. After killing Philip Lombard in what she believes is self-defense, Vera is left as the sole survivor. Overcome by guilt and the psychological pressure of the island, she finds a noose prepared in her bedroom. In a dazed and irrational state, she hangs herself. Her death corresponds to the final verse of the nursery rhyme:

"One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself and then there were none."

Justice Wargrave is revealed to be the mastermind behind the murders. As a retired judge, he is obsessed with justice and wanted to orchestrate a perfect crime where each victim was punished for an unpunished crime. Wargrave fakes his own death midway through the story by having Dr. Armstrong help him stage a scene where he appears to have been shot. After orchestrating the deaths of the other guests to punish them for their past crimes, Wargrave ensures that his own death looks convincing. He connects a revolver to a cord tied to a door. When he shoots himself in the head, the gun is pulled away, making it seem like someone else fired the shot. His death matches the sixth verse of the nursery rhyme:

"Five little soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four."