NEW YORK, NY.- In “And Then There Were None,” the classic novel by Agatha Christie, 10 people are invited to a mansion on a remote island, cut off from the rest of the world. A mystery follows.
Life somewhat imitated art Friday when a large tree fell onto a single-track road in the southwestern coastal town of Brixham in Britain, trapping several people for a few hours at Greenway House, the former holiday home of Christie, the author of dozens of bestselling mystery novels who died in 1976.
The National Trust, the conservation nonprofit that oversees Greenway House, said in a statement Friday that the fallen tree was “blocking any traffic entering or exiting the area.”
“We are working closely with police and highways to get this resolved quickly as possible,” the National Trust said. “We are aware that there are visitors, staff and volunteers still at Greenway unable to leave and we are doing everything we can to make sure they are comfortable while we all wait. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.”
By the end of “And Then There Were None,” every guest at the mansion has died. However, luckily for those trapped at Greenway House, the road was reopened in the evening, allowing visitors to leave, the National Trust said in a later update.
It was unclear exactly how many people were at Christie’s former home, which is open for tours and overnight stays, when the tree fell. DevonLive, a news outlet in Britain that provided live updates of the incident, reported that more than 100 people were stuck.
Caroline Heaven, who was at Greenway for a day trip on Friday, told DevonLive that she had arrived at 11:30 a.m. and had been stuck for hours.
“It’s a shame really,” Heaven told the news outlet. “They are doing a great job. They are giving us free teas and things. It’s a bit bleak.”
Greenway House might not have been only a holiday residence. It was also a source of inspiration for Christie’s novel “Dead Man’s Folly” featuring Hercule Poirot, in which a crime writer organizes a fake “murder hunt” on the grounds of a country home.
Social media leaned in to the irony of being stuck in the home of the prolific mystery novelist.
Several Twitter users began counting down — 99, 98, 97, 96, 94 (grisly), 93 … — in an apparent reference to “And Then There Were None.”
Marguerite Kenner wrote on Twitter that people at the house should “IMPLEMENT A BUDDY SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY!”
The Devon and Cornwall Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Greenway House was referred to by Christie as “the loveliest place in the world,” according to National Trust. The house is filled with Christie’s heirlooms, including items from her childhood home and her Steinway piano, the organization said.
The house also has a library of 5,000 books, including some by Christie, according to the National Trust.
This article originally appeared in
The New York Times.
