A recently retired Mr. Justice Wargrave is traveling in a first-class carriage to the mysterious Soldier Island. An unknown millionaire by the name of Mr. Owen supposedly has bought a mansion built on the island. Justice Wargrave was invited by Constance Culmington, whom he remembers seeing seven or eight years ago.

Vera Claythorne is traveling in a third-class carriage with five other travelers. She was invited by Una Nancy Owen to work as a secretary at Soldier island. Vera thinks that she is lucky to have been offered this job because most people don’t like a Coroner’s Inquest even though she was acquitted of all blame.

Captain Phillip Lombard, who has also been invited to the island, sits across from her. His boss told him the owners invited him to do a job. He hopes the job isn’t illegal and implies that he has broken the law in the past, but he always got away with it.

Miss Emily Brent, a stuffy 65-year-old woman, is also in the carriage. She recently received an invitation to Soldier Island from “U.N.O.” The person says that they met at Belhaven Guest House a few years ago, but Emily doesn’t remember who the person could be.