<P> On a hot , early August day sometime in the late 1930s , eight people arrive on a small , isolated island off the Devon coast of England . Each appears to have an invitation tailored to his or her personal circumstances , such as an offer of employment or an unexpected late summer holiday . They are met by Thomas and Ethel Rogers , the butler and cook - housekeeper , who state that their hosts , Mr Ulick Norman Owen and his wife Mrs Una Nancy Owen , whom they have not yet met in person , have not arrived , but left instructions , which strikes all the guests as odd . </P>
where is the island in and then there were none
off the Devon coast of England