“The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie is the first in her series of mysteries featuring her famed sleuth Miss Marple. The story opens on a quiet morning in St. Mary Mead, an English village, in which nothing exciting ever happens… until … Colonel Protheroe is shot dead while visiting the vicarage on this particular morning, which is far from calm.
As the police investigate, they immediately discover that there are far too many suspects to go around. Everyone in the village where Miss Marple grew up appears to possess a motive, and no one is safe.
Miss Marple teams up with Scotland Yard’s Inspector Slack to figure out what happened and why. There are numerous speculations as to who may have done it, ranging from Protheroe’s wife to his mistress and everyone else who detested him. Throughout their inquiry, Miss Marple employs her keen abilities of observation and deduction to assist Slack in discovering the truth about what occurred that tragic day at the vicarage.
As with most of her books, I thoroughly enjoyed Agatha Christie’s “The Vicarage Murder.” The novel, which was first published in 1930, offers a look into the often quaint village life. Take that and place it in stark contrast with the vicar’s wife, Griselda’s murder’, and you have a recipe for mystery. The plot is very well-developed, and I had fun figuring out whodunit. I would strongly recommend this novel to Christie fans.
Christie expertly weaves clues and red herrings together, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The Murder at the Vicarage is a classic mystery novel that will appeal to Agatha Christie fans as well as newcomers.
The novel was a huge success upon its initial release and has since gone on to become one of Agatha Christie’s most recognized works. It has been adapted for television multiple times, notably a 1986 version featuring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.