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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The setup and ending were perfectly atmospheric and satisfying - I loved how the clues to the reveal were there all throughout the book! It was hard for me to differentiate all the villagers though. I think they were characterized well through their dialogue and actions, there was just too many of them to remember all that while also keeping track of the mystery. This might just be me not reading carefully enough though.
This was my first Miss Marple book, and I quite like her! She is a very anti-Poirot :p I wish she had been more of a fixture in the story, like we follow Poirot throughout his books. But the policemen were surprisingly competent, so it was still a good experience from their perspectives.
The audio by Rosemary Leach was excellent!
This was my first Miss Marple book, and I quite like her! She is a very anti-Poirot :p I wish she had been more of a fixture in the story, like we follow Poirot throughout his books. But the policemen were surprisingly competent, so it was still a good experience from their perspectives.
The audio by Rosemary Leach was excellent!
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Storia avvincente e coinvolgente, la Christie sa come rendere curiosa una storia! Finale inaspettato, ovviamente anche questa volta non c’avevo capito nulla
Excellent!!! Every time I thought I had figured it out, Agatha twisted and turned and caught me by surprise.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Am I becoming too skilled at guessing Agatha Christie's puzzles by reading too much Agatha Christie? Perhaps. But I identified the culprit correctly approx. two pages after the murder was committed. Which wouldn't be so bad, if the clues were not oddly heavy-handed, and the final explanation so twisted it felt like when you put a cable in the drawer and take it out the next day only to discover it became an undecided Ouroboros. Hinting too heavily and then working so hard to get yourself out of your own idea is the opposite of The Queen's writing. Or are there two Agatha Christies? (This would explain a lot, mused Miss Marple, a lot indeed…)
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of her most beloved Miss Marple mysteries, a novel that is a great story in its own right that just so happens to have murder woven through it. First published in 1950, it draws the reader into the quiet English village of Chipping Cleghorn, where an unusual notice in the local paper shocks everyone: a murder has been announced, with the date, time, and location specified. Villagers flock to Little Paddocks, expecting a harmless game, but when the lights go out and a man lies dead, the “joke” turns into grim reality.
The initial murder is startling enough, but Christie raises the emotional stakes when two further characters, both likeable, both people the reader grows attached to, are killed. Their deaths hit hard and give the novel a poignancy that deepens the mystery. This is not just a clever puzzle, but a story with weight and emotional impact.
Miss Marple is in tip-top form here. No longer an obscure spinster overlooked by the police, her reputation now precedes her among both the public and the authorities. She slips into the investigation with her trademark keen eye for human nature, proving once again that small details and quiet observations can unravel even the most tangled web of secrets.
One aspect of the novel that sits uneasily is the treatment of Mitzi, the refugee housekeeper. Set in 1937 (making it one of the rare Christie books tied to a specific historical time) the novel reflects some of the tensions of the era. Mitzi is a European refugee who claims to have lost her family in the war, yet she is constantly mocked by the household she serves. At one point, they even send her a cruel fake postcard suggesting the Gestapo are after her. The frequent complaints about “foreigners” and the family’s mean-spirited jokes which go unchecked are odd in Christie and, if meant as comic relief, fall flat. Still, Mitzi redeems herself with an important act of bravery and heroism toward the end, giving her a memorable role in the story.
Alongside the suspense, Christie peppers the novel with delightful touches that have charmed readers for decades. The infamous chocolate cake known as “Delicious Death” has even been recreated as a recipe for Christie’s 120th birthday celebrations (and it sounds as good as it reads). There’s also a clever nod to a future Poirot novel, "Elephants Can Remember”, when the characters discuss a play called “Elephants Do Forget”. And for fans who know Christie’s Marple stories well, the shared setting name with the short story “The Companion” adds an extra layer of enjoyment.
In the end, “A Murder is Announced” is classic Christie: a cozy village setting hiding dark secrets, a puzzle that is both intricate and satisfying, and a heroine who proves that intelligence and insight don’t need to shout to be heard. Despite the dated and unfortunate handling of Mitzi, this remains a top-tier Miss Marple story that is moving, clever, and endlessly rereadable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia
mysterious
medium-paced