The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
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Blurb
‘Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,’ declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world a large favour!’
It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which comes back to haunt the clergyman just a few hours later – when the Colonel is found shot dead in the clergyman’s study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe.
The first Miss Marple mystery, one which tests all her powers of observation and deduction.
Review
I finally got to a Miss Marple novel in my Agatha Christie challenge. I have been really excited about reading the Miss Marple books because I always loved the TV series. I find Miss Marple the perfect cosy mystery.
Leonard Clement is the local vicar of St Mary Mead and is married to Griselda. St Mary Mead is a sleepy little hamlet where everyone knows everyone’s business and Leonard is regularly asked for guidance on all matters.
Colonel Protheroe has been found dead in Leonard’s study. However, as Miss Marple soon begins to realise almost everyone in St Mary Mead had a motive to kill the Colonel. The police who are assigned to the case are quite useless which is a typical trait of a Christie book and one that I always look forward to because I always have a good laugh at the mistakes the police make.
Miss Marple is on the case and she clearly already has an idea who committed the murder but she tells Leonard that she has seven suspects. Miss Marple annoys the police and always appears as a little old lady who is everyone’s neighbour and friend. Nobody sees her as a threat.
I did enjoy this book but I didn’t find it up to Christie’s usual standards. Considering this novel is a Miss Marple book I did find that Miss Marple was hardly in it and would have liked to have seen more of her. Griselda rather got on my nerves and I found her rather useless and not the best wife for a vicar. I really hope my next Miss Marple book features more of Miss Marple. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.
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About the author
Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. She also wrote the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap. She also wrote 6 novels under the name Mary Westmacott.
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