Book: Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1)
Author: Agatha Christie
Article Type: Book Reviews
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“Murder at the Vicarage” marks the debut of Agatha Christie’s unflappable and much beloved female detective, Miss Jane Marple. With her gift for sniffing out the malevolent side of human nature, Miss Marple is led on her first case to a crime scene at the local vicarage. Colonel Protheroe, the magistrate whom everyone in town hates, has been shot through the head. No one heard the shot. There are no leads. Yet, everyone surrounding the vicarage seems to have a reason to want the Colonel dead. It is a race against the clock as Miss Marple sets out on the twisted trail of the mysterious killer without so much as a bit of help from the local police.
Read for Profiling Mysteries/BoutofBooks 5.0 (Kindle Freebie circa 2009)
Overall Rating 4.00
Character Rating 4.25
Story Rating 3.75
First Thought When Finished: Miss Marple is a HOOT! The Murder at the Vicarage was a great mystery filled with some old-fashioned sleuthing!
What I Thought of the Case: I will admit that the case started out a little slow for my liking but I think this has to do with this being a first in series. The first quarter was spent on introducing the characters. Once the case started though it was such a fun ride. Miss Marple is both very smart and a bit of a busy body. I love that Agatha Christie wrote her to be both. The case took a few twists and turns. With Agatha you are always on your toes never quite knowing where the story is going to lead.
What I Thought of the Characters: Miss Marple is a hoot! She is a fantastic combo of nosy busy-body coupled with one smart cookie. The rest of the town appears to either love her dearly or dreads her amazing observational skills. I would be scared of her quite frankly but secretly wish I could catch half the things she does!
“I really believe that wizened-up old maid thinks she knows everything there is to know. And hardly been out of this village all her life. Preposterous. What can she know of life?” I said mildly that though doubtless Miss Marple knew next to nothing of Life with a capital L, she knew practically everything that went on in St. Mary Mead.”
My dear young man, you underestimate the detective instinct of village life. In St. Mary Mead everyone knows your most intimate affairs. There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands.
Final Thought: This was my first Agatha Christie book but it won’t be my last. I loved the old-fashioned case solving that can really only be found in the classics!
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I haven’t read this one, but I agree with you about Miss Marple. She’s definitely a hoot. Have you watched any of the TV adaptations? There are a lot, but I think my favorite was Geraldine McEwan. She played Miss Marple to perfection.
I haven’t watched the TV versions but I am going to pick up a few on audiobook. Evidently they have multi-narrators!
I think I have this one on my nook. Ms Marple sounds great. I need to have a nook only like 6 months to clear out & love all the things I’ve collected.
Miss Marple was a hoot! I really enjoyed it :)
I haven’t read Agatha yet. Can’t believe it, but someday I will change it. Love all the inclusions of the old covers!!
This is a mystery that I think you will like–it is fun, light, and yet you can’t guess who did it :)
Wow you are going all old school on me :)
I did I did :) Old school was fun :)
I read some Agatha Christie in high school but that was awhile ago…I mean just a couple of years ago ;) I downloaded some free titles for my Kindle on Amazon awhile back and I have every intention of reading some. I am glad you had fun with this one and I think it is awesome that the book stands the test of time!
I am thinking of continuing the series in audio evidently they are brilliantly done :)
I have only read And Then There were None and loved it. My favourite class Mystery is Rebecca, amazing.
I haven’t read Rebecca, I think I am going to put it on my list ;)
Kelly suggested that I pick up this series for my next Agatha Christie read. And I probably will, especially after your review! :)
I enjoyed it! I wasn’t sure if I would in the beginning but it was just so clever and fun!
Oh, I’m so glad you enjoyed your first Agatha Christie book! YAY! Miss Marple is hands down my favorite of her characters. She’s just… fun. Nosy and incredibly intelligent and she *sees* things, you know? She SEES things!
She is nosy but dang that woman misses NOTHING! Seriously she has like super “figure it out” skills!
What a classic series to get into!!! My poor husband probably thinks I’ll end up like Miss Marple (minus the Miss) b/c I’m always up in all my neighbor’s business, like Samantha’s neighbor from Bewitched. I bet you’re on the money that the series gets faster after the world building is done and you just get to be blown away by Miss Marple :)
I figured as much! Miss Marple was so awesome and reminded me of every old bitty I knew from my small town growing up. I swear if you wanted to know anything in our town you just needed to hang out with my grandmother’s friends. :)
Hey Felicia, you also have to make allowances for the time period in which something was written ofcourse. And I have to admit I have never read one of her books, except at school for English: 10 little niggers. And why do you ask? Because she has written so much! If I really like an author, I have to have all their books, and that would get so expensive!
She has written a ton! That is why I chose Miss Marple as that is the shortest series she has. The H.P. series is HUGE!
Great review.
Her stories do start a bit slow.
LOVE that you included the other covers. I always loving seeing that.
I love Classic Mystery covers! They were so different than book covers now!
Sooo true!