Miss Marple

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
The murder of Colonel Protheroe is a shock to everyone in St. Mary Mead, though hardly an unpleasant one. Now the vicar, who had declared that killing the detested Protheroe would be a service to the world, as well as his young and flirtatious wife, could be considered suspects. And what about the faithless Mrs. Protheroe, or her lover, the young artist Lawrence Redding? Jane Marple is at her shrewdest in this delightfully intricate mystery. I read all of these as a teenager but am enjoying the re-reads.

I enjoyed the new version showing on PBS Mystery.

Moving Finger
This story is told by Jerry Burton, an RAF flyer recovering from a crash. He has been sent to the village of Lymstock to get rest and quiet. Accompanied by his sister Joanna, Jerry soon finds that all is not as peaceful as he might have hoped. A series of poison pen letters detailing the explicit and often illicit facts of the residents' lives is causing quite a stir. The fear escalates when an apparent suicide is followed by a murder. With so much wickedness abounding, the vicar's wife calls in her old friend Jane Marple, whom she considers an expert on wickedness in village life. Miss Marple yet agains sees the wickedness beneath the surface to uncover the truth behind the poison pen letters and the deaths that result.

Christie examination the evil underneath the pristine surface. This "wickedness" lies not only beneath the beautiful exteriors of the sleepy village, but also beneath the shiny faces of its inhabitants. She once again manages to make all my guesses wrong. Plus this has more of a romantic overtone than her other novels, which is refreshing. Truly brilliant.

At Bertram's Hotel
When Jane Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she's looking for at Bertram's Hotel: a restored London hotel with traditional decor, impeccable service and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Miss Marple's suspicions are aroused by some of the guests. Her worst fears are confirmed when the doorman is murdered in strange circumstances. With the help of clever Chief Inspector Davey, who is occupied with the investigation of a series of robberies. With her help all is revealed. A fun cozy look at Miss Marple outside of her home.

Murder is Announced
When an ad appears in the gazette announcing a murder to take place on Friday at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m., the locals show up, assuming it's a murder mystery party, only to get shot at and then become witnesses to the real murder of a boy no one knows. The police are convienced that someone wants to kill Ms. Blacklock but when her best friend and a local woman are killed it appears that the murderer is becoming a serial killer. Fortunately, Miss Marple arrives and unravels this tangled skein. As with other Agatha Christie novels nothing is as it appears and you never know until the end who the murder really is.