As usual (for Christie), a great ensemble cast, and a wonderful story that draws you in. I liked A Murder is Announced quite a bit, especially the many nuances that you are more likely to notice on your second read.
Title: A Murder is Announced (Miss Marple #4)
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Classic, Mystery, Crime
Publication Date: June 26, 1950
Review Date: January 06, 2020 // May 11, 2026
Number of Pages: 288 (hardcover)
My Rating: 4.0/5
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Book Blurb of A Murder Is Announced:
A murder is announced in a small-town newspaper advertisement—and Miss Marple must unravel the fiendish puzzle when a crime does indeed occur.
The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn are agog with curiosity when the Gazette advertises “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.”
A childish practical joke? Or a spiteful hoax? Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, the locals arrive at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out and a gun is fired. When they come back on, a gruesome scene is revealed. An impossible crime? Only Miss Marple can unravel it.
Book Review of A Murder Is Announced:
Halfway through reading this book, I realized I read it many many years ago; so while I suddenly was hit with an awareness of who the culprit was, I still finished reading it anyway.
It was fun to pick up on the small hints through the book, knowing what I already knew from my long ago reading of this book. It was enjoyable and reminiscent of another Christie book called After the Funeral (which is a Poirot book), in many little ways, but nothing that I could point out if you asked me to explain why I feel so.
As usual, a great ensemble cast, and a wonderful story that draws you in. Each character is well fleshed out, as is the norm for Christie stories. By now, I think I’ve mentioned this fact so much that it isn’t surprising at all. At this point it would probably be surprising if Agatha Christie didn’t make her characters lifelike. Haven’t yet come across any instances of that, and I don’t think I will.
I think that is one of the key reasons why her books are so timeless, and why they’ve resonated with so many people over the years. She creates realistic characters that seem to exist on the page with such ease. That kind of effortless ease is high skill indeed. In just a few words and paragraphs, she can create an atmosphere. She did that beautifully in A Murder is Announced.
Not as ‘breezy’ as some of her others, but I probably feel that because I didn’t get the chance to sit and read the entire book in one go, like I try to usually do for Agatha Christie books. It’s a pretty subjective point, anyway. I liked the book and the many nuances that you are more likely to notice on your second read.
Do I recommend A Murder is Announced?
Yes, for sure! A yes if you have never read it before, still a yes if you have read it many years ago and forgotten the plot (and even if vaguely you remember it!) because this story is timeless. Check out my Agatha Christie reading challenge here.
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