by 
Title and Author: A Murder Is Announced
by Agatha ChristieSeries: Miss Marple #5
Print Length: 382 Pages
Publication Date: June 1950
Language: English
Genre: Classics, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
My Review:
“A marriage is announced- no, a murder. What? Well,
I never! Edmund, Edmund, listen to this…
A murder is announced and will take place on Friday,
October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m. Friends
please accept this, the only intimation.”
The village of Chipping Cleghorn becomes the center of activity and excitement when the Gazette announces a murder at Little Paddocks and invites everyone to witness it! Thinking that it is probably the “Murder Game” people play at parties, the villagers assemble at the appointed time at Little Paddocks filled with excitement and curious about the “Murder” that is going to happen soon!
“…what happens at a Murder Game?”
“I don’t know, exactly…They pin pieces of paper upon you or something…No, I think you draw them out of a hat. And somebody’s the victim and somebody else is a detective- and then they turn the lights out and somebody taps you on the shoulder and then you scream and lie down and sham dead.”
But when the time comes, all their initial excitement turns to horror when an actual, real person is found dead.
“..all the lights went out. Delighted gasps and feminism squeaks of appreciation were heard in the darkness…Then ..a revolver spoke…Suddenly the game was no longer a game. Somebody screamed…”
Who is the mysterious dead man?
Who killed him?
As the thirteen people in the room look suspiciously at each other, Miss Marple is called in to solve this very intriguing mystery where the murder happened in front of thirteen witnesses yet no one saw anything!
Another ingenious and totally out of the box mystery by the ‘Queen of Crime’, A Murder Is Announced
is a mystery that will blow you away. Perfect setting, perfect witnesses and a perfect crime. Can Miss Marple solve it and find the killer?
When I read Agatha Christie’s books I still cant believe that these mysteries were written decades ago. They are still so unusual and genius. A Murder Is Announced was first published in 1950 and like its predecessors went on to top the bestselling lists. Christie continues with her love for small town mysteries and gives us a yet another solid mystery set in a small village where everyone knows everyone. But does anyone ever know anyone fully? This is the question Agatha Christie raises in this book and successfully gives us a story so engrossing that you will want to read it in one go and then come back again to re read it. 🙂
I loved the story and was pulled right into the story from the very start. I could feel myself present right there in the room when Mrs Harmon cried “It’s beginning” right after the lights went out or when the lights came back on and a gruesome scene was revealed. Beautifully conceived and executed, the plot is novel and totally mind boggling. The characterization is expertly done to showcase people who are not perfect and everyone has secrets of their own which they wish to hide at all costs. Perfect use of red herrings, vivid descriptions of places and people with small hints thrown at suitable points to help the reader find the killer, I absolutely loved the book and don’t hesitate even for a second before I give it a full 5 on 5.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. Go read and test your brains in solving a mystery which is almost perfect! 🙂
“Use that fluff of yours you call a brain.”
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