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    A Murder Is Announced: A Miss Marple Mystery
    A Murder Is Announced: A Miss Marple Mystery
    A Murder Is Announced: A Miss Marple Mystery
    Audiobook7 hours

    A Murder Is Announced: A Miss Marple Mystery

    Written by Agatha Christie

    Narrated by Joan Hickson

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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.

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 3, 2012
    ISBN9780062234278
    Author

    Agatha Christie

    Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

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    Reviews for A Murder Is Announced

    4/5

    77 ratings39 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Joan Hickson gives another superlative reading. She is perfect as Miss Marple.
    • 3/5
      Miss Marple solves another murder in a small village. Not my favorite Miss Marple, but very good.
    • 5/5
      One of my favourite Miss Marples. Set in a small village in post war Britain, where the social order has been disrupted by the war populated by types who may or not be who they say they are, a murder IS announced in the local paper and the locals turn up expecting a game only to find a real murder taking place in their midst. Miss Marple is invited by her goddaughter, the vicar's wife, to help solve the crime. I particularly love the discrete but obvious depiction of the loving female couple Hinch and Murgatroyd. A very entertaining read.
    • 2/5
      A Murder is Announced was, as I'm finding usual with Agatha Christie, quite fun and reasonably absorbing. One could tire of it very easily, since the writing isn't anything special -- although I generally like the characters in the background quite a lot. When I like them a lot, it's a three-star read; when no one particularly caught my attention, only two-star. (The difference between "it was ok" and "liked it".)

      The plot of this one is very torturous, and very... unlikely. Okay, okay, most of these books are, but the way that two imposters show up, but neither of them are actually doing anything wrong, although both keep their identity hidden, and then suddenly at the end a third imposter is revealed...

      Still, fun and easy, which is what I expect from these books.
    • 3/5
      Here is the book that made me guess the murderer for the first time ever. It's a classic and not a dime novel, and I'm glad for that. Other people too have guessed correctly and in hindsight I must say that the finale, with Miss Marple hiding and using her voice, is slightly artificial, clumsy and forced. Nevertheless most of the book is vintage Christie, and this book pushed me to read more and all of the Marpel stories. P.S Miss Murgatroyd and Hinchcliffe are "the L word".
    • 5/5
      Years ago I watched Joan Hickson play Miss Marple in this story and had completely forgotten who the murder was. As I finished reading the book I realized I followed the same though process of suspecting some characters as I did with the movie. This is an exceptionally good and intricate plot. Mrs. Christie was an extremely good writer, as generally were the writers of hers and the prior generations. (And that is the main reason why I can't stand modern authors, who are mostly poor, sloppy writers.) This repartee from "Julia" is fantastic: "I needn't have had a job then. I could have just stayed at home and done the flowers, and written notes... why did one write notes and who were they to?" It contains the author's subtle sense of humor and her frequent comments about days gone by--that she clearly missed. This book was a pleasure to read and I had to tear myself away from it every time I needed to stop reading. I love Agatha Christie's books and always look forward to reading her stories. I must stress the fact that I never enjoyed reading mystery books until I read hers. Highly recommend this one.
    • 4/5
      Emilia Fox did an excellent narration despite the fact that her voice for Miss Marple was a tad too firm for my image of the character.
    • 3/5
      Just as I've changed over the years, my tastes have changed as well. When my children were little, I used to while away nap time reading and Agatha was one of my first choices. I even gave the librarian a bad time because they didn't carry more of her books. Agatha's books aren't usually my first choice now, I read this one because it was the July book choice for my local Sisters in Crime group. The beginning reminded me of old black and white movies where everyone was all a flutter because of the announcement in the paper. All were under the impression it was to be a murder mystery game. When a burglar stumbles in upon the party to hold them up and gets shot someone has to determine who he was, why he was killed, and who did it. Inspector Craddock is obviously incapable of handling it without help from Miss Marple. The story is filled with quirky characters who may or may not be who they say they are. The hostess soon becomes the obvious true target but with lots of red herrings it becomes difficult to decide what is really going on. I would recommend this book to all cozy lovers. This was Agatha's 50th book published in 1950 in a simpler time set in a more picturesque setting and if you are looking for something that doesn't make you cringe or keep you up at night, this would be a good choice. Happy reading.
    • 4/5
      Miss Marple novel. A murder is announced at the home of Miss Blacklock, by way of an ad in the local paper announcing the time and place. It's assumed by Miss Blacklock's household that it's some sort of unpleasant joke, and by everyone else in Chipping Cleghorn that it's announcing a murder mystery party. A large contingent contrive to drop in at the time announced -- only to see a real attempted murder and suicide. But was it suicide, or was the young man who shot at Miss Blacklock simply a cat's paw for someone else who then disposed of him?Beautifully constructed mystery, with the clues all there but skillfully disguised, in a lovely study of English village life soon after the end of the Second World War.
    • 5/5
      Miss Marple pays a visit to her niece, a vicar's wife in a neighboring village. Of course, she arrives just in time to help the local police investigate murder and mystery. A great read as usual.
    • 5/5
      Miss Marple's Wisdom A murder is announced in the local paper. When its actually happens, the Police, with the inestimable help of Miss Marple, gets to solve the matter. In a dynamic plot, with numerous characters and unexpected events, Agatha Christie guides the reader to the answer. One has to pay close attention in order to discover the murderer. This is an interesting plot with a surprising end.
    • 4/5
      One of my favorite Miss Marple novels so far. She really is a sweet old dear, but amazingly shrewd. The plot was complex, suspenseful, and interesting. I had no idea who the murderer was until the end. The whole plot is attention grabbing and creepy - I like that.
    • 2/5
      The twist was a bit of a stretch here. It was a decent story but had far too little Ms. Marple for my taste.
    • 2/5
      Was this mystery so predictable or was it that I've became an expert in Christie's kind of mysteries & twists?...

      I guessed the murderer & guessed most reasons of the events be4 Miss Marple kindly reveal the truth in details @ the end .. I've always failed 2 guess the murderer except this time.. was so easy, predictable and typical.. and 'm officially an Agatha Christie expert :)
    • 4/5
      Well, I'll be! Miss Marple deigns to make an appearance before three-quarters of the book is up. How kind of her to come. One of Christie's better stories, though I still prefer Poirot.
    • 4/5
      In a Murder is Announced a murder is announced in the local newspaper and actually happens. More murders follow, and everyone in a small English village’s circle of friends is a suspect. Detective Inspector Craddock, with the help of sixty-something Miss Jane Marple, works to solve the crime. The mystery deepens with every chapter as new clues are revealed. This gives the reader an invigorating mental exercise of sorting through the ever-increasing load of information and speculation. It’s difficult to decide which clues are key to solving the murder and which are red herrings, and that’s the fun of it. The characters are colorful and drawn in detail. But this book was first published in 1950, and young adult readers may not be interested in the many elderly, old-fashioned characters. Even the younger villagers are in their 20s and have concerns that teenagers today probably won’t relate to, such as providing for a young child or having success in a writing career. Nevertheless, the ending, though unexpected, is exciting.
    • 5/5
      Guests fill an English home when word spreads there will be a murder there. And there is…

      A gem amongst the Marple canon, "A Murder is Announced" takes a delightful premise – the announcement in a village newspaper that there will be a murder, at a specific time and place – and runs with it. From the opening scenes, as the entire village feigns disinterest while actually gearing up for the big event, to the slowly discombobulating aftermath in which her array of characters can’t quite fathom what is happening within the confines of their safe little hamlet, it’s solid Christie fun.

      The net of suspects is a little wider than usual, including some slightly “racy” characters in the lesbian pair, although their sexual nature is mentioned only in asides and implications, rather than made explicit. The novel is a perfectly contrived locked-room mystery, which we can’t put together but where every clue seems to expose one person and exonerate another. While the solution is (as usual) a bit far-fetched, there is a strong emotional resonance from both the murderer’s actions, and the unwittingly tragic actions of the other characters.

      Not everything is perfect. The multiple mistaken identities are excessive for any situation, let alone a quaint village, but I’ll forgive it on this occasion as the stakes are high. And one element at the climax - namely a sudden skill of legerdemain developed by Miss Marple – is pointedly silly. But in spite of this, Christie clearly enjoyed this novel, and that enjoyment comes across to the reader, making this Christie’s best novel of the 1950s, and a source of solid adaptations for both Joan Hickson and Geraldine McEwan.

      Along with the characterisations, clever plotting, and delightful premise, one of the reasons that "A Murder is Announced" ranks so high is because it exemplifies a classic Christie formula, a formula which – sadly – is often altered in the ’90s and ’00s TV films to accommodate deeper portrayals of the characters. Now, I’m one of the biggest supporters of these deeper, slightly more tragic adaptations, but it can prove very frustrating. In a 90-minute film, you get 20 minutes of exposition and 20 minutes of increasing character tensions before the murder even happens. This is followed by each suspect getting one short scene (except the biggest star, who might get two), a second murder, a few scenes to tie up loose ends, and then a denouement. In short, the screenwriter gives us the same information, just that much of it comes before the murder. Not inherently a problem, no, but I often yearn for the ‘classic’ formula in which the murder occurs very, very early on. Seeing the process of Poirot or Marple putting together the clues through extensive interviews and twists is much more interesting, but perhaps it comes across stronger in a novel than on film. Either way, it’s the standard for many of my utter favourites, such as "Hercule Poirot’s Christmas", "Death in the Clouds", "Cards on the Table" and this.

      Marple ranking: 1st of 14
    • 4/5
      Clipping Cleghorn, England, ca 1950I lokalavisen for Clipping Cleghorn, bekendtgøres at der vil ske et mord i "Little Paddocks" om aftenen kl halv syv. Alle tror at det blot er en invitation til en selskabsleg og mange dukker op.Men lyset går ud, en mand kommer ind og råber "hænderne op", værtinden Miss Blacklock bliver såret i øreflippen og "røveren", en ung mand, Rudi Scherz, ansat som receptionist ved et lokalt hotel, bliver skudt og dræbt.Kriminalkommisær Dermot Eric Craddock og politiassistent Legg bliver sat på sagen. I baggrunden finder vi forhenværende politidirektør for Scotland Yard, Sir Henry Clithering. Miss Jane Marple bor på hotel i nærheden og bliver involveret. Craddock borer lidt i sagen og finder ud af at en af dørene i huset er blevet smurt i forvejen. Mrs Letitia Blacklock står til at arve en masse penge, så måske er det dem, der ellers ville arve, der er på krigsstien. Siden bliver Letitias gamle og småbimse skoleveninde Dora Bunner forgiftet og dræbt og hushjælpen Miss Murgatroyd bliver kvalt. Jane Marple tager affære og det viser sig at Letitia er død af naturlige årsager, men begravet som Charlotte Blacklock og at Charlotte spiller rollen som Letitia for uretmæssigt at få fat i en stor arv.Udmærket Miss Marple mysterie.
    • 4/5
      This is a good Jane Marple mystery with an interesting beginning that hooks the reader quickly.
    • 4/5
      Always enjoy Agatha Christie!
    • 4/5
      In the newspaper an announcement is made to the townspeople, that they are invited to a murder on a particular evening, at a particular time, at a particular home....No one knows what to make of it, but seems as if it is an invitation to a "who-done-it" party.... The residents of the house, are as surprised as everyone else, but they prepare for guests....A little past the time the lights go off, a per son w/ a gun enters and shoots.... but then when the lights go back on, the shooter is found dead, murdered.The premise was interesting, but (at the beginning) the characters were insipid & uninspiring. I didn't like them, nor did I like the endless mindless chatter that was their conversations..... so the book began as ONE StarAs the book moves on & Miss Marple sticks her nose in, the book definitely picks up, and I ended up liking it after all!
    • 5/5
      "A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30 p.m. Friends accept this, the only intimation."

      Little Paddocks is set in a typical village in the English countryside, where people enjoy the quiet life, away from the hustle and bustle of bigger towns, and where everyone knows everything that is going on in the lives of their neighbours. Or do they?

      “In an English village, you turn over a stone and have no idea what will crawl out.”

      I have read A Murder is Announced three times now and I still count this as one of my favourite Christie novel - and, yes, even that sanctimonious old busy-body that is Miss Marple does not spoil the book for me.
      The reasons I like the story so much are quite simple: It's essentially a locked-room mystery, but in this one the motives for the murder are different from some of the other mysteries and caused me to think a lot about the effect that the one simple lie (I won't spoil which one) had on the lives of all the people involved - including on the perpetrator, who is very conflicted over the course of actions taken, when that lie is at risk of being discovered.

      “It's what's in yourself that makes you happy or unhappy.”

      Unlike in some other Christie mysteries, the portrayal of characters is also much more sympathetic to the more ordinary characters who usually seem to be somewhat patronised or ridiculed - quite often by Marple, which is why I don't like her much. For some reason, she's not as quick to pass judgement in this book and the villagers are allowed to contribute to the story and to the solution.

      “It’s a fine murdering day, (sang Bunch) And as balmy as May And the sleuths from the village are gone.” A rattle of crockery being dumped in the sink drowned the next lines, but as the Rev. Julian Harmon left the house, he heard the final triumphant assertion: “And we’ll all go a’murdering today!”
    • 5/5
      An announcement in the local paper of a murder being committed at a certain date and time gets the residents of Chipping Cleghorn talking; most of them are excited about attending a murder game party, though one or two are worried. But there can be no doubt that the event is not a game: shots are fired and a man is left dead. With few leads to go on, the police get some unexpected help from an elderly lady called Jane Marple ...I thought this was an enjoyable and cleverly plotted novel with interesting characters, including the hinting at – the novel was originally published in 1950 – a loving lesbian relationship, despite some passages being somewhat dated or overly dramatic or some coincidences bordering on the ridiculous. What I enjoyed most, apart from trying to pick up on the clues, was the description of village life in the aftermath of the Second World War, with a certain degree of rationing still in evidence, as well as far-reaching changes in society. I also found the tragedy at the heart of the murder mystery more emotionally engaging than in several other Christie works.Miss Marple is at her most sleuth-like best: chattering innocuously for all intents and purposes with the residents, but her sharp mind slotting away each remark and observation, no matter how much they seem inconsequential at first.Recommended to fans of the genre and the author.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite Agatha Christie novels, and a treasure of misdirection. Not to be missed.
    • 4/5
      Everybody in Chipping Cleghorn reads the personal column in "the Gazette." One day a strange listing appears declaring a murder will take place at Little Paddocks on Friday, October 29th at 6:30 p.m. Everyone who knows Miss Blacklock thinks it's a murder party so they all show up. Miss Blacklock didn't put the announcement in the paper and she doesn't know what will happen. Then a youngman appears in the doorway, the lights go out, a flashlight blinds the group, and three shots ring out. Miss Blacklock is wounded and the only casualty is the youngman. Who is he? Why would he want to rob or kill Miss Blacklock?This is the first Miss Marple story I have read and I found her to be a lovely character. She is an expert on human nature because of all the people she has known in the small town she lives in. When puzzling out a murder case she simply relates the incidents to simular situations from her past. The novel is an interesting look at English life right after World War II. It was originally published in 1950. Miss Marple talks about how you don't know yours neighbors as well as you used to because so many people have been displaced because of the war and have moved to smaller towns. There is an interesting barter system in Chipping Cleghorn where people trade meat, milk, honey etc. One of the characters is a young war widow with a small son who works as a gardener.A friend of mine had told me that she finds reading Agatha Christie mysterys very soothing. I didn't know what she ment until I started this novel. It was if my mind sighed and relaxed. I'm not British, yet I found the characters way of speaking very familiar and enjoyable. Maybe that is why the genre is called "cozy."
    • 3/5
      Although this novel didn’t have me on tenterhooks, I appreciate the author’s plotting skills and characterisation. It’s a book I liked in parts rather than on the whole. At times it bored me a little, but certain scenes proved highly engaging.Bunny is my favourite character. Without giving anything away, there’s a scene where guests arrive at a house, speaking with tact, trying to learn something with a series of subtle hints, then Bunny arrives and asks outright the question that the others have been hinting at. Classic comedy timing!Read this in January 2012, so can't remember much more at nearly six years on.
    • 4/5
      Read this for library book group. The was done to compare with "A Daughter In Time" by Josephine Tey, which was written the same year. Very different styles and themes between the two authors. We understood that had a discord between them, but we couldn't find out the reason. I've read many Christie in the past, but had not previously read this one. I really enjoyed it, even though Miss Marple did play as prominent role as I'm used to. The one downside was that Christie spent a fair amount of time at the conclusion, after the climax, explaining how all the clues tied together. She did a good job of providing the clues throughout the book, but their ties were not all apparent till the conclusion.
    • 4/5
      Classic Ms. Marple -- what's not to love?
    • 5/5
      Another great Miss Marple story.
    • 4/5
      The residents of Chipping Cleghorn are utterly surprised when an announcement appears in the local paper announcing that a murder will occur at the local estate of Little Paddocks at precisely 6:30 that Friday evening. Assuming that Miss Blacklock or one of her family who reside at Little Paddocks are having some sort of murder mystery party, several residents of the village arrive that evening to see just what will happen. But as they gather in the drawing room, the lights go out at precisely 6:30 and then shots are fired. In the aftermath of the shooting, one question remains: what was the purpose of that night and just who was behind it?Miss Marple mysteries are always a reliable solid read and this one was no exception. For the first time while reading Christie, I did manage to figure out whodunit in advance of the big reveal but I had also watched the episode of Marple adapted from this novel several years ago so some memories may have stuck with me that helped me weed through the red herrings and actual clues. Although this is the fifth Miss Marple novel, it's an excellent novel to try as your first Marple or your first Christie if you haven't taken the plunge yet.