This weekend, I felt the strong need for a comfort read and Agatha Christie is my go-to for that. I went for The Murder at the Vicarage as it is Miss Marple’s first novel (she had appeared in short stories prior, you can read some of them in The Thirteen Problems). I’d heard generally good things about The Murder at the Vicarage and am pleased to say it’s a great read. Often funny and scathing, as well as plotting a clever murder mystery with a very satisfying ending.
Opening sentence: It’s difficult to know quite where to begin this story, but I have fixed my choice on a certain Wednesday at luncheon at the Vicarage.
Who shot Colonel Protheroe?
Yes, that is the question of this story. Colonel Protheroe is found murdered in the vicarage and there is no shortage of suspects (seven, Miss Marple summarises). He was not a liked character in the quaint little village of St Mary Mead, where the story is set.
The Murder at the Vicarage is narrated by the Reverend Leonard Clement. As the crime takes place in his home, this is only fitting. He is very invested in finding out what’s happened. He lives with his younger wife, Griselda and teenage nephew Dennis. His next door neighbour is one Miss Jane Marple.
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.
While Reverend Clement assists the police, Colonel Melchett, Chief Police Constable and Inspector Slack, Miss Marple misses nothing and uses her close proximity to the crime scene to, of course, work out what’s really going on.
The magic of Miss Marple
Miss Marple shook her head slowly and pityingly. The pity was, I think, for two full-grown men being so foolish as to believe such a story. At least that is what we felt like.
With no official capacity in solving the crime (unlike Poirot) Miss Marple must employ much more subtle methods to get her points across. That, I think, is the beauty of this character. Agatha makes such a good point about older ladies often being overlooked and cast aside by society. Miss Marple is here to show that should never be the case.
In a similar vein, as The Murder at the Vicarage was first published in October 1930, there are a lot of sexist and archaic references to women, but I actually took this as Agatha mocking the men in the story here for their out-of-date beliefs as, after all, it is Miss Marple who outsmarts them all.
A perfectly paced, layered crime story that ticks the cosy and clever boxes. One to add to your Agatha Christie reading list if you haven’t enjoyed it already.
- Get your copy of The Murder at the Vicarage here;
- First published in 1930. This edition by HarperCollins 2002;
- 288 pages;
- My rating:
Books on the 7:47 
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