City News

“A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m.” When this strange advertisement is displayed in the local gazette, the residents of Chipping Cleghorn cannot seem to resist what appears to be a harmless “murder game”. A handful of them gather at Little Paddocks, the home of the rather plain and elderly Letitia Blacklock, ready for some excitement in their otherwise insipid lives.

At 6:30, the lights mysteriously go out, and a hooded man appears in the doorway. When the lights switch back on, he is discovered to have killed himself with his own revolver. The village dismisses the incident as a failed burglary and accidental suicide, but Inspector Craddock thinks otherwise. With the help of the brilliant deducer Miss Marple, the centerpiece of many of Agatha Christie’s bestselling novels, the inspector concludes the “real” murderer was one of the guests that night.

One of the best part of reading murder mystery novels is guessing who did it. In order to do so, you need a deep understanding of each character, something I feel many mystery novels lack. This was no problem with “A Murder is Announced” however, in which Christie does an impeccable job of creating realistic and distinctive characters. Initially, I was completely lost with all the fancy names to keep track of, but as the story progressed, I came to fully see each character’s unique personalities and motives. From the wise and levelheaded Letitia Blacklock to her affectionate but loose-lipped companion Dora Bunner to the frazzled and dishonest cook Mitzi, it seems Christie took plenty of time to develop every character.

The attention to detail in this book is also exceptional. There are countless little clues throughout the story that point you to the murderer, things so insignificant you only notice during the big reveal. Christie also incorporates a fair share of red herrings, giving almost every character a possible motive for the murder. This culminates in a truly exciting ending, when Miss Marple revisits all these little details and dramatically reveals the culprit.

Moreover, as someone accustomed to reading novels set in modern-day cities, it was refreshing to watch the story unfold in the rather quaint, old English village of Chipping Cleghorn. While the small town creates an eerie sense of isolation, the setting also greatly plays into the plot, as the characters all know one another very well—at least they think they do. And, since they all leave their doors unlocked and regularly wander into Little Paddocks, it becomes all the more difficult to suspect just one resident.

If you enjoy plot twists and murder mysteries, I highly recommend this book. In fact, as a fan of Agatha Christie who has read at least ten of her novels, I believe “A Murder is Announced” may be one of her best works. While it may not contain as much suspense and bloodshed as “And Then There Were None” or “The A.B.C. Murders”, I was still intrigued throughout the entire story. There were occasional moments where the book felt slow and drawn out, but this was made up for by a thrilling series of events towards the end.

Check out a Murder is Announced at NBPL!