The Murder at the Vicarage: A Miss Marple Mystery
Written by Agatha Christie
Narrated by Richard E. Grant
4/5
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About this audiobook
The Murder at the Vicarage is Agatha Christie’s first mystery to feature the beloved investigator Miss Marple—as a dead body in a clergyman’s study proves to the indomitable sleuth that no place, holy or otherwise, is a sanctuary from homicide.
Miss Marple encounters a compelling murder mystery in the sleepy little village of St. Mary Mead, where under the seemingly peaceful exterior of an English country village lurks intrigue, guilt, deception and death.
Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing land-owner is the most detested man in the village. Everyone--even in the vicar--wishes he were dead. And very soon he is--shot in the head in the vicar's own study. Faced with a surfeit of suspects, only the inscrutable Miss Marple can unravel the tangled web of clues that will lead to the unmasking of the killer.
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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Related to The Murder at the Vicarage
Titles in the series (21)
A Murder Is Announced: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Murder at the Vicarage: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Murder at the Vicarage: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Body in the Library: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5They Do It with Mirrors: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/54:50 From Paddington: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/54:50 From Paddington: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Murder Is Announced: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5They Do It with Mirrors: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Pocket Full of Rye: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sleeping Murder: Miss Marple's Last Case Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Caribbean Mystery: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5At Bertram's Hotel: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Caribbean Mystery: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nemesis: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nemesis: A Miss Marple Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories: A Miss Marple Collection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for The Murder at the Vicarage
303 ratings96 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Years ago, I read and enjoyed "And Then There Were None," and just this year I finally read "Murder on the Orient Express". But for some reason, I have never read another Christie novel until now. It was sheer coincidence that I picked up the very first Miss Marple mystery. Colonel Protheroe is not well liked by anyone. Many have a motive for killing him including a dashing young painter who may or may not be involved with his daughter, his young wife who is not much older than that daughter, or any of the men he has harshly punished through his role as magistrate. Even the Vicar himself was overheard to say the world would be better without the old man! Inspector Slack is dogged, but totally inadequate for solving the crime. But, Miss Marple is nosy and well versed in human nature. Her acute observations, offered intermittently throughout the story, will get to the truth.Though she surely inspired the hit series, "Murder She Wrote," Miss Marple is actually less hands on than Jessica Fletcher. I was surprised to find that the mystery is actually told from the point of view of the Vicar. Miss Marple only appears occasionally, almost like a sage, to point of investigators in the right direction. The resolution was clever, if not ground-breaking like "Murder on the Orient Express." But, unlike that novel, readers get to know these characters much better and so the ending feels better earned. I enjoyed the mystery and look forward to reading more by Christie.
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- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5For some reason I spent a lot of this book thinking that the Vicar had done it. But then I remembered that it was another book she wrote with a narrator-villain.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Well this is by far one of Christie's funniest books. The story's told in the point of view of a vicar, which may seem frustrating since this is really a Marple story but I found his voice surprisingly engaging and his remarks about the eccentric set of characters that appear in this book are insightful and hilarious. The psychological study and the character study is really good here, you can tell Christie's really building the path for Miss Marple's technique (she says herself her hobby is really obversing people) and it works well. I was disappointed in the solution to the mystery, it was a little too convoluted for me and it lacked tension, but the tone of the book is very different from the Poirot books (which I'm more familiar with) and perhaps in a way the low-key setting suited the slightly far-fetched conclusion. I really enjoyed this.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5*The Murder at the Vicarage* is one of Agatha Christie's more well-known works, and is known as the first Miss Marple mystery. Miss Marple had appeared in earlier short stories by Christie, but here was her first novel-length story. Though she would go on to become as popular as the other famous Christie sleuth, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple was not the protagonist of the story. Oh, she was indeed a major player, but the story was told in the first-person by the town Vicar whose eponymous house is referenced in the title. The book was a truly fun read, in large part because it was not *just* a mystery, but also was story of the goings-on of a small town. In a novel-length story, one can only dedicate so much time to the story. The truly successful author must balance the mystery (or adventure story, or romance, or whatever genre the story deals with) with other, smaller stories. People who have read my other reviews will already know the emphasis I put on characterization. Indeed, it may have come to the point of being trite with me, but I hit it because it really does matter. A story is often made or broken on the strength of the characters and the “secondary” plot lines.This first Miss Marple story is no different. The characters are quite a varied and interesting cast. The only disappointment (and one of two faults I find in the novel) has to do with one character who seems to care not a whit about their parents' fates, other than being a bit “sad”. They are manipulative, angry, selfish, and take the ending of the tale to be a justification of their petty, and mean-spirited behavior and using of others. In short, NOT a likable character. I hope that I am not right in fearing that Christie made this an annoying trend in her works. I do not want to spend too much time reading about vile people making off well in life. Not being the murderer does *not* make such a person any less of a villain, in my opinion. My other qualm is with how Christie does give the reader a trail to follow, but instead keeps back certain important bits of evidence. In the instance of this story, she seemingly went out of her way to ensure the audience would not figure out the truth. That detracted somewhat from the mystery. In a mystery, the two “no-nos” if you will, are making it too *easy* to figure out the guilty party, where the person does so early on. This leaves the reader feeling cheated, as the suspense (necessary especially for a first-time read, as opposed to a re-read) is suddenly gone. The other “no-no” goes beyond making it too *hard* to figure out the guilty party, to making it nearly impossible by fashioning the story line to not give the readers the facts, or (as I said) going *out of the way* to thwart a reader's perceptions. Christie seems to fall along this latter line, and that is unfortunate because it detracts somewhat from the overall enjoyment of what really was a great story. All in all, a good mystery, and an extremely fun read. Recommended.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Colonel Protheroe is not a popular man in St Mary Mead – even the vicar mentions casually during lunch that the world would be better off without him. So when the colonel unexpectedly turns up dead at the vicarage the following day, there is no shortage of suspects – until they're eliminated from the police's enquiries. Luckily Miss Marple is at hand with her valuable insights into human nature to help with the investigations.This is the first novel-length story featuring the amateur detective Miss Marple. Written in 1930, some well-known Christie staples are already in evidence, such as maps of the house and neighbourhood, the future of a couple in love being threatened by events, and plenty of red herrings. While the language and some of the plot details appear quite dated now, the actual mystery still stands up to scrutiny, always bearing in mind that like most Christie novels there is more than a touch of contrivance about it – but as a brain teaser that whiles away the time it is an engaging and fun read.I have to admit that the revelation of the murderer took me by surprise, Christie executing here a rare double bluff, which had not occurred to me. Hat off to the grand dame of British crime fiction!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love Miss Marple!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great introduction to Miss Marple, though admittedly, I’ve already read another Miss Marple mystery before finishing this. The twist wasn’t as shocking and dramatic as it would be if this was a Poirot novel, it’s more realistic. Great read, indeed! Any Agatha Christie novel would put you at the edge of your seat, eager for more as soon as the murder takes place.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I am not big on mystery, but this book was good.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A baffling murder in St. Mary Mead has the police and the townsfolk flummoxed. Except for one elderly spinster…
Throughout the 1920s, Agatha Christie wrote countless short stories for a number of periodicals, featuring many characters – Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, Harley Quin, and so on. All of these eventually found book form, and the luckier characters therein would go on to headline novels of their own. Jane Marple was one such, having headlined several short stories before making her publication debut in this novel.
"The Murder at the Vicarage" skillfully “introduces” Marple, seen as one of just many characters through the eyes of the book’s narrator, who gradually comes to the fore as the only person with the keen eyes and pricked-up ears to solve this perplexing murder. The murder plot itself relies on so many trivial occurrences that you have to suspend your disbelief more than usual, true. However, Christie utilises her setting well in this regard. The central idea of the novel is that these trivial occurrences are like clockwork in a small village, and knowing where someone will be, or how they will react to a particular situation, is a crucial element.It’s exactly the kind of keen psychological insight that exists in this gossipy society. (If I wasn’t able to ad lib these kinds of psychological reasonings for Christie denouements, I’d go mad!)
"The Murder at the Vicarage" is not really a classic. (I just had to type the name three times, as I kept confusing it with other Marple works). It’s a well-built house of cards, but it also feels like a house of cards. Thankfully, it showcases a tight-knight cast of characters, a wonderful portrayal of St. Mary Mead (which isn’t quite the loving hamlet it seems), and is, in every way, a seminal work. Interestingly, Christie wouldn’t bring Marple back for 11 years, spending the ’30s – her most prolific decade – primarily with Hercule Poirot.
Marple ranking: 4th of 14. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was the first Agatha Christie book I've read and loved it. I look forward to read more of her books.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I actually thought it was lettuce
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fabulous, twisty and complex. Just as it should be.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent! Just excellent! I was engaged mentally through the entire novel. Every time I thought I knew who done it, something new would happen and change my mind. Mind boggling.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5master storyteller
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love Richard E. Grant. He's so talented and funny and easy to listen to.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The first of the Miss Marple novels and one of the best
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading. Agatha Christie is the queen of distraction and mystery.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What's a clergyman to do when murder is committed in his home? Start investigating, that's what, especially when Miss Marple lives next door. Leonard Clement is the vicar in St. Mary Mead, a small English village. He's also the narrator of The Murder at the Vicarage, the first full length novel to feature Agatha's Christie's elderly sleuth Miss Jane Marple. When Colonel Protheroe is murdered in Clement's study, the difficulty is not in finding a suspect, but in sorting through all the people who wanted him dead--including the vicar himself!This cozy whodunnit is sure to please fans of the genre, though it was not my favorite of the three Agatha Christie novels I read this year. None of the characters in The Murder at the Vicarage interested me as much as Lucy Eyelesbarrow in 4:50 from Paddington or Anne Bedingfield from The Man in the Brown Suit. Still, any Agatha Christie is top-notch storytelling, and The Murder at the Vicarage is certainly worth a read, if for no other reason then to see Miss Marple at work in her first novel.Miss Marple appeared first in the 1927 short story "The Tuesday Night Club," and was Christie's attempt to give old maids some prominence in fiction. Interestingly, in both Miss Marple books I read this year, her character is secondary to others. In The Murder at the Vicarage, the vicar who tells the story is the most prominent character, and in 4:50 from Paddington it is Lucy Eyelsbarrow who takes center stage for most of the story. I'm not sure this is true of all the Miss Marple books, but it is something I will be paying attention to in future stories in the series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Knowing Mss. Marple A murder history told in the first person by a Vicar. Lot of characters interacting in a good plot. One cannot grasp the answers till the end. Agatha Christie present Miss Marple to her readers. Such a clever woman!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I liked this and I can't say I figured out who the murderer was. Yet I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed because I liked 'And Then There Were None' so much better. Also for some reason I assumed this was going to be from Miss Marple's perspective but it is from the vicar's (That's not bad - just unexpected).
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5As always, Christie delivers an entertaining, smart and funny mystery.
This is my first encounter with Miss Marple and I absolutely adore her. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Too many red herrings to be believable. Still, decent mystery and a nice introduction to Marple.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed it immensely. I'll be reading more of this series. I never guessed who the murder was...
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was my first Agatha Christie. I enjoyed it very much. The twists and turns on who was the murder was not anticipated and those of the kinds of mystery books I love.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a fun whodunit, and admittedly I was confused about the perpetrator right up until the end... I'd never before read a Miss Marple book and was surprised that she was not the narrator, but I think the outside perspective added to the story.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5An enjoyable cozy mystery. I loved following the vicar around town as he, Miss Marple, and the police got to the bottom of the murder mystery. I didn't even try to figure things out in advance; I was having too much fun meeting all the memorable characters.My one complaint: The proceedings were perhaps a bit too staid. The tension created in And Then There Were None by the knowledge that there was a murderer among the group - and that they were all targets - is missing from this story. Here, it was just a matter of figuring out where the clues led. Miss Marple exhibits some very Sherlock Holmes-ian powers of deduction as she leads the bumbling police and the steadfast vicar to the proper conclusions.All in all, a good book populated by some fun characters.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
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When the nasty Colonel Protheroe is found dead in the vicar’s study, shot in the head at the writing table with the start of a note scrawled on a piece of paper, the town is shocked. A bevy of detectives, both professional and amateur, attempt to solve this mystery, follow a myriad of leads and clues, ruling out suspect after suspect and hitting a wall. Finally, after the near death of another local man, Miss Marple, in her debut novel, puts the pieces together in the only sensible way. A plan is set to prove the guilt of the clever perpetrator, so the town can resume its peaceful existence.
I listened to the unabridged audio recording by actor James Saxon. While he did an admirable job of capturing the tone of the novel and most of the male voices, he, like almost every other man I’ve heard narrate, cannot do women’s voices well. I do wish audiobook makers would find a way to hire women to do women’s voices with male narrators & vice versa as it breaks the flow with some of the attempts to sound like women.
Overall, I really enjoyed this at a 4 star level. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Eh. I liked the narrator a lot better than Hastings, but otherwise it was a little dull.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is my favorite Miss Marple novel. I mostly love the way the village describes here: she's nosy, thinks the worst of people, but she's very observant and mostly right. I love how the killer realizes she was watching and tries to use it to their advantage. It also cracks me up that she knew who the killer was immediately, but was waiting for the others to figure it out. She's a very interesting character.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Agatha Christie's Ms Marple is introduced when a body is found in a vicarage in a small village. It seems one suspect after another is not quite telling the truth but Ms Marple is determined to uncover who's lying & who's telling the truth in spite of the Inspector's resistance to her hints. What's in the flowerpot or lack thereof breaks open the case & a cleverly laid plan collapses like a house of cards.