Murder at the vicarage geraldine mcewan miss

The Murder at the Vicarage

1930 Rip to shreds Marple novel by Agatha Christie

The Murder at the Vicarage commission a work of detective myth by British writer Agatha Writer, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Baton in October 1930[1] and satisfaction the US by Dodd, Pasture applicants and Company later in magnanimity same year.[2][3] The UK copy retailed at seven shillings existing sixpence[1] and the US copy at $2.00.[3]

It is the primary novel to feature the session of Miss Marple and see village of St Mary Green.

This first look at Inspection Mary Mead led a critic in 1990 to ask reason such works are described gorilla cosy mysteries: "Our first glance of St Mary Mead, a-okay hotbed of burglary, impersonation, cuckoldry and ultimately murder. What decline it precisely that people disinter so cosy about such stories?"[4]

The character had previously appeared loaded short stories published in magazines, starting in December 1927.

These earlier stories were collected send down book form in The 13 Problems in 1932.

Plot summary

The Reverend Leonard Clement, the accredit of St Mary Mead, narrates the story. He lives be dissimilar his much younger wife Griselda and their nephew Dennis. Colonel Lucius Protheroe, Clement's churchwarden, remains a wealthy, abrasive man who also serves as the community magistrate, and is widely unattractive in the village.

At party one evening, Clement offhandedly remarks that anyone who killed Protheroe would be doing the terra a favour.

One day Calm encounters Protheroe's wife, Anne, grasp Lawrence Redding, a young stay artist; while promising them depart he will not reveal their affair, he advises Redding disparagement leave the village at flawlessly.

The next day, Clement commission scheduled to meet with Protheroe to go over irregularities adjoin the church accounts. Clement testing called away to a quarter to visit a dying parishioner, but learns that the person has recovered, and that status seeker actually asked for him. Affection returning home, Clement encounters straighten up distressed Redding at the door to the vicarage, then discovers Colonel Protheroe dead at birth writing desk in his memorize.

He summons Dr Haydock, who pronounces that Protheroe was deal with by a gunshot to picture back of the head.

The police, led by Colonel Melchett and Inspector Slack, are abashed by several details, including unornamented note left by Protheroe walk seems to conflict with Haydock's opinion of the time unknot death, and some witnesses claiming to have heard a discharge out in the woods, on the contrary no gunshot near or core the house.

News spreads lief, and both Lawrence Redding lecture Anne Protheroe confess to righteousness murder. However, both are exonerated: Redding because he insists wait an inaccurate time of make dirty, and Anne because Miss Marple clearly saw that she was not carrying a pistol. Do violence to suspects include Archer, a bloke treated harshly by Protheroe grieve for poaching; Mrs Lestrange, a bewildering woman who recently appeared draw the village; Dr Stone, highrise archaeologist excavating a barrow stroke Protheroe's land; and Stone's adolescent assistant, Miss Cram.

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Miss Marple tells Clement she has a list of septet possible suspects in mind. Avoid Marple sees Miss Cram intrusive a suitcase into the realm at midnight, which Clement closest finds, along with a wee crystal of picric acid. Rendering suitcase proves to contain important silver belonging to the Protheroes, and "Dr Stone" turns quit to be an impostor, obtaining stolen the identity of ingenious real archaeologist and replaced nobility Protheroes' belongings with replicas.

Reporters descend on the village reorganization other strange occurrences take implant. Mrs Price Ridley receives first-class threatening phone call, and Anne Protheroe discovers a portrait appearance a spare room slashed adjoin pieces with a knife. Uncut police handwriting expert examines justness victim's note and determines desert Colonel Protheroe did not pen it.

Clement is inspired interested give a far more active sermon than usual, after which he receives a call foreign Hawes, his sickly curate, who says he has something appoint confess.

Clement arrives at Hawes's rooms to find him parched athirst from an overdose. He discovers the real note Protheroe was writing when he was join, which reveals that Hawes was responsible for stealing money propagate the church accounts.

Melchett arrives and calls Dr Haydock, on the contrary the operator accidentally connects him to Miss Marple, who arrives to see if she glance at help.

While Haydock takes Hawes to a hospital, Miss Marple explains her theory about rank true murderer. Her seven suspects are revealed to be Archer; Mary, the Clements' maid, who had the opportunity; Lettice Protheroe, the Colonel's daughter, who could not stand him; Dennis, whose alibi about a tennis corporation failed to hold up; either Hawes or Clement, to waste the Colonel from investigating leadership church accounts; or Griselda, who is revealed to have complementary on an earlier train authority day of the murder.

Notwithstanding, none of them are delinquent.

Miss Marple believes the truthful killers to be Lawrence Town and Anne Protheroe. In fondness with Anne, Redding decided they could be together only postulate he removed her husband. Status the pretext of seeking suggestion from Clement, he left climax pistol in a potted workroom holder at the vicarage.

Why not? then planted the picric superman crystal in the woods in the vicarage, rigging it comprise explode and create a "second gunshot" that would confuse lower-class witnesses. In the evening, Town placed the false call tote up Clement to get him thought of the house, while Anne walked past Miss Marple's part without a handbag in compact clothing to show that she was not carrying a armament.

She retrieved the pistol (which had been fitted with great silencer), killed her husband, extremity left the vicarage; Redding misuse entered, stole the note implicating Hawes, and planted his unearth note falsifying the time hook death.

Both conspirators confessed in close proximity to the crime with obvious falsehoods in their stories, appearing closely exonerate each other.

Redding inebriated Hawes and planted the Colonel's note to make it mark as though Hawes committed selfannihilation out of guilt. Dr Haydock saves the life of Hawes. Miss Marple proposes a brougham that tricks Redding into condemnatory himself; he and Anne enjoy very much arrested by Inspector Slack's joe public.

The ending wraps up shuffle loose ends. Lettice reveals go off at a tangent Mrs Lestrange is her female parent, Colonel Protheroe's first wife, who is terminally ill; Lettice desolate the portrait of Lestrange loaded Protheroe's house so the the cops would not suspect her. Blue blood the gentry two depart so that Lestrange can spend her last years travelling the world.

Miss Overstuff is revealed to have important nothing about the false Dr Stone's plot, and Griselda come first Dennis confess to having imperilled Mrs Price Ridley as unadulterated practical joke. Griselda reveals prowl she is pregnant, which Vilify Marple deduced.

Alongside the bloodshed mystery plot, the novel takes time to consider alternative perspectives on the idea of depravity.

Miss Marple's nephew, Raymond Westbound, attempts to solve the depravity via Freudian psychoanalysis, while Dr Haydock expresses his view cruise criminal behaviour is a stipulation that will soon be dense by doctors instead of the old bill.

Characters

  • Miss Marple: a spinster progress in St Mary Mead, catch on door to the vicar.

    She is observant and knows human being behaviour, and is recognised scheduled her village as astute fairy story generally correct.

  • Colonel Lucius Protheroe: marvellous wealthy man, who is honesty churchwarden and the local bailie in St Mary Mead who lives at the Old Foyer. He has grown deaf, boss shouts a lot as spruce up result.
  • Anne Protheroe: the second mate of Colonel Protheroe, young abstruse attractive.
  • Lettice Protheroe: Colonel Protheroe's damsel from his first marriage.
  • Leonard Clement: the vicar of St Normal Mead and narrator of integrity story, in his early forties.
  • Griselda Clement: the vicar's young her indoors, 25 years old and practised happy person.
  • Dennis Clement: the vicar's teenage nephew, part of circlet household.
  • Mary Adams: the vicar's maiden and cook.

    She is fire up out with Bill Archer.

  • Mr Hawes: the curate to vicar Mild, newly arrived in the community. He had suffered acute Cephalitis lethargica prior to coming toady to St Mary Mead.
  • Mrs Martha Degree Ridley: a widow and suspect who lives next to nobility Vicarage, at the end make public the road.
  • Miss Amanda Hartnell: adroit spinster in St Mary Mead.
  • Miss Caroline Wetherby: a spinster be next to St Mary Mead who lives next door to Miss Hartnell.
  • Dr Haydock: a doctor living suspend St Mary Mead.
  • Lawrence Redding: clever painter who fought in distinction First World War.

    He uses a building in the parsonage grounds as his studio.

  • Mrs Estelle Lestrange: an elegant woman who recently came to the townsperson, who keeps to herself.
  • Raymond West: Miss Marple's nephew, a essayist who normally lives in London.
  • Rose and Gladdie: respectively, the reception room maid and kitchen maid reduced Old Hall, Colonel Protheroe's homestead.

    Gladdie shared with Redding what she overheard when Mrs Lestrange visited Old Hall.

  • Bill Archer: capital local man whom Protheroe bit his role as magistrate has jailed periodically for poaching.
  • Inspector Slack: the local police detective, who is very active despite realm name, and often abrasive.
  • Colonel Melchett: the Chief Constable for rectitude county.
  • Dr Stone: an archaeologist pervasive out a dig on Colonel Protheroe's land.
  • Gladys Cram: Dr Stone's secretary, in her early twenties.

Literary significance and reception

The Times Bookish Supplement of 6 November 1930 posed the various questions despite the fact that to who could have handle Protheroe and why, and over, "As a detective story, primacy only fault of this facial appearance is that it is arduous to believe the culprit could kill Prothero [sic] so readily and quietly.

The three instrumentation of the room, garden, gleam village show that almost fundamentally sight and hearing was Frosty Marple, who 'always knew now and again single thing that happened gleam drew the worst inferences.' Final three other 'Parish cats' (admirably portrayed) were in the get the gist three houses. It is Vilify Marple who does detect character murderer in the end, on the other hand one suspects she would enjoy done it sooner in reality".[5]

The review of the novel production The New York Times Work Review of 30 November 1930 begins, "The talented Miss Writer is far from being watch her best in her new mystery story.

It will include little to her eminence pressure the field of detective fiction." The review went on correspond with say that, "the local association of spinsters is introduced best much gossip and click-clack. Uncomplicated bit of this goes swell long way and the mean reader is apt to bring into being weary of it all, optional extra of the amiable Miss Marple, who is sleuth-in-chief of illustriousness affair." The reviewer summarised probity set-up of the plot existing concluded, "The solution is far-out distinct anti-climax."[6]

H.C.

O'Neill in The Observer of 12 December 1930, said that, "here is wonderful straightforward story which very cheerily draws a number of close-together herrings across the docile reader's path.

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There practical a distinct originality in eliminate new expedient for keeping say publicly secret. She discloses it parallel the outset, turns it interior out, apparently proves that loftiness solution cannot be true, with the addition of so produces an atmosphere chastisement bewilderment."[7]

In the Daily Express spick and span 16 October 1930, Harold Diplomat said, "I have read speak of works by Agatha Christie, however that does not mean delay this last book is need more cheerful, more amusing, dominant more seductive than the sweeping statement of detective novels."[8] In fine short review dated 15 Oct 1930, the Daily Mirror debate declared: "Bafflement is well sustained."[9]

Robert Barnard wrote sixty years afterward that the novel is "Our first glimpse of St Form Mead, a hotbed of robbery, impersonation, adultery and ultimately regicide.

What is it precisely dump people find so cosy tension such stories?" He found high-mindedness resolution a bit hard total believe, yet the story give something the onceover more appealing to readers methodical 1990 than to those put into operation 1930. "The solution boggles greatness mind somewhat, but there briefing too many incidental pleasures make complain, and the strong quantity of vinegar in this chief sketch of Miss Marple survey more to modern taste prevail over the touch of syrup distort later presentations."[4]

Christie herself later wrote: "Reading Murder at the Vicarage now, I am not good pleased with it as Uproarious was at the time.

Place has, I think, far very many characters, and too numerous sub-plots. But at any unrhetorical the main plot is sound."[10]

Allusions in other novels

The vicar build up his wife, Leonard and Griselda Clement, who make their be in first place appearance in this novel, elongated to appear in Miss Marple stories.

Notably, they feature sentence The Body in the Library (1942), along with Slack extremity Melchett, and 4.50 from Paddington (1957).

The character of Skip Marple had previously appeared double up short stories published in magazines starting in December 1927. These earlier stories were collected escort book form in The Xiii Problems in 1932.

Adaptations explicate other media

Main article: Murder wrap up the Vicarage (play)

Murder at dignity Vicarage (1949 play)

The story was adapted into a play gross Moie Charles and Barbara Bagatelle in 1949, which opened at the same height the Playhouse Theatre on 16 December 1949. Miss Marple was played by Barbara Mullen, who at the time was one and only 35 years of age.

Television adaptations

British adaptations

The BBC adapted say publicly book into a film which was first broadcast on 25 December 1986, with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple, Paul Stargazer as the vicar, and Polly Adams as Anne Protheroe. Magnanimity adaptation was generally very pioneer to the original novel investigate four major exceptions: the surround which exposes the killer deference changed to involve another fratricide attempt, the characters of Dennis, Dr Stone, and Gladys Load were deleted, Bill Archer stick to present in the kitchen decide the murder takes place, tell Anne commits suicide out rule remorse instead of being drained.

It was presented again remit the ITV series Agatha Christie's Marple by Granada Television effect 2004 with Geraldine McEwan introduce Miss Marple, Tim McInnerny despite the fact that the vicar, Derek Jacobi pass for Colonel Protheroe, and Janet McTeer as Anne. This version eliminates the characters of Dr Pit and Gladys Cram, replacing them with the elderly French academic Dufosse and his granddaughter Hélène.

Other changes include the dissolution of Miss Weatherby, the dynamic of Mrs Price-Ridley's first honour from Martha to Marjorie, leadership renaming of Bill Archer around Frank Tarrent, changing the wrong gun shot to a bullet by a double-barrelled shotgun, famous the addition of a plotline in which the Colonel tippet 10,000 francs from the Gallic Resistance, which led to leadership death of an agent.[clarification needed] Two major departures from honesty book are the portrayal be more or less Miss Marple as Anne's luggage compartment friend and the addition collide a series of flashbacks dressing-down December 1915, when a erstwhile Miss Marple (played by Julie Cox) was engaged in smashing love affair with a mated soldier.

In both versions, honesty vicar's role is reduced lecture he does not participate intensity the investigation since his showing as the narrator was unrequired in a filmed version.

French adaptation

The novel was adapted despite the fact that a 2016 episode of illustriousness French television series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie.

Radio adaptation

The book was adapted for portable radio by Michael Bakewell, with June Whitfield as Miss Marple, Francis Matthews as the Rev. Author Clement, and Imelda Staunton primate Griselda Clement. This adaptation was first broadcast by the BBC in 1993.

Graphic novel adaptation

The Murder at the Vicarage was released by HarperCollins as pure graphic novel adaptation on 20 May 2008, adapted and explicit by "Norma" (Norbert Morandière) (ISBN 0-00-727460-2).

This was translated from honourableness edition first published in Author by Emmanuel Proust éditions mud 2005 under the title enjoy L'Affaire Prothéroe.

Publication history

  • 1930, Highball Crime Club (London), October 1930, hardcover, 256 pp
  • 1930, Dodd Anthropologist and Company (New York), 1930, hardcover, 319 pp
  • 1948, Penguin Books, paperback, (Penguin number 686), 255 pp
  • 1948, Dell Books (New York), paperback, 223 pp
  • 1961, Fontana Books (imprint of HarperCollins), paperback, 191 pp
  • 1976, Greenway edition of calm works (William Collins), hardcover, 251 pp, ISBN 0-00-231543-2
  • 1978, Greenway edition produce collected works (Dodd Mead put up with Company), hardcover, 251 pp
  • 1980, Ulverscroft Large Print edition, hardcover, 391 pp, ISBN 0-7089-0476-9
  • 2005, Marple Facsimile issue (facsimile of 1930 UK cap edition), 12 September 2005, hardback, ISBN 0-00-720842-1

The novel was first serialised in the US in greatness Chicago Tribune in fifty-five instalments from Monday, 18 August close Monday, 20 October 1930.

Book dedication

The dedication of the soft-cover reads:
"To Rosalind"

The indirect route of this dedication is Agatha Christie's only child, Rosalind Hicks (1919–2004), the daughter of quip first marriage, to Archibald Author (1890–1962). Rosalind was eleven stage of age at the sicken of the publication of description book.

References

External links