A Murder Is Announced - Agatha Christie

My Rating - 9/10

I am on a Miss Marple spree right now, having started with the Miss Marple Omnibus, Vol. 1. Consequently, the next story on my list is ‘A Murder is Announced’. This again has remained a personal favorite from my very childhood. This is the fifth book in the Miss Marple series of stories. It is based again in rural England, in a small village called Chipping Gleghorn, where a murder is announced in the local  newspaper which the locals call the Gazette. Spurred by curiosity, the entire neighborhood turns up at the location of the murder announced. Thus, when an unknown man gets murdered, the entire neighborhood becomes suspects.

If you are on to the game of Guess the Murderer while reading an Agatha Christie – here is a little tip for you. It is going to be the person most inappropriate. That is what makes her stories so very interesting. However,  just having an unexpected ending does not make a detective story great, it is also how the plot develops, how the characters become more and more endearing, and also how warm the prose remains. These are all characteristics of Agatha Christie’s writings. What made me love this book more is the way this story has warmth for the murderer as well. When Miss Marple reveals the murderer and the reasons for the murder, not only does it shed light on to the darker aspects of human nature, but also showcases that these dark spots coexist with the brighter characteristics of a human being. It also brings forth the fact that virtues such as kindness are not enough in a person, unless they are supported by a strong character.

This story, set in the 1940’s and 50’s, also puts stress on the effect of the War on the English society at large. It focuses on multiple aspects such as the devaluation of money, the financial scarcity war brings, the loss and hopelessness that sets about. There is one aspect, though, that Agatha Christie focuses on. It is how people’s identities are no longer verifiable. In smaller and close-knit societies such as villages, one knew who their neighbors were. Even when a new person came to stay at a village, they usually brought references. This was lost after the War. One had no idea whether their neighbors were who they proclaimed to be. This is the central theme of this story, and is what leads to the identification of the murderer.

What I love about Agatha Christie and her detective fiction is how it has layers. A seemingly simple story has a number of layers. If one can identify these nuances, they will find her stories insightful. Agatha Christie was a great observer of the human nature. This is apparent in her stories.

This, again, is a great read, and still remains one of my favorite Agatha Christie stories. I do not know why I have always loved Miss Marple more than her better known sleuth Poirot. Maybe it is because Miss Marple solves the crimes from a psychological perspective. Also, the Miss Marple stories have always offered me more warmth. For any lover of detective genre, this book is a must-read!