Murder is Announced, A (Marple, Book 5)
Written by Agatha Christie
Narrated by Joan Hickson
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
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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Reviews for Murder is Announced, A (Marple, Book 5)
24 ratings15 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5A Murder is Announced was, as I'm finding usual with Agatha Christie, quite fun and reasonably absorbing. One could tire of it very easily, since the writing isn't anything special -- although I generally like the characters in the background quite a lot. When I like them a lot, it's a three-star read; when no one particularly caught my attention, only two-star. (The difference between "it was ok" and "liked it".)
The plot of this one is very torturous, and very... unlikely. Okay, okay, most of these books are, but the way that two imposters show up, but neither of them are actually doing anything wrong, although both keep their identity hidden, and then suddenly at the end a third imposter is revealed...
Still, fun and easy, which is what I expect from these books. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Read this for library book group. The was done to compare with "A Daughter In Time" by Josephine Tey, which was written the same year. Very different styles and themes between the two authors. We understood that had a discord between them, but we couldn't find out the reason. I've read many Christie in the past, but had not previously read this one. I really enjoyed it, even though Miss Marple did play as prominent role as I'm used to. The one downside was that Christie spent a fair amount of time at the conclusion, after the climax, explaining how all the clues tied together. She did a good job of providing the clues throughout the book, but their ties were not all apparent till the conclusion.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic Ms. Marple -- what's not to love?
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Just as I've changed over the years, my tastes have changed as well. When my children were little, I used to while away nap time reading and Agatha was one of my first choices. I even gave the librarian a bad time because they didn't carry more of her books. Agatha's books aren't usually my first choice now, I read this one because it was the July book choice for my local Sisters in Crime group. The beginning reminded me of old black and white movies where everyone was all a flutter because of the announcement in the paper. All were under the impression it was to be a murder mystery game. When a burglar stumbles in upon the party to hold them up and gets shot someone has to determine who he was, why he was killed, and who did it. Inspector Craddock is obviously incapable of handling it without help from Miss Marple. The story is filled with quirky characters who may or may not be who they say they are. The hostess soon becomes the obvious true target but with lots of red herrings it becomes difficult to decide what is really going on. I would recommend this book to all cozy lovers. This was Agatha's 50th book published in 1950 in a simpler time set in a more picturesque setting and if you are looking for something that doesn't make you cringe or keep you up at night, this would be a good choice. Happy reading.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everybody in Chipping Cleghorn reads the personal column in "the Gazette." One day a strange listing appears declaring a murder will take place at Little Paddocks on Friday, October 29th at 6:30 p.m. Everyone who knows Miss Blacklock thinks it's a murder party so they all show up. Miss Blacklock didn't put the announcement in the paper and she doesn't know what will happen. Then a youngman appears in the doorway, the lights go out, a flashlight blinds the group, and three shots ring out. Miss Blacklock is wounded and the only casualty is the youngman. Who is he? Why would he want to rob or kill Miss Blacklock?This is the first Miss Marple story I have read and I found her to be a lovely character. She is an expert on human nature because of all the people she has known in the small town she lives in. When puzzling out a murder case she simply relates the incidents to simular situations from her past. The novel is an interesting look at English life right after World War II. It was originally published in 1950. Miss Marple talks about how you don't know yours neighbors as well as you used to because so many people have been displaced because of the war and have moved to smaller towns. There is an interesting barter system in Chipping Cleghorn where people trade meat, milk, honey etc. One of the characters is a young war widow with a small son who works as a gardener.A friend of mine had told me that she finds reading Agatha Christie mysterys very soothing. I didn't know what she ment until I started this novel. It was if my mind sighed and relaxed. I'm not British, yet I found the characters way of speaking very familiar and enjoyable. Maybe that is why the genre is called "cozy."
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I read this Agatha Christie novel to "cleanse my literary palate" after spending that rather dull time with Renoir in LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY. Alas, this mystery featuring Miss Jane Marple was rather slow, too. Clever solution of the murders, but the summing up between Miss Marple and Inspector Craddock was 26 pages long. Christie's wit shows through in the story. The first time I read it in the late 60's I'm sure I didn't appreciate that wit. And the characters were entertaining, if a bit stereotyped. Unfortunately, I won't be re-visiting Miss Marple for a long while. Sigh!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miss Marple novel. A murder is announced at the home of Miss Blacklock, by way of an ad in the local paper announcing the time and place. It's assumed by Miss Blacklock's household that it's some sort of unpleasant joke, and by everyone else in Chipping Cleghorn that it's announcing a murder mystery party. A large contingent contrive to drop in at the time announced -- only to see a real attempted murder and suicide. But was it suicide, or was the young man who shot at Miss Blacklock simply a cat's paw for someone else who then disposed of him?Beautifully constructed mystery, with the clues all there but skillfully disguised, in a lovely study of English village life soon after the end of the Second World War.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A very long time ago. when I was in my twenties, I discovered Agatha Christie and immediately read many of her books, one after another. At that time and age, I was completely taken with Hercule Pirot. I considered him to be her superior sleuth.Now many years later I am reading Agatha again, with a mind to savour each book and enjoy the wonderful way she has with conversation, her exact pin-pointing of an era in time, and of course, her highly entertaining murders. Much to my surprise I am finding Jane Marple to be my new favourite. Perhaps because I am older myself, I can appreciate her art of being a good listener, her gentle, yet probing questions and her way of fitting into the background and observing all. I still love Hercule, but Jane Marple is winning a special place in my heart.A Murder Is Announced is a Jane Marple story, and what a story indeed. Filled with wonderful characters and having a lovely English village atmosphere, I suspect this one is destined to be one of my all time favourites, it even had the delightful ending of inviting all the witnesses to the scene of the crime for accusations and the final solving. I am so glad that I discovered Agatha Christe in my youth, yet I am equally glad to be able to enjoy her books at this age too.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Well, I'll be! Miss Marple deigns to make an appearance before three-quarters of the book is up. How kind of her to come. One of Christie's better stories, though I still prefer Poirot.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Miss Marple solves another murder in a small village. Not my favorite Miss Marple, but very good.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One of my favorite Miss Marple novels so far. She really is a sweet old dear, but amazingly shrewd. The plot was complex, suspenseful, and interesting. I had no idea who the murderer was until the end. The whole plot is attention grabbing and creepy - I like that.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In a Murder is Announced a murder is announced in the local newspaper and actually happens. More murders follow, and everyone in a small English village’s circle of friends is a suspect. Detective Inspector Craddock, with the help of sixty-something Miss Jane Marple, works to solve the crime. The mystery deepens with every chapter as new clues are revealed. This gives the reader an invigorating mental exercise of sorting through the ever-increasing load of information and speculation. It’s difficult to decide which clues are key to solving the murder and which are red herrings, and that’s the fun of it. The characters are colorful and drawn in detail. But this book was first published in 1950, and young adult readers may not be interested in the many elderly, old-fashioned characters. Even the younger villagers are in their 20s and have concerns that teenagers today probably won’t relate to, such as providing for a young child or having success in a writing career. Nevertheless, the ending, though unexpected, is exciting.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a good Jane Marple mystery with an interesting beginning that hooks the reader quickly.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5With Joan Hicks Miss Marple comes to live like with no other reader!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is an interesting story and one in which Christie explores identity as quute a few characters turn out not to be who the reader thinks they are. The final revelation of the murderer is quite shocking, even by Christie's standards.