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Murder at the Vicarage
Cover of Murder at the Vicarage
Murder at the Vicarage
In the sleepy little English country village of St Mary Mead, all is not as it seems. Under a seemingly peaceful exterior lurks intrigue, guilt, deception - and murder. Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing landowner, is the most detested man in the village. Everyone, even the vicar, wishes he were dead. And very soon he is - shot in the head in the vicar's own study. A visiting artist confesses to the murder, but residents saw him elsewhere at the time the Colonel was shot. If he didn't do it, who did? Is he protecting the wife whom he loves? Faced with a surfeit of suspects, only the inscrutable Miss Marple can unravel the tangled web of clues. A trap is set, and Miss Marple's theory is put to the test when the true killer is finally unmasked. This full-cast dramatisation of Agatha Christie's very first Miss Marple mystery stars June Whitfield as the indomitable amateur detective, with Imelda Staunton and Nigel Davenport.
In the sleepy little English country village of St Mary Mead, all is not as it seems. Under a seemingly peaceful exterior lurks intrigue, guilt, deception - and murder. Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing landowner, is the most detested man in the village. Everyone, even the vicar, wishes he were dead. And very soon he is - shot in the head in the vicar's own study. A visiting artist confesses to the murder, but residents saw him elsewhere at the time the Colonel was shot. If he didn't do it, who did? Is he protecting the wife whom he loves? Faced with a surfeit of suspects, only the inscrutable Miss Marple can unravel the tangled web of clues. A trap is set, and Miss Marple's theory is put to the test when the true killer is finally unmasked. This full-cast dramatisation of Agatha Christie's very first Miss Marple mystery stars June Whitfield as the indomitable amateur detective, with Imelda Staunton and Nigel Davenport.
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About the Author-
  • Agatha Christie, the acknowledged 'Queen of Crime' (The Observer) was born in Torquay in 1890. During the First World War she worked as a hospital dispenser, and it was here that she gleaned the working knowledge of various poisons that was to prove so useful in her detective stories.
    Her first novel was The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which introduced Hercule Poirot to the world. This was published in 1920 (although in fact she had written it during the war) and was followed over the next six years by four more detective novels and a short story collection. However, it was not until the publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd that Agatha Christie's reputation was firmly established. This novel, with its complex plot and genuinely shocking conclusion, attracted considerable public attention and has since been acknowledged by many experts as a masterpiece. In 1930 the sharp-witted spinster sleuth Miss Marple made her first appearance in The Murder at the Vicarage. In all, Agatha Christie published over 80 novels and short story collections.
    The brilliance of Christie's plots, and her enduring appeal, have led to several dramatisations of her work on radio, television and film. In 1930 she was one of a number of crime writers asked to contribute a chapter to a mystery, Behind the Screen, that was broadcast on BBC radio on 21st June that year. More recently, June Whitfield portrayed Miss Marple on BBC Radio 4, whilst John Moffat starred as Hercule Poirot. On screen, Peter Ustinov, David Suchet, Margaret Rutherford, Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie have all memorably played Agatha Christie's famous sleuths.
    As her play The Mousetrap (the longest-running play in the history of theatre) testifies, Agatha Christie's detective stories are likely to appeal for a long time to come.
    Agatha Christie was awarded a CBE in 1956 and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1971. She died in 1976.

Reviews-
  • AudioFile Magazine Narrator Ian Masters delivers vintage Christie with delightfully proper English accents. His portrayal of Miss Jane Marple, village spinster on the trail of a killer, is quintessential Christie; Marple's sharp intelligence is appropriately depicted as deceptive ordinariness. When the despised village vicar is found shot in the head, Masters delivers Marple's enthusiasm for gossip, while hiding her concern over the killer's identity. However, tension builds as Marple uncovers scandalous secrets that lead to someone with something to hide. Masters's dramatic range of voices brings each character to life for the listener. His delivery will delight Agatha Christie fans. A nice length for a short commute. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
  • AudioFile Magazine In the sleepy English village of St. Mary Mead, all is not as it seems. Under a seemingly peaceful exterior lurk guilt, deception--and murder. Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing landowner, is found shot in the vicarage. With a plethora of suspects, including an artist who confesses to the murder, only Miss Marple can unravel the tangled web of clues. This BBC full-cast dramatization is magical. The gentle clinking of teacups, the pouring of tea, the chirping of birds in the garden, a chiming clock, and intense dialogue are enthralling. K.A.T. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
  • AudioFile Magazine Colonel Protheroe, a strong candidate for most disliked citizen of St. Mary Mead, is found shot in the vicarage. It takes the intuitive sleuthing of elderly Miss Marple to identify the killer from the lengthy list of suspects (including the vicar himself). This dramatization of Agatha Christie's classic mystery lives up to the high standards of BBC Radio productions. The full cast, featuring June Whitfield as Miss Jane Marple and Francis Matthews as the Rev. Leonard Clement, is superb. All the eccentricities and gossipy nature of Miss Marple and the villagers are voiced in a natural manner. Sound effects, including the pouring of tea and the gentle clinking of cups on saucers, add to the charm of the production. C.R.A. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
  • AudioFile Magazine This is everything you read a mystery for; no one (with the exception of P.D. James) does a better job of taking you into the lives and minds of everyday people. The dead guy is just a stain on the carpet; the real story is how easy it is to come up with a motive for everybody if you put your mind to it. Thank goodness for Miss Marple! Otherwise, you just know that dim-witted police inspector would have the wrong person locked up. Anyone who listens to British audio has heard James Saxon, and it's always a pleasure to see his name on the box. His timing is perfection, his inflections lilting and charming. A coup for the audio world. D.G. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
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Agatha Christie
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