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A Murder is Announced is a mystery novel by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. It stars the amateur detective Miss Jane Marple. Summary of the Book When a strange notice appears in the morning paper of a small English Village, Letitia Blacklock initially dismisses it. The notice reads: "A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30 p.m. Friends accept this, the only intimation." Miss Blacklock should have paid more attention to the notice, for she owns Little Paddocks. However, she didn’t post the announcement, and neither did anyone she knew. The announcement gathers some amount of fame, bringing curious villagers to her doorstep at the aforementioned time. At 6.30, the lights go out and a door opens to reveal a man holding a blinding torch. He demands that they raise their hands, and the guests oblige, believing that they are a part of a curious game. Their amusement vanishes when they hear gunfire, and the door is slammed shut. The man lies on the floor, shot dead, and Miss Blacklock sports a bloody ear. The investigating inspector, Mr. Craddock, ponders whether this is an accident or a suicide. He isn’t alone in this case, however. One of the witnesses asks him to call upon a certain amateur detective named Jane Marple. About Agatha Christie Agatha Christie was an English novelist best known for her murder mystery novels. She created several best-selling storylines centred around timeless characters such as Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence and Parker Pyne. Some of her best known books are A Mysterious Affair at Styles, Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case, And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The above title was adapted into an episode of the BBC TV series, Agatha Christie’s Marple, starring Joan Hickson.