Lies. Passion. Theft. Blackmail. Murder. Just another day in a small village. Agatha Christie introduces elderly sleuth Miss Jane Marple with a tart and pessimistic novel, although presenting a breath-taking mystery and an interesting view of small-town life.

The town tyrant, Col. Protheroe, is murdered in the Vicar's study and there are not one, but two confessions in quick succession. When they are both disproved, the Vicar tries to identify which of seven suspects remaining wanted to do him in, and how. It is only with the aide of Miss Marple that another death is avoided and the killer brought to justice.

I thought the crime was very clever and the Vicar a appealling, lots of biting humor in this one (for example, common social climber Miss Cram), although Christie seemed to be in a rotten mood when she wrote it. There were some loose plot points, though, and I don't feel it's quite her best. Best thing of course, was that Miss Marple is around now to follow with another dozen or so novels. Recommended.