A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie

Miss Marple, not uncoincidentally, is the godmother of the local vicar's wife, and decides to stay with her. With this new knowledge, Craddock returns to Chipping Cleghorn. His girlfriend, a waitress at the spa, however, reveals that he had been paid to appear as the holdup man he believed it was all 'a silly English joke', and was clearly not planning on being shot at. At the spa, it emerges that Rudi has a criminal background, but petty theft and forgery rather than any more serious crime. Craddock is advised to involve her in the case, and the two commence working together.

As luck would have it, Miss Marple is a guest at the very same spa where Rudi Scherz was employed. All clues suggest that the case is merely a strange suicide or accidental death, but Inspector Craddock is uneasy about both possibilities. The most curious thing of all is the gunman: he is recognized by Dora Bunner (an old friend of Letitia's, affectionately known as 'Bunny,' who lives at Little Paddocks as her companion) as Rudi Scherz, the receptionist at a local spa, who had asked Letitia for money just a few short days ago. Blacklock's ear is bleeding, apparently from a bullet's near-miss. The door slams shut, and panic takes hold: in short order, it's discovered that the fuses are blown, the gunman has been shot, and Ms.

The game ends when shots are fired into the room. In a heavily accented voice, the man demands they 'Stick 'em up!' Most of the guests do so, believing it to be part of a game. As the clock strikes 6:30, the lights go out and a door swings open, revealing a man with a blinding torch. Naturally, the villagers are intrigued by this notice, and several of them appear on the doorstep with awkward reasons but a definite interest. Miss Blacklock decides to take it in her stride and prepares herself to have guests that evening. Friends accept this, the only intimation.' This apparently comes as a great surprise to Letitia Blacklock, the owner of Little Paddocks, as she has no idea what the notice means she didn't place it and none of her companions knows more than she.

A strange notice appears in the morning paper of a perfectly ordinary small English village, Chipping Cleghorn: 'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30 p.m.

A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie