Have Your Say

Discuss Marple

Talk about everything Marple related here!

Rate Murder at the Vicarage

detectivepauljohn 24 Sep 08 at 9:14 a.m. GMT

First of all, I love this Miss Marple story. I like Leonard and Miss Marple when they both helped the Scotland Yard(or whatever it is).I also like Dr. Haydock. The plot is really excellent and this is one of the best mystery whodunit books I have ever read. What can you say? Favorite characters?

Login or register to add posts and reply

28 replies

Reverse order

belgian_in_ireland 22 Mar 11 at 9:38 p.m. GMT

It's not my favourite Marple story (she is a bit catty in this one), but overall a very good read.  I do like Griselda and Leonard as character and I even like that rogue Lawrence.

Inspector_Fox 14 Mar 11 at 8:19 a.m. GMT

I love this book, it's my favourite Miss Marple, i have read it many times over, in fact i am currently listening to the Joan Hickson audio book

3rdGirl 11 Aug 09 at 9:17 p.m. GMT

I Love it! 100%, 10 out of 10, Full Marks.

Boomcoach 31 Jul 09 at 12:45 p.m. GMT

I would give "Murder at the Vicarage" a 7.5/10.  Miss Marple is a bit less likable than she will become later.  Griselda and the vicar are excellent characters.  It seems to me that there is less to grab hold of, clue wise, in this book than in most of Christie's books.  When rereading it, I never got the "how did I miss that!" feeling I get in so many of the books.

ampman 31 Jul 09 at 10:02 a.m. GMT

I love Murder at the Vicarage. It's description of village life is so accurate.  The Vicar's younger wife is delightful and he doesn't come across as a seedy old man which could have happened.Miss Marple seems to have a reputation in the village as being a quite malicious gossip along with her cronies but I am glad that the Vicar sees her goodness underneath it. That is one of her greatest strengths, she believes in justice and punishment, to the point of hanging, and she is  really very religious in the best sense of the word.

robreid 29 Mar 09 at 10:02 a.m. GMT

I think that Murder at the Vicarage is very good (8/10) but it is the only Miss Marple book I've read so far.  I'm about to start reading The Body in the Library and I hope that it will be just as good, if not better.

Tommy_A_Jones 26 Feb 09 at 1:08 p.m. GMT

This reply contains spoiler information. Show reply

Murder At The Vicariage isn't my favourite Miss Marple book I love th Charcters and plot but the fact that the Murderer(s) were the people who admitted to it in the first place ruined it for me.

susandiane 26 Feb 09 at 8:36 a.m. GMT

El_Wara, Griselda appears in "Body in the Library" very briefly. But I don't think Leonard appears in any other book. 

sapphire_arisa 26 Feb 09 at 3:35 a.m. GMT

Murder at the Vicarage is my first Marple book that I read, only a week ago. It was good. I would rate it... 9/10. What I didn't really like about this book, is that Miss Marple didn't come out in the story so often. The novel was written by Len's view, so Marple was not included in his narration so much. I would love to see Miss Marple more in the book.

murderisannounced 27 Jan 09 at 5:22 p.m. GMT

Murder at the Vicarage was the first Christie book I ever read, and I loved it.

But once I had got into it I went back to read it and found it awful!

PisiMare 08 Dec 08 at 8:27 a.m. GMT

I've just finished reading The Murder at the Vicarage. I liked it very much! The last 2 or 3 chapters weren't so great writen but on the whole the book is excelent! I don't have a favourite charater.

It's a book that every AC fan should read

detectivepauljohn 27 Nov 08 at 10:54 a.m. GMT

continue writing comments on this post, please

detectivepauljohn 22 Nov 08 at 6:23 a.m. GMT

This reply contains spoiler information. Show reply

marc-anton said that the murderer is a female-and that's a bit spoiler coz' reader might saw it and concentrate on the women like there'll be no challenge anymore

squatty 20 Nov 08 at 6:51 p.m. GMT

I'm pretty sure that MATV was the only appearance of Leonard, which is a shame as he was a well rounded character and could have become one of the Miss Marple regulars. By the way, detectivepauljohn, where is the spoiler?

detectivepauljohn 20 Nov 08 at 10:49 a.m. GMT

El_Wara

I guess he appeared in the next novel, is that "The Body In the Library"?

detectivepauljohn 20 Nov 08 at 10:48 a.m. GMT

can you please if you'll write spoilers check the box with "with spoilers" in it? My gosh, I don't like spoilers. It's not funny

El_Wara 20 Nov 08 at 2:03 a.m. GMT

I think it was a great start for Miss Marple's novels, I liked the vicar and I would like to see him more.

Is there another novel where Leonard appears as a main character?

squatty 16 Nov 08 at 11:42 a.m. GMT

Wash your mouth out with soap Mr Anton lol. I slightly disagree about the use of the tape recorders in providing an alibi. It is one of those period details that I find quite quaint. They hadn't long been invented so presumably wouldnt have been considered as a means to aid a murder being committed.

Bonini 16 Nov 08 at 2:05 a.m. GMT

Miss Marple, her personality and the knowledge of the human nature are great in this book.

detectivepauljohn 15 Nov 08 at 1 p.m. GMT

Passion_For_Crime

I don't agree. It was great

Marc_Anton 15 Nov 08 at 6:13 a.m. GMT

MatV is very basic Marple (and Christie), the essential 'cozy' detective, a mere riple in a not-so-quiet pond. It almost reads like a satire on the genre but in fact is was quite an original at the time.

SPOILER COMING

**SPOILER**

The only flaw I find is the use of recording machinery, I never like that in a crime novel, the same with Roger Ackroyd. I feel it is cheating the reader. They solved it beautifully in the second TV-version, I wish Christie had described it like that, it makes more sense. I think the character is of the female murderer is a bit underdeveloped in the book but I guess she had only one driving passion, and that is often enough for murder.

**END SPOILER**

Perhaps it was a bit too full of (minor) characters, but I guess Christie wanted to describe village life as realistic (or what people believe it is) as possible. Also the narrative perspective was interesting and away from the usual kind that Christie often uses.

Oh dear, I used a 'dirty' word again, I wonder what it is this time. (it was the word 'sp oo f', can you believe it?)

drdavid 14 Nov 08 at 8:15 p.m. GMT

I remember this thread on the previous site. I awarded then and do so now full marks for MATV as it is quintessential Christie that has probably more copied stereotypes than in any other book. It is on this single book that she is often judged. I find it flawless and includes every ingredient required for a cozy English crime novel

Passion_For_Crime 07 Nov 08 at 11:32 a.m. GMT

I don't think that murder in the Vicarge is that great

squatty 06 Nov 08 at 7:46 p.m. GMT

Body In The Library was published in 1942 - a good 12 years after Murder At The Vicarage.

Tommy_A_Jones 06 Nov 08 at 4:42 p.m. GMT

Although this book is suppused to be first as it mentions the body found in the Bantry's Library I get the impression BODY IN THE LIBRARY was written first, Am I right?

Marplefan9 14 Oct 08 at 8:43 p.m. GMT

I always liked Murder at the Vicarage, and the Vicar and his wife. It introduces us to St Mary Mead perfectly

squatty 03 Oct 08 at 6:21 p.m. GMT

I wish I'd read this as my first Miss Marple because I love the way it introduces us to all the characters in the village that will pop up again in later books. I found the solution when it is revealed to be very convincing

dada222 27 Sep 08 at 8:28 a.m. GMT

The ending isn't fantastic, but the rest of the book is great, I agree. I'd give it a 7/10. I like the vicar the most.