MURDER AT THE VICARAGE - Agatha Christie

Genre - Murder Mystery

Goodreads rating - 4.05/5 
My rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 

It is the kind of mystery that sneaks up on you—not with dramatic action, but with quiet, simmering tension hidden beneath the surface of an unassuming English village. St. Mary Mead should be the picture of peace, yet beneath its charming exterior lies a web of secrets and grievances. When the much-despised Colonel Protheroe is found murdered in the vicar’s study, the town is shaken but not exactly grieving. Almost everyone had a reason to wish him gone, making for a tangled mystery that only the sharp-eyed Miss Marple can unravel.

At first glance, Miss Marple hardly seems the type to solve a murder—she’s a gentle elderly woman, more known for her knitting than detective work. But she sees patterns in people the way others see patterns in fabric. She knows the way people whisper and hide behind polite smiles, how small-town gossip is more revealing than anyone realizes. While the vicar tries to make sense of the crime with logic, Miss Marple pieces it together with intuition, proving that quiet observation can be deadlier than a pistol.

Christie’s magic lies not just in the mystery itself, but in the way she brings the village to life—its nosy residents, hidden love affairs, and the way justice feels both inevitable and cleverly disguised. Murder at the Vicarage isn’t just about uncovering the murderer; it’s about understanding the human nature behind crime, about how secrets fester in quiet corners and how the most unassuming people can see the truth where others don’t. It’s a classic that still holds up, perfect for those who love their mysteries served with intelligence, wit, and just a touch of scandal.