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Agatha Christie’s first ever Miss Marple mystery, reissued with a striking cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.
'Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,’ declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world at large a service!’
It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later – when the colonel was found shot dead in the clergyman’s study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe. From seven potential murderers, Miss Marple must seek out the suspect who has both motive and opportunity.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 1930















“النساء تلاحظ لاشعوريا ألاف التفاصيل الدقيقة، دون علمهن بفعلتهن تلك. عقلهن الباطن يُجمّع تلك الأشياء الصغيرة معا- وتكون النتيجة هي الحدس 'الحاسة السادسة'.”



“الشباب الصغير يظنون الكبار حمقي... لكن الكبار يعرفون ان الشباب الصغير حمقي.”

“The young people think the old people are fools — but the old people know the young people are fools.”
“There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands.”
“I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalise. Generalisations are seldom if ever true and are usually utterly inaccurate.”
there is a lot more humour in this novel than most of her later ones. And an awareness of social issues. Ms Christie puts these words in one of her character's mouths;“We think with horror now of the days when we burnt witches. I believe the day will come when we will shudder to think that we ever hanged criminals.”