In "A Murder is Announced," a shocking newspaper ad reveals a murder at a quaint hotel. As guests gather, secrets unfold, alliances shift, and a web of deception leads to a thrilling climax. Who will survive?
A Murder is Announced (1950) is a detective novel by Agatha Christie, published in the year.
Characters in thea murder is announced book:
- Letitia Blacklock, owner of the Little Paddocks hotel
- Dora
- Craddock
- Rudi Scherz
The story of A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie begins with a news article in the local newspaper, Cheping Cleghorn, announcing a murder that will occur on Friday, October 29, at Little Paddocks. At 6:30 PM, everyone is preparing for the party when the lights go out. Just before the celebration begins, the door opens, and a strange man appears holding a torch, telling the guests in a choked voice to "fire." Who he is referring to, we do not know.
Everyone is shocked by the gunfire, and when the lights return, we see Miss Blacklock bleeding, as well as the man with the torch, who lies dead on the ground. Dora, a friend of Miss Blacklock, recognizes him as Rudi Scherz, who had asked her friend Letitia for money some time ago. He is Swiss and works at a hotel nearby.
The crime scene in a murder is announced turns into a series of interviews conducted by the police with all present. However, Inspector Craddock is not satisfied, especially when he learns that Rudi Scherz has a criminal record, particularly for forgery. Investigator Craddock meets with professional investigator Jane Marple and the head of the investigation at the hotel where Rudi Scherz worked. Mrs. Marple suggests that the murderer may have been hired to kill Mrs. Letitia Blacklock and was eliminated at the same time to prevent capture and confession about who instigated him.
Some evidence indicates that someone entered and shot Letitia, apart from the murderer, and then shot the murderer. But what was the motive for her murder? Through the events, we learn that Blacklock was about to inherit a fortune from businessman Randall Goedler due to her significant help in achieving his current wealth. However, he transferred his money to his wife, Belle, and it is known that all of her money would go to Letitia according to his will. Notably, this businessman has a sister with twin children, Pip and Emma, who were supposed to inherit, but Randall Goedler had cut off his sister long ago when she married and moved away.
From the events in A Murder is Announced, we discover that many people changed their names after World War II. It is possible that the twins are among the neighbors of Mrs. Letitia and are eager to kill her to prevent her from receiving the money. However, in reality, she only knew one neighbor, her old friend, Dora Banner.
Dora Banner dies poisoned on her birthday, which Miss Letitia celebrates at her home. She consumes aspirin pills that Letitia had placed next to her bed, indicating that the killer intended to eliminate Letitia again by poisoning the aspirin, but death claimed her only friend instead.
The story of A Murder is Announced continues after Dora Banner's murder, where the friends Hintchcliffe and Miss Margatroid sit discussing the strange events that have been happening to them. Margatroid begins to remember where she was standing at the time of the first incident; she was behind the door and could see everyone except one person she believes was not there. This means that person fired the gun, and just as she begins to express her thoughts, a phone call comes in for her friend Hintchcliffe, informing her that her lost dog has been found at the station. She quickly excuses herself, only for someone to immediately strangle Margatroid from behind to death.
The investigation begins anew into all the crimes; now everything is clear: the criminal is one person, someone very close to the household, who knows what goes on and can hear them. Who is it?
One of the individuals interviewed states that she is the twin Emma, Julia Simpson. But what about her brother? She claims she has not heard from him since she was three years old. The reason for her appearance in Letitia's life is her desire to get close to her for some money if she inherits the fortune that is rightfully theirs. To appear in her life, she had to change her name, which she did. In the end, the chef Mitzi reveals a dangerous secret.
The novel A Murder is Announced concludes with the revelation of a serious secret: Mrs. Letitia was not herself but her sick sister Charlotte, whom she went to care for. Charlotte suffered from thyroid tumors around her neck and had undergone many surgeries; everyone believed she was dead. The surprise is that Letitia was the one who died, assuming her sister's identity to claim the inheritance. She initially disposed of Rudi Scherz because he worked for her as a nurse and was the only one who knew that Letitia was not Letitia but Charlotte. She deceived him into believing he was performing at the party. As for her friend, who she later killed, she also knew who she was but often spoke too much, making Letitia fear her. The third victim was the one who discovered the truth and wanted to reveal it.
In the end of A Murder is Announced, the inheritance goes to the real twins, the children of the sister of the wealthy businessman after his wife's death.
