A Murder Is Announced

A Miss Marple Mystery

By: Agatha Christie

Narrated by: Emilia Fox

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A Murder is Announced in a small-town newspaper advertisement—and Miss Marple must unravel the fiendish puzzle when a crime does indeed occur.

The villagers of Chipping Cleghorn are agog with curiosity when the Gazette advertises “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.”

A childish practical joke? Or a spiteful hoax? Unable to resist the mysterious invitation, the locals arrive at Little Paddocks at the appointed time when, without warning, the lights go out and a gun is fired. When they come back on, a gruesome scene is revealed. An impossible crime? Only Miss Marple can unravel it.

©1950 Agatha Christie Limited (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Excellent

I rarely write reviews anymore, but felt compelled to on this just as a response to the numerous negative remarks about Emilia Fox's narration. It was TERRIFIC - some of the best voice acting I've heard, actually. I can't fathom what has bothered others so much, except sometimes the audio becomes notably louder or softer depending on the character, but that's to be expected. Maybe some prefer a more muted, steady narration rather than the embodied voice acting Ms Fox is obviously professionally trained in. Anyway, I thought her narration greatly enhanced the story, and of course the mystery itself is one of AC's marvels. The Marples always go a little further than necessary, I think - just more convoluted than is believable or beneficial to the storyline. I can't really elaborate without spoilers so I'll stop there. I still love AC and can read, watch and listen to her stories over and over again (and do!).

My highest review

One of Christie’s best mystery’s performed admirably! The various voices brought everyone to life and the story was rush and exciting!!!

Brilliant

A classic Agatha Christie with strong, interesting characters, and her typical fascinating plot twists. Highly recommended

Good not Great

This is a good story but not one of Christie’s best. Too long and too many insignificant details. Emilia Fox can make anything great. She’s one of the best readers I’ve ever heard.

Fine plotting, excellent mystery

A fine installment in the Miss Marple mysteries, with a plethora of red herrings. The particular antiquated language in this one is grating, even though I know it was accurately reflecting the times. I felt like it was part-Angela Thirkell, with both the eastern European and class elements in full play. Mitzi was straight out of Thirkell's Mixo-Lydian world, or vice versa. Not my favorite Christie but well-plotted and diabolically devised. Character development is quite good. Though the volumes varied at times, it was due to how the author wrote some hysterical screaming. I think the narrator handled the huge cast really well.

Wonderful experience

I loved the story and I think the performance was stellar. Each character’s voice was so distinct and perfectly done that by the end, I could tell immediately who was speaking just by the accent or intonation. And the story itself was completely satisfying. My one trouble with murder mysteries in general is that the first couple of chapters can be overwhelming as the reader is introduced to the cast of characters, knowing that the details of each character matters greatly if you’re to have any hope of following the mystery. Unlike other popular mystery writers, however, AC has a way of bringing the characters on board in a way that doesn’t overwhelm and makes each one easy to remember. I loved this story and will remember it fondly.

emilia fox is the best

Emilia fox is great, she embodies the characters Mrs Christie had created. Each time I listen to these mysteries I am gobsmacked at what a fun & skilled writer she was.

"Don't. Have. Money." Incredible narration.

If you could sum up A Murder Is Announced in three words, what would they be?

Incredibly camouflaged evil.

What did you like best about this story?

All the hidden intricacies of English village life, amusingly written and discovering new depths to my own naiveté'... Astounding narration. I simply could not believe the level of detail and style changes done by this one person's voice.

What does Emilia Fox bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simply the best narrator I have ever had the privilege to hear. Ms. Fox brought each character to life in such a minutely nuanced performance, that I could hardly believe it was the same person speaking. She was hilarious too, with the foreign accent of the housekeeper as well as giving the essence of her hysterical outbursts and rants without making the listener want to skip forward. I specifically sought a book narrated by this person for my next purchase.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me long for more Miss Marple, although I should be listening to more books relevant to my work! Ugh! :-(

Any additional comments?

Okay. If Mrs. Christie has committed any crimes, they will never be found out by human means, or even artificial intelligence.

Horrible Narrator

Would you listen to A Murder Is Announced again? Why?

No the narrator's voice was grating and gave me a headache.

What did you like best about this story?

The plot.

What didn’t you like about Emilia Fox’s performance?

Emilia Fox's voice is shrill and unpleasant. Her voice triggered a migraine. It was just that bad.

Well done

A favorite story, told well. This would be great for a roadtrip or relaxing at the end of the day.