This is set just after WWII, when rationing is still in place, village life is changing - where people no longer know who their neighbours are - and where there is still a mistrust in "foreigners" such as the poor Mitzi, who has (or has not) been through so much in Germany during the war.

It starts out with an entry in the local newspaper, announcing a murder at 6:30 that evening at Little Paddocks. Naturally, people are curious, so there's plenty of witnesses that evening as the lights go out, shots are fired and a young man is found dead in the hall moments later. Of course, Bunch knows Miss Marple, and combined with Inspector Craddock who knows her reputation, she is called down to help out. People are more likely to say things to the dotty old woman knitting in the corner than the police after all.....

There's a veritable cast here, some of whom have very similar names, and the matter of the inheritance of millions of pounds, people pretending to be other people, and it all boils down to "do you really know your neighbour?".

As usual, a tight little story, where most of the clues are there if you are paying attention (though most people dont), an like the TV adaptations, a great way to spend an afternoon

Murder Foretold
Review of the William Morrow Paperbacks edition (2011) of the Collins Crime Club (UK) & Dodd, Mead & Company (US) hardcover (June 1950) originals.

“Just look, Letty.” Miss Blacklock looked. Her eyebrows went up. She threw a quick scrutinizing glance round the table. Then she read the advertisement out loud. “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.”

An advertisement in the Chipping Cleghorn Gazette tells the entire local village that a murder will take place at the home of Charlotte (Lettie) Blacklock. Curious neighbours just happen to drop by at the appointed place and time and lo and behold a death does take place, but it is the assailant who falls dead at their feet after an apparent murder attempt on the host. The police are baffled of course, and Miss Marple is called in to unravel the situation. But then yet another death occurs.

See cover at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/A_Murder_is_Announced_First_Editi...
The front cover of the original 1950 Collins Crime Club (UK) hardcover edition. Image sourced from Wikipedia.

This was yet another delightful outing for Christie's amateur senior sleuth. The amount of coincidences, changed identities and obscure motives were perhaps stretched to the edge of believability, but it was as entertaining and diverting as the best of Marple and Christie. I would even say it is my favourite to date (I am reading them in order of publication).

Confusion for Completists
A Murder is Announced is the 4th Miss Marple novel. Some lists, including the Goodreads Miss Marple Listopia, count it as Miss Marple #5 as the short story collection [book:The Thirteen Problems|31309] (1932) is counted as #1 only because some of those stories appeared in 1927.

Trivia and Links
A Murder is Announced was adapted twice for English language television. Both of those are reasonably faithful to the original plot. I did not find any free trailers or postings of either of them, but they are both available on the Britbox streaming service here in Canada.

The first adaptation was as part of the BBC's Miss Marple (1984-1992) series as Season 1 Episodes 6, 7 & 8 in 1985, which starred Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.

The second adaptation was as part of ITV's Agatha Christie’s Marple (2004-2013) reboot series as Season 1 Episode 4 in 2005 which starred Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple.

There was a French language adaptation for the Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie [French: The Little Murders of Agatha Christie] (2009 - ongoing) series. The episode based on A Murder is Announced was Season 2 Episode 11 Murder Party (2015). This series does not feature a Miss Marple character and instead has a police detective and a reporter as the leads. The plots are transplanted to France and are considerably changed from the originals.

There was a Korean language TV adaptation for the Ms. Ma, Nemesis (2018) limited series. There were 32 episodes to this series which adapted several Miss Marple stories, including A Murder is Announced, into a modern day plot of an prison escapee who seeks to clear her own name of her daughter’s murder and solves that and other crimes in the process. The lead role was played by Yunjin Kim, best known in English language television from the TV series Lost (2004-2010). ( )

This is an amusing murder mystery novel, and I managed to figure out about half of the (original) crime before the big reveal. There were, of course, things that I didn't get quite right, but that's what I expect from a Christie novel. The cast of characters in this one was enjoyable to read about, and the whole set-up was more believable than I'm used to from mystery novels. I really enjoyed this one. ( )

A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie presents a fragile Miss Marple, who still aids in solving the mystery of Miss Blacklock’s problems. The story presents many character with dual identities, like a Shakespeare drama. The action and setting did little to draw me into the story. The constant mention of the frailty of Miss Marple bored me to death. The casual love stories and the hint of two ladies being lesbians did nothing to enhance the story. This is not a favorite tale with Miss Marple. ( )

This was excellent - lots of twists and turns, and as usual I suspected each character in turn. Miss Marple was ably assisted by Inspector Craddock, and even Mitzi emerged from the xenophobia everyone addressed to her somewhat triumphant. ( )