agatha christie's marple sleeping murder

There are two of them who intrigue me most. Some of these men become suspects due to their being on the spot on the day of the murder. Of equal merit is Christie’s observation of the male characters, ranging from a supportive husband to an old bachelor filled with jealousy of his much younger sister. Consequently, before her meeting with Miss Marple in Raymond West’s house in London, Gweena’s thoughts and feelings guide readers. What initially seems to be a ghost story in a haunted house turns out to be a far more serious matter. Christie approaches it using the “zoom-out” technique in writing ,with her descriptions from the protagonist’s point of views. Here the issue of childhood trauma is discussed with a degree of sensitivity. Like Elspeth, Gweena only sees the back of the murderer. The same happened to Elspeth McGiliCuddy ( 4.50 From Paddington) who sees a murder on the train.

The little Gweena is not asleep when she is supposed to be and looks through the banisters as the murderer strikes. The only flaw in the plan is the presence of a child witness. It is almost a perfect crime the murderer has got away with for many years. It is actually Giles Reed who seems to precipitate matters. Moreover, she is somewhat unsure about finding out further about her stepmother’s death. For she actually saw the murder when she was three and therefore her recollections are confused and do not make sense at first. If it was her late mother’s letter which brought about Carla’s hiring of Poirot, it is another story to Mrs.

Her character will jog readers’ memories towards Carla Lemarchant ( Five Little Pigs). Unbeknown to Gweena Reed, she bought the house where the murder took place and where she used to live as a child. It concerns a young woman who was the sole witness to a premeditated murder. Published posthumously, Sleeping Murder is Miss Marple’s last case. But someone does not like their raking up the past: someone who says the same words as Gweena heard in the theatre. As a result, Gweena and Giles Reed then embark on a journey to find who killed this woman despite warnings to leave well alone.ĭangers lurk as the newly-married couple talk to people about what happened eighteen years ago. Such fills Gweena with terror that the next day she leaves Hillside to stay with her husband’s cousin in London.Īs she recounts her experience to Miss Marple, it is clear to the elderly woman what Gweena has told her are recollections of a murder. A pair of strong hands are around the woman’ neck her face becomes blue and contorted. One night, as she looks down the stairs in the dark, she sees the image of a woman. Beforehand, a series of peculiar occurences happen in the house she recently bought on the south coast of England. Some words in the scene awaken a memory deep in her mind.

Gweena Reed suddenly screams as The Duchess of Malfi draws to a close. The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster was first staged in 1614.

Agatha christie's marple sleeping murder