Agatha Christie wrote stories of mystery and intrigue which always kept the reader guessing who committed the murder until the end. Her novel Murder in the Vicarage is no exception as she weaves her usual web of a simple yet complex tale of murder in an otherwise normal English village. The story begins with the local vicar reluctantly preparing himself to meet a parishioner to discuss the church funds. This is normal enough as a vicar is supposed to care for his flock. He (the vicar) did not particularly like the  parishioner; however the visit was not a social visit. The church funds were being stolen and the parishioner (who also happened to be a judge) wanted to know who was taking there. The text briefly suggests that the vicar was stealing the funds, although it does not say why he might be doing it.

The vicar never talks to the parishioner as he is murdered and left to his (the vicar’s) horror in his study. Agatha Christie cleverly throws in a red herring which confuses the reader until all is revealed. The dead man’s wife and her lover (an artist) both confess to the murder knowing they would turn attention This book is well worth reading as it is well written. It is simple, yet complex as well with all its twist and turns until it ends peacefully. away from themselves as the police looked elsewhere for suspects. The story revealed the two original suspects were guilty of the murder and were punished for their crime. The story was set in an era when  capital punish was common for murders. It is likely they (the wife and her lover) were tried and hung for their crime.

This book is well worth reading as it is well written. It is simple, yet complex as well with all its twist and turns until it ends peacefully. I highly recommend “Murder in the Vicarage to anyone who enjoys murder mystery stories as it is full of suspense and intrigue until the very end.