In this novel, one of Agatha Christie’s favorite heroines appears for the first time—Miss Jane Marple. This fussy and charming elderly lady who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead can untangle even the most perplexing situations, briefly stepping away from knitting and weeding in her beloved garden. Miss Marple’s first investigation will be the murder of Colonel Prothero. Too many in the village had dreamed of this unpleasant man’s death: even the vicar—whose house the murder takes place in—could end up under suspicion!