A fan of a movie star is killed - and the actress in question may have been the actual target of the murder.

One of Miss Marple's relatives lets her know about the case - as she is holed up elsewhere. Also happy to have a case to solve to go along with that.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2009/11... ( )

A classic Agatha Christie novel. The language is good and surprisingly clean given the subject matter. Many modern murder mysteries are very graffic; this book would be suitable for young teenagers to read. The focus is more on the clues and plot than sensationalism. This was a nice change. ( )

Notable for its unusual conjunction of movie glamour with the mundanity of village life, this novel retells the sad story of Gene Tierney with a vicious twist. ( )

Miss Marple is on the case when Heather Babcock is murdered at Marina Gregg's home. Was Marina the intended victim? And who or what was it Marina saw on the stairs just before Heather died? Miss Marple, with the help of old and new friends, solves the mystery. I enjoyed reading this, but its a fairly average Miss Marple, although the motive for the murder is very unusual and emotive. ( )

I am by no means a mystery connoisseur and would not try to attempt a definitive reading. Nevertheless, I did find this novel entertaining and enjoyable. By the end, I felt like I should have caught on sooner, but I would have been disappointed if I had figured out the solution to the murders at the very beginning (and probably would have stopped reading). I thought the writing was well done and found Miss Marple to be a very likable and pleasantly cranky lady. If I have one complaint, I would have wished to see Miss Marple play more of a central role in uncovering the mystery throughout the entirety of the novel instead of being more key toward the conclusion of the novel. ( )