A Murder Is Announced

A Murder Is Announced is a Golden Age detective novel. Discuss how it both upholds and subverts the genre’s traditional tropes and techniques.

How does the setting of Chipping Cleghorn contribute to the story? Which elements of plot would necessarily be different if the story were set in an urban center, and what does this reveal about small-town communities?

Miss Marple’s virtuosity in detection is due partly to her keen intellect, yet her other traits—for example, her sympathy or humility—also come into play. Citing specific textual examples, explore how her nonintellectual personality traits enhance her detective processes.