In the tiny village of Chipping Cleghorn, a murder is announced in the Gazette Newspaper to

take place at Little Paddocks, home to Ms Blacklock and Ms Bunner. Many neighbour show
up, expecting it to be a game; however after two gunshots during a planned blackout, they
realised it wasnt a game. A man, who had previously asked Ms Blacklock for money so he
could go back home to Switzerland, was found dead with the gun in his hand. Everyone
suspects suicide, however; Detective Craddock understands that it wasnt suicide and calls
on Ms Marples to help solve the mystery.
Conventions How the story conforms the
convention
How the story subverts the
convention
The criminal must be someone
mentioned in the early part of the
story, but must not be anyone whose
thoughts the reader has been allowed
to follow.
The criminal was mentioned early in
the story as a main character. Their
identify wasnt disclosed until the
near end of the book.

All supernatural or preternatural
agencies are ruled out as a matter of
course.
There has been no mention nor sight
of any supernatural or preternatural
agencies in A Murder Is
Announced

Not more than one secret or passage
is allowed.
There has only been one passage in
the story, even then the passage
wasnt exactly secret but more of a
room that everyone thought wasnt
accessible.

No hitherto to undiscovered poison
may be used, nor any appliance which
will need a long scientific explanation
at the end.
Whilst poison was used, it was
discovered and identified
immediately; cyanide was put into a
pill and Ms Dora Bunner took it
believing it was an aspirin pill. She
died the next morning and the cause
of death was identified as cyanide
poisoning.

No China man must figure the story In the end, detective Craddock
worked together with the other
residents of Chipping Cleghorn to
trick Ms Blacklock into admitting her
crimes. None of them was Chinese.

No accident must ever help the
detective, nor must he ever have an
unaccountable intuition which proves
to be right.
Ms Dora Bunner manage to help
Mrs Marple in solving the crime by
accidentally letting slip a fatal
clue; calling Ms Blacklock Letty
instead of Lotty. Letty was the
nickname of Charlotte whilst Lotty
was the nickname for Letitia which
led to Mrs Marple deducing that
Ms Letitia Blacklock was actually
Ms Charlotte Blacklock.
The detective must not light on any
clues which are not instantly produced
for the inspection for the reader.

The stupid friend of the detective, the
Watson, must not conceal any
thoughts which pass through his mind;
his intelligence must be slightly, but
very slightly, below that of the
average reader.

Twin brothers and doubles generally,
must not appear unless we have been
duly prepared for them.