The Murder at the Vicarage Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

In her biography, Christie states that Miss Marple's creation probably originated from the pleasure she got in creating the character of Caroline Sheppard in "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". "She had been my favorite character in the book- an acidulated spinster, full of curiosity, knowing everything, hearing everything, the complete detective service in the home."

Answer: terrible

Griselda tells the vicar that "that terrible Miss Marple" is coming to tea, along with three other "old pussies" (in this first appearance, Miss Marple is rather less lovable than Christie would later make her). Griselda resents the way Miss Marple always thinks the worst of people and later refers to her as a "nasty old cat".

However the vicar, being older and less idealistic about human nature, rather likes Miss Marple.

Answer: The vicar's

Len Clement, the vicar of St. Mary Mead, narrates the book and plays much the same role with Miss Marple as Hastings does with Poirot, only the vicar is much more intelligent and humorous. Indeed, the vicar's often wry observations are one of the best things about the book.

Answer: Miss Hartnell

Anyone who has belonged to a small-town church of any denomination knows this type all too well.

Answer: It was fifteen minutes fast.

The clock was deliberately kept fifteen minutes ahead in order to keep the vicar punctual in his appointments. The vicar tried several times to apprise Inspector Slack of this fact without success. Slack would later be much put out that the vicar had "kept" this information from him.

Answer: Lettice Protheroe, his daughter.

Protheroe was incensed that Redding was painting Lettice in her bathing suit! (Hey, this was 1930!). Miss Marple, however, had spotted the truth and hinted as much to the vicar, who later found Anne Protheroe and Lawrence in each other's arms.

Answer: She was wearing a clinging dress- no place to hide it.

When questioned by the inspector, Miss Marple insisted that when Anne stopped to speak with her on the way to the vicarage "She hadn't so much as a handkercheif in the top of her stocking."

Answer: She had no handbag.

It was part of the plan that Anne should stop and speak with Miss Marple long enough for that observant lady to notice that Anne could not have been concealing a gun; a handbag would have defeated the purpose. But in retrospect, Miss Marple realized that it was quite extraordinary for her not to have had one.

Answer: Miss Cram

Miss Cram takes a sudden interest in parish work, interestingly, just after a scandalous murder has taken place in the vicarage. Her (older) employer is clearly rather silly over her.

Answer: Miss Marple's nephew (Raymond West) tells him.

The vicar is seeing "Dr. Stone" to the train when they both nearly collide with Raymond West, whom the vicar recognizes but Dr. Stone does not. In conversation later at Miss Marple's home, the vicar mentions Dr. Stone and is surprised when Raymond says that he knows Stone and that the man at the station bore no resemblance to him.

Answer: Colonel Protheroe's silver.

The vicar retrieves from the woods the suitcase after Miss Marple tells him this story; under some clothing they find some Charles II silver pieces which had belonged to Colonel Protheroe and had been burgled from his home.

Answer: Clara (Mrs. Price Ridley's maid)

Mrs. Price-Ridley told Clement that her maid had heard a "sneeze" as she was standing by the gate in front of the Clement's house on the day of the murder. "What you need to look for" Mrs. Price Ridley insists "is a man with a head cold." The "sneeze", however, was actually the gun being fired with a Maxim silencer.

Answer: An explosive

Lawrence Redding had rigged a stone in the woods to fall on some picric acid, causing a small, but loud explosion at about the time the murder was committed.

Answer: It was the wrong kind of stone.

Lawrence tried to remove the stone he had used to rig the explosion when he was surprised by the vicar. He gave the excuse that he was bringing it to Miss Marple for one of her Japanese rock gardens. Miss Marple, however, was not deceived; it was entirely the wrong kind of stone, a fact that Lawrence, being an artist, should have known.

Answer: That Hawes was the person responsible for the missing funds.

Lawrence Redding discovered the letter incriminating Hawes when he went to the study after the murder and realized it could be useful later on. He tried to poison Hawes by doctoring his "headache powders" and planted the incriminating letter in Hawes' room so that it would seem that Hawes had comitted suicide out of guilt over the murder of Protheroe.

Answer: Dennis and Griselda

The call was placed as a joke, in retaliation for the stories that Mrs. Price Ridley had been spreading about the vicar being responsible for the missing funds. Coincidentally, it was placed at the same time as the fake "shot" heard in the woods.

Answer: He knows Mrs. Lestrange is dying.

Haydock is treating Mrs. Lestrange, whom he is clearly quite taken with. As her doctor, he knows that, unfortunately, she has not long to live.

Answer: Colonel Protheroe's ex-wife and Lettice's mother.

When Lettice casually reveals this toward the end of the novel I, for one, kicked myself; it made such perfect sense and yet I had never suspected it.

Answer: It was a painting of her mother (Mrs. Lestrange).

The painting was of Lettice's mother in younger days. She destroyed it because if the police found it, they would guess who "Mrs. Lestrange" was and suspect her of murdering her ex-husband.

Answer: Human nature

Miss Marple is constantly prefacing one of her observations with the phrase "Human nature being what it is". She admits to the vicar that "observing human nature" is her principal hobby, though others might describe it less kindly as snooping. However, her hobby helps solve a murder, not (thankfully) for the last time.