Alison Danby

In the novel Sleeping Murder, Miss Alison Danby is the aunt who raised Gwenda in New Zealand. She was the sister of Megan Halliday. Miss Marple guessed that Miss Danby might know more about Gwenda's background and could confirm if Gwenda had ever lived in England as a child.

Miss Danby's reply to Gwenda's questions (in a letter) revealed the surprising history which she had forgotten. It seemed that when Miss Danby heard that Gwenda's mother had died in India, she wrote offering to take care of Gwenda. However her father said he intended to resign from the army and return to England and look after Gwenda himself. Subsequently in England, he married a second time. This marriage, Miss Danby gathered, was not a happy one and they parted ways afte a year. Gwenda's father then wrote asking if Miss Danby could take care of Gwenda. She was happy to do so and Gwenda was sent out to New Zealand. Gwenda's father died shortly thereafter in a nursing home.