In the novel Murder is Easy, Dr Geoffrey Thomas is the local doctor of Wychwood under Ashe and younger partner of the late Dr Humbleby. A competent doctor of over thirty, Luke Fitzwilliam noted that his appearance could be deceptive as a casual glance would have put him down in the early twenties if not in his teens. He had a "shock of ratherunruly fair hair" ans a "his slightly startled expression" which, with his pink and white complexion gave him "an irresistibly school-boyish appearance."
Luke, who was trying to narrow down the list of potential suspects in the series of mysterious deaths in the village, was able to link Thomas to some but not all the people who had died. For one thing, Thomas certainly found his position in the village enhanced by the death of Dr Humbleby. As Alfred Wake the local vicar told Luke, Thomas always felt overshadowed and appeared rather colourless next to Humbleby's magnetic personality. The local villagers were not impressed by Thomas. Moreover, Thomas disagreed frequently with Humbleby on methods. Thomas wanted to introduce more modern methods of treatment while Humbleby stuck to his old waays. Finally, Humbleby objected to Thomas's relationship with his daughter Rose. However Luke was not able to connect Thomas with most of the other deaths and did not seriously consider him as a plausible suspect after initial inquiries.
Portrayals[]
Murder is Easy (1982 film)[]
In the 1982 film adaptation, Dr Thomas is portrayed by Shane Briant. The portrayal is fairly faithful to the original novel.
Agatha Christie's Marple[]
In the 2008 ITV adaptation, Dr Thomas is portrayed by James Lance. Again, this character retains the key features of the original, particularly the relationship with Rose.