Sergeant Fletcher (A Murder is Announced)

In the novel A Murder is Announced, Detective Sergeant Fletcher assisted Inspector Craddock during the murder investigation in Chipping Cleghorn. He looks like a guardsman, and has "an erect military bearing". A man of few words, he is "able to impart several different meanings to the one monosyllable: 'Sir.'"

He is an expert on electricity, and examined the light fixtures and wiring in Little Paddocks, to try to discover how the lights were fused.

When Miss Marple had thought of a plan to get proof of the murderer's identity, she talked to Sergeant Fletcher. He was initially reluctant to execute the plan without first informing Inspector Craddock, but Miss Marple talked him into it.

This thoroughly suitable name for a police sergeant is in fact used twice by Christie.

Portrayals

In the BBC 1985 adaptation of the novel which formed part of the Miss Marple series, Detective Sergeant Fletcher is played by Kevin Whately. In this adaptation, he is given more speaking lines, whereas in the novel he speaks very little, mostly only saying, "Sir".

Similar to the novel, Miss Marple asks Fletcher to help her execute her plan for getting proof of the murderer's identity.

In the ITV 2005 adaptation of the novel, Fletcher is played by Gerard Horan.