The Second Murder at the Vicarage is the second short story in the collection Marple: Twelve New Stories published by HarperCollins in 2022. Written by Val McDermid, the story is prececeded by Evil in Small Places and followed by Miss Marple Takes Manhattan.
Synopsis[]
"To have one murder in one's vicarage is unfortunate; to have a second looks remarkably like carelessness, or worse...." so says the Reverend Leonard Clement. In this sequel to Murder at the Vicarage, the Clements discover a second murder. This time the puzzle is what the person was doing in the vicarage and what could possibly have been the motive.
Plot summary[]
(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)
Characters[]
- Jane Marple
- Leonard Clement — the Vicar, narrator
- Griselda Clement — the Vicar's wife
- David Clement
- Dennis Clement — now a probationary constable
- Flora
- Mary Hill
- Bill Archer
- Mrs. Price-Ridley
- Miss Hartnell
- Miss Wetherby
- Matilda Merchiston
- Late Colonel Protheroe
- Colonel Bantry
- Inspector Slack — the investigating detective
- Constable Hurst
- Miss Politt
- Jeremy Jenner
Locations[]
- St. Mary Mead
- Much Benham - Goodenough's
- Chipping Marlbury
Research notes[]
- The events in this story obviously take place after Murder at the Vicarage. It is also a few years after The Body in the Library because David Clement is older here. However Tape-Measure Murder comes after, as Miss Politt is still alive.
Audiobook[]
The audiobook is narrated by Alex Kingston.
Audiobook[]
The audiobook is narrated by Adrian Scarborough.