A Murder is Announced (1950) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Letitia Blacklock

Miss Blacklock is the owner of the house known as Little Paddocks. A newspaper advertisement announces that a murder will take place at Little Paddocks and subsequently Rudi Scherz dies during an attempted hold-up. Miss Blacklock tells DI Craddock that Rudi Scherz had previously asked her for money but she didn't give him any because she had been secretary for many years to a financier and had learned to be cautious about appeals for money.

Answer: Rudi Scherz

Rudi Scherz is a young Swiss national who works at the Royal Spa Hotel in Medenham Wells as a receptionist. He had previously met Miss Blacklock and her sister in Switzerland and recognised her when she attended the hotel in Medenham Wells.

Rudi's work colleague, Myrna, is keen to emphasise that she and Rudi were just friends. She tells DI Craddock that Rudi treated her well and had good manners. She alleges that he "talked big" but that she always took it with a grain of salt. Craddock discovers Rudi has a criminal record but only for petty offences.

Answer: Dermot Craddock

DI Dermot Craddock has both brains and imagination, as well as "the self-discipline to go low, to check and examine each fact, and to keep an open mind until the very end of a case".

This is the first novel to feature Dermot Craddock. He appears again in "4.50 from Paddington" (1957), "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" (1962), and the short story "Sanctuary" (1954). As an unseen character, he is also mentioned in "A Caribbean Mystery" (1964).

Answer: Sir Henry Clithering

Sir Henry Clithering is the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard and godfather to DI Dermot Craddock. He is a tall, distinguished-looking, elderly man who is a friend of Miss Marple's and respects her opinions and observations. He tells DI Craddock and the Chief Constable that "the old Pussies...They hear everything. They see everything. And, unlike the famous adage, they speak all evil" and that Miss Marple was his "one and only, four starred Pussy".

Sir Henry Clithering appears in 5 novels, 13 short stories and is mentioned in a further two novels.

Answer: Jane Marple

Sir Henry Clithering describes Miss Marple as "the finest detective God ever made". He has great respect for what he calls "the old Pussies" and says they are "streets ahead of any detective sergeant" in terms of local knowledge.

In Agatha Christie's time, describing old ladies as old pussies did not have the vulgar or sexual connotation that it does today. It was an allusion to elderly spinsters being cat-like in behaviour, i.e. quiet, soft, gentle and curious. If they were particularly nosy, gossipy or sharp-tongued, then they might be referred to as "old cats" rather than "old pussies".

DI Craddock initially thinks Miss Marple is "completely ga-ga" but quickly realises how astute she is. He feels she might be in danger if she was to start prying into the Little Paddocks affair and warns her not to snoop. But Miss Marple assures him that she can look after herself and that everybody expects old ladies to snoop.

Answer: Dora Bunner

Dora Bunner, known affectionately as Bunny, is an old school friend of Letitia Blacklock and her sister Charlotte. She had fallen on hard times and Miss Blacklock invited Dora to come and live with her at Little Paddocks. Dora is described as loyal and anxious to help, but sadly unreliable and lacking competence.

Answer: Mitzi

Mitzi is the housekeeper/cook who is a European refugee. Her last name is said to be unpronounceable. She is quite emotionally volatile and thinks she has "enemies" who are out to kill her but is vague as to who they might be. Miss Blacklock tells DI Craddock that Mitzi has a persecution mania. Almost everyone informs Craddock that Mitzi tells lies. Mitzi objects to her special chocolate cake being referred to flippantly as "Delicious Death" as she feels death is not a joking matter.

Answer: Amy Murgatroyd

Amy Murgatroyd is a neighbour who lives at Boulders with her friend, Miss Hinchliffe (whose first name is not revealed in the book). She is described as "fat and amiable" with a "curly bird's nest of grey hair". Amy Murgatroyd is strangled while retrieving her laundry from the clothesline.

Answer: Randall Goedler

Letitia Blacklock had once been Randall Goedler's secretary for over twenty years but she resigned to take care of her sister, Charlotte, when she was ill. The inheritance of the Goedler estate, which was worth millions, is the motive for the murders. All three victims (Rudi Scherz, Dora Bunner and Amy Murgatroyd) were killed because they were in a position to give away the murderer, whether they might do so knowingly or not.

Answer: Edmund Swettenham

Edmund begins writing a novel but changes direction to create a play instead. He describes the play, entitled "Elephants Do Forget", as a "roaring farce in three acts". The title is a nod to the expression "elephants never forget", and it precedes Agatha Christie's novel, "Elephants Can Remember" (published in 1972), by 22 years. There does not appear to be any connection between Agatha Christie's use of the two titles.

Edmund Swettenham is in love with Phillipa Haymes and asks her to marry him. She refuses at first but he persists and by the end of the novel, they are married.