A young bride buys a house by the sea and is haunted by memories she cannot explain, until Miss Marple helps uncover a crime from long ago
A memory that would not sleep
Gwenda Reed, newly married and recently arrived in England from New Zealand, falls in love with a house in a seaside town and buys it at once. But the house seems to know her. She senses where hidden doors and old wallpaper should be, and one evening, at a play, a line of dialogue brings back a terrifying image of a woman lying dead in the hallway. Frightened, she turns to Miss Marple.
Who will enjoy it
Christie fans, readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries about the past, and anyone looking for a clever puzzle with a touch of the eerie.
What you will get
An atmospheric Miss Marple mystery in which a young bride's eerie memories of her new house lead to a crime buried for many years, and to a killer still close by.
Sleeping Murder Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Mystery & Thriller · Miss Marple · Old crime · Haunted memory
Length
256 pages · ≈ 8 h
More about this book
Christie wrote this book during the Second World War and kept it in reserve, so although it was published last, it belongs to Miss Marple's middle years. The setup is one of her most haunting: an ordinary house with a hidden past, and a heroine who may be remembering something she witnessed as a very small child.
Gwenda and her husband Giles insist on investigating, despite Miss Marple's warning that some things are better left undisturbed. As they trace people connected to the old household, including former suitors, a family doctor and a housemaid, the sense of danger grows. Miss Marple's gentle presence and sharp mind keep the story grounded.
Some readers may guess the culprit, and the elements of psychology reflect the ideas of the time. The atmosphere and the final confrontation are memorable. It is a fitting farewell to a favourite detective, though not the place to start. Christie also makes good use of the seaside setting and the old house itself, whose creaking stairs and hidden doors become almost a character. About 256 pages in the William Morrow paperback.
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