History Literature / AMurderIsAnnounced

* InterfaceSpoiler: Bizarrely inverted. The book continues to refer to [[spoiler:Emma Stamfordis]] as [[spoiler:Julia Simmons]] even after the reveal - dialogue tags and even the dialogue itself. The play [[spoilers:calls her Emma]] in dialogue, but the dialogue tags remain the same; presumably this is for the sake of consistency.

* AdaptationalNameChange: Mitzi is renamed Hannah in the Joan Hickson adaptation.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Edmund Swettenham in the 2005 adaptation is an altogether more bitter and unpleasant boy than in the book, and resentful of his mother's relationship.
* TheBait: [[spoiler:Miss Marple talks Mitzi into taking this role; as a result the murderer is caught as she attempts to drown Mitzi in the sink.]]

* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler:Patrick. Averted in the Joan Hickson adaptation.]]

* LastMinuteHookup: Philippa [[spoiler: "Pip" ]]and Edmund.

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: Julia is Philippa's sister.]]

* RedHerring: The [[spoiler:death of Philippa Haymes' husband in a car accident]] turns out to be completely incidental, and has nothing to do with the main murdet plot.

* SummationGathering: Subverted with Inspector Craddock's speech; later played straight by Miss Marple.
* SympatheticMurderer: Downplayed. The murderer is shown as a weak and kindly person who was driven to kill as a result of the consequences of [[spoiler:her]] unwise actions, and who was tired of living a horrible life - but, as Miss Marple points out, others had had it worse and had got back on their feet without having to resort to murder.

* PetsHomageName: Rev. Julian Harmon, an [[{{Oxbridge}} Oxford alumnus]], named his cat after an Assyrian king.

* LampshadeHanging: The 1985 BBC television adaptation introduces several examples, as follows:

* LittleOldLadyInvestigates: Miss Marple is of course the TropeCodifier, but she's also GenreSavvy about it: "A policeman asking questions is open to the grave of suspicion, but an old lady asking questions is just an old lady asking questions."

* DeadlyDeferredConversation: In the TV version, Miss Murgatroyd realizes "she wasn't there". Miss Hinchcliffe tells her they'll talk about it later--[[spoiler:and Murgatroyd is murdered while Hinchcliffe is fetching a dog from the station.]]

* PetsHomageName: Rev. Julian Harmon, an [[{{Oxbridge}} Oxford alumni\us]], named his cat after an Assyrian king.

* PetsHomageName: Rev. Julian Harmon, an [[{{Oxbridge}} Oxford alumni]], named his dog after an Assyrian king.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/A_Murder_is_Announced_1stEd_3519.jpg
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--> '''Mrs Easterbrook:''' Archie... there's going to be a murder.
--> '''Col Easterbrook:''' What time?
--> '''Mrs Easterbrook:''' Six thirty this evening.
--> '''Col Easterbrook:''' Short notice.

* [[spoiler: DeadPersonImpersonation: "Letitia" is really the other sister, Charlotte. The real Letitia is long dead. Reasons had to do with inheriting a large sum of money and thinking the fraud [[{{Irony}} couldn't possibly hurt anyone.]] ]]

* NeverOneMurder
* NoodleIncident: The police discover something unpleasant about Mrs Easterbrook's past, but as it isn't relevant to the murder they ignore it and we never hear any more details.
* LastNameBasis: "Hinch" and Murgatroyd.

** LittleOldLadyInvestigates: Miss Marple is of course the TropeCodifier, but she's also GenreSavvy about it: "A policeman asking questions is open to the grave of suspicion, but an old lady asking questions is just an old lady asking questions."
** MysteryMagnet: When Miss Marple goes to Chipping Cleghorn with the excuse of visiting the vicar's wife, "Bunch" Harmon (who is a distant niece of hers), the vicar remarks, "A man dies in highly suspicious circumstances in Chipping Cleghorn, and suddenly Aunt Jane is coming to stay." Bunch isn't about to argue with him.

* PetsHomageName: Rev. Julian Harmon, an [[{{Oxbridge}} Oxford alumni]], named his dog after an Assyrian king.

* HideYourLesbians: There's a strong subtext between OddCouple housemates Misses Hinchcliffe and Murgatroyd, but the exact nature of their relationship is not specified. Hinch's [[spoiler:vengeful rage at the murderer of Murgatroyd]] is telling. Since Christie held rather old-fashioned views, it's possible that the subtext isn't even intentional (strong-willed, 'mannish' female characters similar to Miss Hinchcliffe actually show up in several other of her novels).

* AdaptationalHeroism: Patrick is more likeable in the Joan Hickson adaptation.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Edmund Swettenham in the 2005 adaptation.

* HideYourLesbians: There's a strong subtext between OddCouple housemates Misses Hinchcliffe and Murgatroyd, but the exact nature of their relationship is not specified. Since Christie held rather old-fashioned views, it's possible that the subtext isn't even intentional (strong-willed, 'mannish' female characters similar to Miss Hinchcliffe actually show up in several other of her novels).

* SympatheticMurderBackstory

* TheDitz: Miss Murgatroyd, Dora Bunner, Mrs Swettenham

* FunnyForeigner: In what now reads as rather cringeworthy ValuesDissonance, Patrick and Julia treat Mitzi, the high-strung Central European refugee housemaid, like one.
* GossipyHens: Letitia's neighbours react to the murder advertisement by showing up at her place at the appointed time and expecting something exciting to happen.

* ScreamingWoman: Mitzi, the cook.

* FunnyForeigner: In what now reads as rather cringeworthy [[Values Dissonance]], Patrick and Julia treat Mitzi, the high-strung Central European refugee housemaid, like one.

* HideYourLesbians: There's a strong subtext between [[Odd Couple]] housemates Misses Hinchcliffe and Murgatroyd, but the exact nature of their relationship is not specified. Since Christie held rather old-fashioned views, it's possible that the subtext isn't even intentional (strong-willed, 'mannish' female characters similar to Miss Hinchcliffe actually show up in several other of her novels).

Published in 1950 as Creator/AgathaChristie's 50th book and adapted into several movies and miniseries, ''A Murder Is Announced'' is a true crime novel classic rife with deception, suspense, and [[ArsonMurderAndAdmiration English charm]].

* ButchLesbian: Though never explicitly stated to be one, Miss Hinchliffe very much fits this trope.

* DoesNotLikeMen: Hinch is convinced from the start that the murderer is a man, "because we all know what dirty pigs men are." [[spoiler: She's wrong]].
* FunnyForeigner: Patrick and Julia treat Mitzi like one.

* HideYourLesbians: There's a strong subtext between Hinch and Murgatroyd, but the exact nature of their relationship is not specified, and since Christie held rather old-fashioned views, it's possible that the subtext isn't even intentional.

* LastNameBasis: Hinch and Murgatroyd.

** MysteryMagnet: When Miss Marple goes to Chipping Cleghorn with the excuse of visiting the vicar's wife (who is a distant niece of hers), the vicar remarks, "A man dies in highly suspicious circumstances in Chipping Cleghorn, and suddenly Aunt Jane is coming to stay." The wife is no less observant of that herself.

* SeparatedAtBirth: [[spoiler: Julia and Philippa, who are "Emma and Pip".]]

* SummationGathering: Subverted with Craddock's speech; later played straight by Miss Marple.

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler: Charlotte Blacklok]]

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler: Charlotte. Just... Charlotte.]]

* LesYay: Hinch and Murgatroyd. They live together, Hinch looks and acts like a man and dislikes men, and [[spoiler: she's devastated when Murgatroyd is killed]]. Different adaptations play it up to different extents.

* SummationGathering

** MysteryMagnet: When Miss Marple goes to Chipping Cleghorn with the excuse of visiting the vicar's wife (who is a distant niece of hers), the vicar remarks, "A man dies in highly suspicious circumstances, and suddenly, Aunt Jane comes to stay." The wife is no less observant of that herself.

* LampshadeHanging: A few times.