The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

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⭐ 4/5 Review of The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

👉 Grab your copy here: The Moving Finger on Amazon (affiliate link)

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⚠️ Trigger Warnings

This book contains:

• Suicide

• Murder

• Gossip-fueled emotional abuse

• Gaslighting & gender discrimination

• Small-town judgment (almost as deadly as the poison pen letters 😬)

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First Impressions ✨

I didn’t realize this was the third book in the Miss Marple series—but honestly, it doesn’t matter. You can read it out of order and still enjoy it. Agatha Christie is the queen of standalone mysteries tucked into a series.

The story itself? Classic Christie. Everyone has a motive, everyone looks guilty, and yet the ending still sneaks up on you. I was decently surprised by who the real letter-writer turned out to be. Of course, Christie being Christie, once the truth comes out, you smack your forehead realizing the clues were there all along. That’s exactly why her mysteries feel so much more satisfying (and clever) than many modern thrillers.

My one gripe: the audiobook narrator, Joan Hickson. Yes, that Joan Hickson, the Miss Marple from BBC’s TV series. A legend! But here, her narration sounded (to me) like she was speaking with a mouthful of marbles 🤐. Made it harder to follow at times.

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📖 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary

War veteran Jerry Burton is sent by his doctor to recover from war injuries in the sleepy village of Lymstock, joined by his fashionable sister Joanna. Sounds peaceful, right? Wrong. The village is soon buzzing with anonymous “poison pen” letters accusing people of scandalous affairs and dirty secrets. Even Jerry and Joanna get one.

Jerry befriends awkward misfit Megan Hunter, who’s dismissed by her stepfather Mr. Symmington and stepmother Mrs. Symmington. But then tragedy strikes: Mrs. Symmington is found dead, apparently by suicide, after receiving one of these letters. The villagers whisper, the police investigate half-heartedly, and gossip spreads like wildfire.

Things get worse when Agnes Woddell, a maid at the Symmingtons’ house, is murdered. Now we’re not just dealing with petty letters but a killer on the loose.

Jerry starts piecing things together, with help from the sharp but understated Miss Marple (who only shows up in the last quarter of the book, true to form). Meanwhile, Jerry finds himself falling for Megan, even whisking her off to London for a makeover and realizing she’s the girl he wants to marry.

At first, suspicion lands on Aimee Griffith, a busybody with a crush on Mr. Symmington. She admits to writing one letter (to keep Elsie Holland, the governess, away from Symmington), but the police think she’s behind everything. But Miss Marple sees through the smoke and mirrors.

The truth? Mr. Symmington himself wrote the poison pen letters to mask his plan to kill his wife. When things spiraled, he panicked and murdered Agnes, who had discovered too much. He even tried to frame Aimee by planting evidence.

In the climax, Megan bravely walks into a police sting, luring her stepfather into trying to stage her “suicide.” Jerry and the police arrive just in time, and Symmington is caught.

The novel closes on a hopeful note: Jerry and Megan marry, Joanna finds romance with Dr. Griffith, and the villagers of Lymstock can (finally) go back to their normal level of pettiness.

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My Thoughts 💭

• Loved: the classic misdirection, the village gossip vibes, and the fact that I didn’t guess the ending.

• Didn’t love: the slower pacing (not super action-packed), and the fact that Miss Marple felt more like a late guest star than the lead sleuth.

• Audiobook gripe: Joan Hickson is iconic, but the narration wasn’t for me.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A solid, twisty Christie mystery that makes you realize why she’s the undisputed queen of the genre 👑.

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🔎 If You Liked This Book, Try…

• The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (Miss Marple’s first case)

• Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (modern locked-room vibes with a Christie flavor)

• The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (twisty, time-bending murder mystery)