When Jerry Burton was ordered to find a restful place to recover from injuries from flying, Lymstock seemed to be just what the doctor ordered - a little village which had been left behind in time in everything except gossipping. He and his modern sister Joanna took a lease on a house, Little Furze, whose owner had been forced to let out due to financial needs.At first, the village appeared perfect. It was certainly small enough that the Burtons got to know a number of notable locals who were to play prominent roles in the nasty affair to follow.
There was the village pastor who appeared to be more a scholar than a shepherd, and his wife who made people she could see right into their souls.
There was Owen Griffith, the local doctor, and his sister Aimee, the alpha female with boundless energy.
There was Richard Symington, the lawyer, who had two sons and an enigmatic step-daughter from his wife's previous marriage.
There was also Elise Holland, whose appearance sent Jerry Burton to the skies and whose voice brought him crashing down to earth.
Perhaps it was traditional provincial animosity towards outsiders, Joanna received a poison pen letter soon after their arrival. But later they realised they were not the only ones. Various other ladies also received one. Strangely, though there were authentic materials available, the writer of the letters chose to fabricate the accusations.
The recepients tried to ignore or deny the letters until one day, Mrs Symington, wife of the local lawyer, apparently poisoned herself with one such letter found nearby.
Shortly after that, her maid was found murdered.
As the progress of the police appeared slow, the pastor's wife called in Ms Jane Marple. Using the subconscious observations of an outsider, Jerry Burton, she pieced the truth and ferreted the real culprit out.
The writing of this novel is excellent. Again, Agatha Christie managed to vividly desribed the personalities and interpersonal interactions of various characters to subtly build a background to a murder, without the whole picture being obvious. She also gave a lively description of a bucolic small village scene, making it interesting even to those who had no real interest in being personally involved such rustic settings.
The only flaw I could detect was in the evidence, the typewriter identified used in the crime. Due to certain timings of the recepients getting the letters, the poison pen writer should not have been able to use the typewriter in the described manner to send one of the letters.
This story is told by Jerry Burton, an RAF flyer recovering from a crash. He has been sent to the village of Lymstock to get rest and quiet. Accompanied by his sister Joanna, Jerry soon finds that all is not as peaceful as he might have hoped. A series of poison pen letters detailing the explicit and often illicit facts of the residents' lives is causing quite a stir. The fear escalates when an apparent suicide is followed by a murder. With so much wickedness abounding, the vicar's wife calls in her old friend Jane Marple, whom she considers an expert on wickedness in village life.This book is notable for its excellent characterizations. From the community-minded doctor's sister, to the charming spinster who rents the Burtons her home, to the dazzling governess of the lawyer's young boys, Mrs. Christie gives us a village filled with quirky and interesting people. Most notable is Megan Hunter, perhaps her finest young girl protagonist, who is transformed from the dowdy stepdaughter to an exquisite Cinderella.
The narrative style is light and entertaining, the romance sweet, and the murder quite deadly in this fun and always ingenuous offering from the mistress of mystery.
Mrs. Christie herself recalls this story in her autobiography as a personal favorite that has stood the test of time. As charming as it no doubt was when first published in 1943, The Moving Finger is a most satisfying read.
