Considered by many as one of Agatha’s most refined and complex novels, it offers an impeccable showcase of the author’s talent for weaving intrigues where the everyday becomes sinister. Starring Miss Marple, it is a sharp social satire and a penetrating study of human nature.
It all begins with the sudden death of Rex Fortescue, a wealthy businessman. Things take an unusual turn when a handful of rye grains are found in his pocket. As the corpses accumulate — including those of his young wife and a maid who previously worked with Miss Marple — the crime begins to feel strangely literary, almost childish... yet perversely calculated.
The brilliance of this plot lies in how it echoes the rhythm of an old children’s song while weaving together financial motives, silent ambitions, and long-hidden family secrets. Each character is masterfully drawn. Miss Marple has intuition as sharp as a scalpel, allowing her to read others’ gestures. She is an observer of everyday life, recognizing in great tragedies the same mechanisms that govern small village scandals.
An agile, entertaining thriller, with a touch of dark humor that highlights the contrast between the absurd and the tragic. The tension never drops, the reader is constantly challenged, and the ending confirms why this novel is considered one of the best in the extensive and extraordinary repertoire of the Queen of Crime.