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Miss McG. reports this shocking occurrence to her hostess Miss Marple, the police and the train authorities. No body is found, and the authorities chalk up the report to an elderly lady's vivid imagination. But Miss Marple knows that one thing rock-solid Elspeth McGillicuddy lacks is a "vivid imagination." If Miss McG says she saw a murder, Miss Marple is certain a murder did, in fact, take place. Her curiosity aroused, Miss Marple enlists the aid of young Lucy Eyelesbarrow. Lucy is a delightful character who combines fearsome organizational abilities with all consuming charm and tact. In a fine bit of sleuthing, Miss Marple ascertains the only area where the body could have been dumped from the train is on the Crackenthorpe (don't you just love these names?) estate, Rutherford Hall.

Lucy gets herself hired at Rutherford to find out about the people, and hopefully locate the body. The head Crackenthorpe is the old, miserly father who enjoys his poor health and depriving his grown children with equal enthusiasm. The family consists of his martyred spinster daughter, three sons, a son-in-law and a grandnephew schoolboy. Clever Lucy finds the body residing in a sarcophagus in a falling down barn on the property. The murderer would have to be very familiar with Rutherford Hall and its environs to have found such a resting place. None of the family has much of an alibi, but though they all have excellent motives for wanting to do away with their skinflint father, it appears none have any ties to the stranger hidden in their barn.

The author displays a great deal of sly humor in the book, and her descriptions of the days and ways at Rutherford Hall are fascinating. I had a little difficulty believing this class conscious family would immediately accept Lucy as an equal and confidante, but I never let the small things bother me in a Christie book. The plot was delightfully intricate. For once, I thought I had pegged the murderer, but Dame Agatha triumphed yet again, and I was foiled. That the motive was a bit thin and barely acceptable is my only complaint. It is a fine Christie effort, not her best, but very much up to her standard of excellence.


Murder Without A Corpse Challenges Miss Marple   April 28, 2002
In "The 4:50 From Paddington" Agatha Christie gives us another in her long list of detective stories involving a large family at their estate. This is, in my opinion, one of the best, and begins when Elspeth McGillicuddy, a friend of Miss Marple's, is returning from Christmas shopping in London and on her way to visit Jane in St. Mary Mead. Her train is running alongside another one on a nearby track, and Mrs. McGillicuddy has an excellent view inside the parallel carriage of the other train. What she sees is the back of a man strangling a woman. No one believes Mrs. McGillicuddy since no corpse is found and no injured woman turns up at any hospital. Only Miss Marple believes her friend. Although Mrs. McGillicuddy is leaving for Ceylon to spend Christmas with her son, Miss Marple continues her quest to prove her friend's story. First she books passage on the same train and narrows the search for where a body should have been thrown to the area around Rutherford Hall, the large family estate of the Crackenthorpes. The family consists of the semi-invalided and grouchy Mr. Crackenthorpe, his daughter Emma, three sons, a son-in-law, and a grandson. At least four of the men are likely candidates for the strangler.

Because Miss Marple is not young enough to physically search for the body in unknown territory, she engages Lucy Eyelesbarrow, one of Christie's most interesting female creations. Lucy quickly gains employment at Rutherford Hall as a domestic and busily does all the legwork for Miss Marple. Meanwhile, Jane Marple has taken up residence at a nearby home and advises and assists Lucy.

In 1961, this became the basis for "Murder, She Said," the first of four films starring Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple. Although it deviates from the book, most notably in the omission of Lucy, it is enjoyable and worth viewing.


AwesoME...!!   March 12, 2002
I am an Agatha Christie fan and i'm working on to read all 80something books written by her, and I'm almost halfway through it. Anyway, I thought this one was a very good one, compared to other a little weaker ones. First, it wasn't as boring in the beginning as some other works tend to do; actually, I thought it was pretty fast-paced, only things that are relevant and crucial were there, not those trivial stuff you sometimes find yourself reading in her other books.
Well, the crime pattern is pretty much the same as other books like Appointmetn w/ Death, After the funeral (funerals are fatal), etc. but it was rather a joy reading through it because the answer was so unexpected..
I would definitely recommend this along w/ books mentioned above.


Classic Christie Puzzler   December 6, 2001
When police dismiss an unimaginative woman's claim of seeing a murder in a passing train, elderly Jane Marple feels duty-bound to explore the possibilities--and the result is a smartly paced, neatly plotted, and classic Christie puzzler sure to take in all but the most astute readers. Although not ranking with such triumphs as "A Murder Is Announced" or "Orient Express," newcomers and old fans alike are sure to enjoy it.


One of the Weaker of the Miss Marple mysteries...   September 23, 2001
I think my title prettty much sums this book up!! Now, don't get me wrong, I love Miss Marple!! Hercule Poirot does not even come close in comparison!!! This book started out a bit slow...stayed slow...and ended slow. IN FACT... I might even go so far as to say that I enjoyed MURDER SHE SAID (the Margaret Rutherford movie based loosley on this book) a bit more than the book. (A RARE thing for me to say)!! A should read book but not a Must Read!!!