Murder at the Vicarage

The narrator and primary point of view is from the Vicar of St. Mary Mead, Leonard Clement. He is the locus of the social and spiritual life of the town. Clement is a witty, educated, compassionate man whose love for his wife, who is 20 years his junior and everything he’s supposed to disapprove of, baffles him. He and Griselda live next to Miss Marple at the Vicarage along with a visiting teenage nephew, Dennis. Because the murder happens in his house and because the nature of his job is such that people trust him with information, he is a convenient narrator for the story.

Out of all the characters in the novel, he judges those around him the least and has little bad to say about anyone, except for the rude Inspector Slack and the bullying Colonel Protheroe, whom he slanders at the beginning of the book. His understanding of human nature makes him a good observer and trustworthy narrator as well as a sounding board for Miss Marple. He is one of the only people to consistently believe in her abilities. His humor likewise makes him a relatable and engaging