The story is set in the quiet English village of St. Mary Mead, where life is seemingly peaceful-until Colonel Protheroe, the local magistrate and a widely disliked man, is found shot dead in the vicar's study. The vicar, Leonard Clement, is the narrator of the story. Just before the murder, he had remarked that "anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe would be doing the world a service"-a comment that comes back to haunt him. Several suspects quickly emerge: Protheroe's unhappy wife Her lover, an artist named Lawrence Redding The vicar's young, mischievous wife Villagers with secrets Enter Miss Marple: Though she appears at first as a nosy old spinster, Miss Marple proves to have unmatched observational skills and a deep understanding of human nature. She pays attention to the little things others overlook and gradually unravels the truth behind the murder.