As Miss Marple sat basking in the Caribbeansunshine, she felt mildly discontented with life. True,the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here inparadise nothing ever happened.

Eventually, her interest was aroused by an oldsoldier’s yarn about a murderer he had known. Infuriatingly,just as he was about to show her a snapshotof this acquaintance, the Major was suddenlyinterrupted. A diversion that was to prove fatal.