description Sleeping Murder Overview
Sleeping Murder is a Miss Marple detective novel by Agatha Christie, published posthumously in 1976. Christie wrote it decades earlier and retained it for later publication; the story follows Gwenda Reed, whose unsettling recognition of details in a newly purchased house revives memories of a killing witnessed during childhood. Miss Marple helps reconstruct the old crime, making the book a mystery about memory, concealed identity, and the danger of reopening the past.
insights Ranking position
Sleeping Murder ranks #108 of 183 in the Detective Novel ranking, behind The Little Sister, ahead of G is for Gumshoe.
help Sleeping Murder FAQ
Why does Gwenda Reed recognize the house in Sleeping Murder?
After buying a house in Dillmouth, Gwenda experiences disturbing flashes of familiarity with rooms and details she should not consciously remember. These fragments lead to the realization that she lived there as a child and may have witnessed a murder.
Why was Sleeping Murder published after Agatha Christie's death?
Christie wrote the novel decades earlier and held it back for later publication. It appeared in 1976, the year of her death, as the final published Miss Marple novel.
Is Sleeping Murder Miss Marple's last case chronologically?
It was the last Miss Marple novel published, but it was written much earlier than several books that preceded it in print. Its publication order therefore does not represent a simple final chapter in Marple's fictional life.
What does the title Sleeping Murder mean?
It refers to a long-buried killing that has remained undisturbed until Gwenda's childhood memories begin returning. Miss Marple warns against probing the past, but the supposedly sleeping crime becomes dangerous again.
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