Wrap Up!

The other posts were a little early on sneak preview into the novel to give a sense of what it was about. I wanted the readers to be intrigued and interested to find out what happens next. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I am sure others who take the time to read it will too. Agatha Christie is a terrific and detailed author who knows how to keep someones' attention. This story is unfortunately Miss Jane Marple's last case but it is definitely worth reading. The drama, suspense, and curiosity makes it very difficult to put the book down which is the same for all of her other novels that I have read.

Chapter Four of Sleeping Murder

Miss Marple and Gwenda were still discussing and she was getting very nervous and awfully confused considering she never knew anyone with the name Helen. It made her feel even worse that she found out that Giles is flying home in a week. Gwenda began to feel scared to ever go back home to that house again and she did not know what to tell Giles. Later on the two ladies tried to figure out why she was having these incidents happen to her. It was baffling to her because she had never lived in England before or ever been to that house but then Jane asked her if it was possible that these incidents were actual memories that she had suppressed until now. With a little insight from Miss Marple, Gwenda recalled that she did live in England with her father after her mother died until she was five years old. Gwenda and her father lived in that very house and she stayed in that nursery for the majority of her childhood but did not remember until going back there again after all those years. Jane Marple also believed that Gwenda truly did witness a murder but as a child blocked it out and eventually forgot about it. They both decided then that it would be helpful to write to someone to figure more out about this Helen character. She then thought to write to her Aunt Alison by airmail who would have knowledge over whether or not she lived in England and if those were actual memories. Gwenda felt such relief to know she was not going mad and thanked Miss Marple for all of her help but Miss Marple still felt that there was more to the story than just that.

Chapter Three of Sleeping Murder

Gwenda Giles is now in London, England staying in the Chelsea house with Raymond and Joan West who are cousins of Giles. Gwenda was not overly thrilled about staying with them considering they are known to be a bit arrogant and she found them to make her uncomfortable at times. Although their flaws did not matter very much because Gwenda just felt relieved to be out of that house in Dillmouth. A little further in the chapter is when Jane Marple is finally introduced as Raymond's Aunt Jane. He would go on to say how Jane could solve any mystery or any problem that anyone had and Gwenda was in desperate need of guidance. After everyone exchanged pleasantries with each other they all went out to the theater to see a drama. During the play, Gwenda began to feel afraid as the actor said his lines. The lines were "Cover her face; mine eyes dazzle: she died young". After hearing those words she jumped right out of her chair, screamed at the top of her lungs, ran out of the theater, and went back to the Chelsea house. Everyone came home shortly after and found Gwenda hysterical and were unsure as to what had happened. Miss Marple began to get curious and the next morning came and she started asking Gwenda questions. Gwenda explained the entire story to her and then got into the incident that occurred the previous night. She stated that the play was actually enjoyable but towards the end as the actor said his lines Gwenda saw in her mind a girl lying there on the stairs completely sprawled out and dead. It appeared that she had been strangled and someone was there saying those exact horrible lines to the dead body. Miss Marple then asked who was dead and the only reply Gwenda could come up with was the name Helen.

Chapter Two of Sleeping Murder

The second chapter of the novel gives the reader more of a sense as to what has happened in that house. A month has passed since she has been in that house without her husband, Giles. Renovations were being made to the house and most of them were completed or almost there. Throughout the chapter Gwenda has known things about the house that she did not realize. For example, the cabinet in the nursery was covered up and painted over but underneath it the wallpaper had little bunches of poppies alternating with bunches of cornflowers. That would not be so strange except for the fact that she had imagined the exact same pattern to use for her new drapes in that room and had no idea. Another instance was when she first met Foster, the gardener. Gwenda mentioned that she wanted a path leading down to the lawn and the sea which was fairly close to the house. Foster was surprised considering there had been steps in that spot originally but had planted over with many different shrubs and other things over the years. He was pleased with Gwenda because he felt the same way she did which was that it looked much nicer to have steps. Lastly was the incident in the hallway coming out of the drawing room. Gwenda was in her drawing room writing letters and walked out a little later on in the wrong direction and walked right into the wall thinking there was a door leading to the dining room and had done that a few times. It turns out there actually was a door there in the exact same spot that she ran into several times but it was painted over. She had absolutely no knowledge of that so naturally she began to believe that she was clairvoyant. The house began to frighten Gwenda so she sent a telegram to Giles' cousins in London, England accepting their invitation for her to come visit them for a while which she had gotten earlier in the chapter.

Chapter One of Sleeping Murder

Sleeping Murder  is a novel written by the author known as Agatha Christie. This particular story includes one of her most famous characters named Jane Marple or Miss Marple. This will be her last and final investigate case. The first chapter of the novel starts off with Gwenda Reed, a young and married twenty one year old, who has just recently moved to England. Her husband named Giles Reed is not with her at the time because of his travels for work. The two of them have only been married for three months but they decided it was time to search for a permanent residency. She had spent her time searching and searching for a home and after about a week later she came across something fascinating. Down the road entering into Dillmouth she noticed a small white Victorian villa that was for sale and was so intrigued that she had to take a look. After examing and viewing the house with the owner known as Mrs. Hengrave, Gwenda deciced to purchase the home even though she knew there would need to be installments, adjustments, and redecorating. After Gwenda settled the paper work, she walked down the stairs of the house and felt a wave of irrational terror that she could not quite put her finger on. It raised a little suspicion for her so she asked Mrs. Hengrave if the house was known to be haunted and she was quite surprised by that question. Mrs. Hengrave never knew of the house being haunted. Then again the house was over one hundred years old so people were bound to have died there during that period. Later on Gwenda had written a letter to her husband saying that she had purchased a house and that she knew he would be as excited about it as she was.