I saved "A Murder Is Announced" for last in my Joan Hickson - Miss Marple viewing marathon, because I've read more than once that it's the best of the series. Personally I wouldn't go THAT far - I'd still rank "The Body In The Library" above it and "Nemesis" about equal - but it is certainly one of the better entries in the series. Not so much for the plot, which is filled with twists ("I'm Pip"!), false identities, coincidences (the killer just happens to be visiting Miss Murgatroyd EXACTLY when she's remembering crucial information about the night of the first murder), but the identity of the killer won't impress any longtime Agatha Christie fans who have learned to be suspicious of repeated unsuccessful murder attempts. And not so much for the direction either, which is at times inspired (the "lights out" moments are really well done) but mostly just functional. No, it's the characters that make "A Murder Is Announced" stand out among most Hickson-Marple films: just about everyone, from the sarcastic, witty Samantha Bond & Simon Shepherd to the tough Paola Dionisotti and from the slightly nutty Mary Kerridge to the calm, smooth-voiced John Castle, they're all strongly drawn and vividly acted. (***)
