| Plot Summary of The Moving Finger |
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"Jerry Burton, a recovering pilot, and his sister Joanna rent a small house in Lymstock, a small village in the English countryside. They soon receive an anonymous letter accusing them to be lovers and not brother and sister. They don't mind at all but, after a few discussions with some of Lymstock inhabitants, they learn that, for some time now, somebody is sending such letters to most of the local people. A few days later, the wife of the town lawyer commits suicide after having read one of these anonymous letters.
Although the local police investigates, the writer goes on with his detestable writings and, of course, everybody starts to suspects everybody. When Agnes, a servant, is found murdered, the minister's wife decides to ask one of her friends, Mrs. Marple, to come to Lymstock to observe the little community and search for the author of the letters. With the help of Mrs. Marple, Jerry Burton will finally understand that the letters may be a decoy that hides the real motives of the murderer. "
Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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"Jerry Burton and his sister Joanna relocate to the village of Lymstock so he can convalesce after a flying accident. His doctor feels that a quiet rest is what will speed up his healing. Everything seems typical of small town life until they receive an anonymous letter stating that they are not brother and sister. They toss the letter in the fire. However, after asking around, they realize they are one of many recipients of these types of letters. When someone appears to commit suicide because of a particularly nasty letter, the police are called in.
The police take Jerry into their confidence as he is a newcomer to Lymstock and therefore more able to be objective. Jerry talks to the villagers and gets various opinions and also forms his own. Soon there is another death, this time a murder. The police are still plodding on with their investigation and Jerry is getting concerned for his new girl friend.
Soon Miss Marple, a spinster lady very wise in the workings of small towns and villages, comes for a visit. She helps Jerry and the police put the pieces together. The murderer is then caught and all explanations are given."
, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Moving Finger |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 40%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1930's-1950's
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- british mystery (I say!)
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- seduction/blackmail
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- pilot, airforce
- pilot, civilian
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 60's-90's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
- missing body parts/abilities
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Has special powers?
Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 2
Unusual forms of death
- poisoning
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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