Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder

Sleeping Murder is one of my favourite Agatha Christie books, I will warn you though I find it very creepy. As an adaptation, this version is surprisingly faithful, much more faithful than the Geraldine McEwan adaptation; that started off well but was ruined by some unnecessary plot changes. This 1987 adaptation looks wonderful, with some beautiful photography and lovely scenery and costumes without being too fancy. A number of scenes gave me nightmares when I first saw it, especially the ending. The book had real nervous edge and left some really haunting imagery inside your head, and the adaptation did very well in that aspect. The script is good, the pace isn't that slow, the music was haunting and beautiful and the acting was solid. Joan Hickson as usual is terrific in the title role, and Geraldine Alexander, like Sophia Myles in the recent version, was entirely captivating as Gwenda. Frederick Treves despite the shaky Scottish accent is quite effective as Kennedy, but John Moulder-Brown is rather wooden as Giles. All in all, a very effective adaptation of an excellent book. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A young woman, Gwenda Reed (Geraldine Alexander) falls in love with a house in England and insists that she and her new husband Giles (John Moulder-Brown) buy it.

As she stands on the stairway, she has a vision of a blond woman dead on the floor below. It doesn't make sense to her. She was sent from India to New Zealand as a child when her mother died to live with relatives. Her father remarried in England, but his wife eventually left him.

She starts renovations, which turn out to be actual features once in the house. She becomes nervous and frightened. When her Giles, who is away, calls and invites her to join him, she does.

It turns out one of his friends is Miss Marple's nephew Raymond (David McAlister) and she is visiting. That night, they all attend a performance of The Duchess of Malfi. During the monologue "Cover her face," she lets out a horrific scream and has to be taken back to the friends' home.

Gwenda confides everything to Miss Marple. Miss Marple believes she probably was in England at one point as a child and in that house. But she urges her not to delve into the past.

Nevertheless, Gwenda and her husband do, interviewing family and past suitors of her stepmother, and the people who worked in the home. Not only is there another murder, but she receives unsettling news about her father.

Excellent story and well done! As an added bonus, the husband reminded me of Brad Pitt! Beautifully photographed and much closer to the actual story than the Geraldine McEwan version with some very chilling scenes - such as the discovery of the wallpaper!

Very enjoyable, well cast, and entertaining.

Giles and his beautiful New Zealander wife Gwenda return to the UK, whilst driving through the sleepy village of Dilmouth, they drive past a house which Gwenda falls in love with, the couple quickly snap it up and move in. Gwenda starts to feel deja vu and memories of the house haunt her, she feels like she's been there before and also believes she witnessed a murder there. Miss Marple is called in to solve the puzzle and protect Gwenda.

Sleeping Murder is one of my favourite Agatha Christie novels, it has some really dark elements to it, it's very captivating with real life and intriguing characters. I think the production team did an excellent job making it, they characters seem like real people, nobody is too over the top, the story is not too way out.

There are several scenes that stand out, firstly the Dutchess of Malfi play, Jacobean drama is particularly heavy, but those words 'cover her faced mind eyes dazzle she died young,' they have such an impact, Gwenda's reaction is wonderfully sincere, the whole staging of the scene is brilliant. The unveiling of the murderer scene is also brilliant, so creepy and sinister.

There is lots of tension, they succeeded in creating a definite sense of unease, the music is really spot on, it fits perfectly. The English countryside looks so beautiful too.

The acting as always is spot on, not a single weak link in the chain. Joan Hickson is as always bang on the money. John Bennett is excellent as Richard Erskine, what a great actor. Freddie Treves is very good as the sinister Doctor Kennedy, John Moulder Brown is charming as Giles, but it's Geraldine Alexander that puts in a truly fabulous and believable performance as Gwenda, her interpretation is somehow better and more sincere then the character in the book. For years I believed she was actually a New Zealander, so she did a good job with the accent.

An excellent production that's a must for any fan of mysteries, may be a little plodding for some, but I think it's spot on, beautifully acted it's such a clever story. 9/10 Miss Marple as the hero!

Gwenda and her husband have moved to a country home in Britain. She grew up in New Zealand and is surprised that she remembers some of the sights in and around her new British home. Well, it turns out she was born and lived in Britain but was sent to New Zealand to live following a family tragedy. But what exactly that family tragedy was and why she was sent away, she has no idea and Miss Marple offers her help. But someone does NOT want the past to be dug up and this could mean danger for Gwenda.

I thought this was a weaker episode of the Miss Marple shows considering so much was told through conversations and flashbacks...an awful lot of it. This tended to make for a more passive episode experience. Still, it was interesting and is worth seeing...as are all the Marple shows.

I love the film adaptations of Agatha Christie's books starring Joan Hickson. You can't help but love them for their purely English decorum and a certain primness, for their slowness and attention to detail. "Sleeping murder" is somewhat different from such classic films as" The Moving Finger" or "The Murder on Vicarage" because it is one of lady Agatha's most terrifying stories. But at the same time, the film retains its slowness and true English atmosphere. I must admit that I was somewhat lacking in the disclosure of the characters of Gwenda and especially Giles, who turned out to be a rather gray character. Kennedy, of course, is excellent, played just brilliantly. The film itself is very atmospheric and brilliantly staged. The finale is just great, congratulations to the creators! In General, it is one of the best film adaptations with Joan Hickson in the title role. 10/10