Murder at the Vicarage characters

Appears from the start

The vicar of St Mary Mead and the story's narrator. Thoughtful, tolerant, and more observant than his mild manner suggests, he is drawn into the inquiry when Colonel Protheroe is found dead in his study.

Appears from the start

Leonard's much younger wife. Her candour, unconventional habits, and sharp social instincts regularly unsettle the more traditional residents of St Mary Mead.

Also known as Miss Marple

Appears from the start

An elderly St Mary Mead resident with a gift for noticing small inconsistencies and comparing village behaviour with familiar patterns of human weakness.

Also known as Colonel Protheroe

Appears from the start

A wealthy, domineering magistrate widely disliked in the village. He has come into conflict with his family, the vicar, and several local residents before he is found shot at the vicarage.

Appears from the start

Colonel Protheroe's second wife, considerably younger than her husband. She is unhappy in her marriage and has attracted village gossip through her friendship with Lawrence Redding.

First appears in chapter 2

Colonel Protheroe's daughter from his first marriage. Defiant and difficult to read, she has a strained relationship with both her father and her stepmother.

Appears from the start

A young artist working in St Mary Mead. His closeness to Anne Protheroe is already a source of scandal when the murder brings his movements under official scrutiny.

First appears in chapter 3

The forceful police inspector assigned to the case. Energetic and confident in conventional methods, he has little patience for village gossip or Miss Marple's indirect observations.

First appears in chapter 3

The county chief constable and an old acquaintance of the Clements. He supervises the investigation and treats Leonard as a useful witness rather than an immediate outsider.

Also known as Hawes

First appears in chapter 2

Leonard's nervous curate. His troubled manner and private difficulties make his behaviour an additional puzzle during the investigation.

First appears in chapter 3

The village doctor and a friend of Leonard. Practical and discreet, he examines the body and helps the investigators assess medical questions surrounding the crime.

First appears in chapter 5

A poised, seriously ill woman who has recently taken a house in St Mary Mead. Her guarded interest in the Protheroe family makes her presence significant to the inquiry.