A mysterious newspaper announcement in the sleepy village of Chipping Cleghorn claims a murder will occur at Little Paddocksdrawing both curious neighbours and Miss Marple to the scene. When an intruder is killed during the staged event, Inspector Craddock and the unflappable Miss Marple work together to unravel a labyrinth of secrets, hidden identities, and motives, with Miss Marple's sharp intuition ultimately exposing the murderer and restoring order to the village.