The Moving Finger

The Moving Finger (1942) is a mystery novel by legendary British crime writer Agatha Christie. The novel is narrated by Jerry Burton, a wounded war veteran who is advised by his doctor to rest and recover in a small country village. As Jerry settles into his rental home in the tiny town of Lymstock, he realizes that beneath the village’s charming exterior there are dark crimes unfolding. Anonymous “poison pen” letters circulate the village, stirring up gossip and scandal amongst the townspeople, and Jerry becomes increasingly emotionally invested in resolving the mystery. Things worsen when a local woman dies by suicide, and then a shocking murder takes place in the same household. In the end, only the amateur detective Miss Marple can make sense of the tangled web of accusation, guilt, and hidden motives. The novel explores The Role of Secrecy in Small-Town Life, The Consequences of Gossip and Biased Judgment, and The Corrosive Nature of Social Paranoia.   

This guide uses the William Morrow 2009 Kindle edition. 

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of death, death by suicide, gender discrimination, ableism, mental illness, emotional abuse, and graphic violence.

Plot Summary

War veteran Jerry Burton’s doctor tells him that he will make a full recovery from the terrible injuries he received in a plane crash, advising him to rest and recover in a small village. Jerry and his sister, Joanna, decide to rent a home in the tiny village of Lymstock. Shortly after arriving, they receive a nasty letter in the mail, accusing them of being a couple having a secret affair, and they learn that such letters have been circulating in the village. 

Jerry goes into town and meets several locals: Megan Hunter, a 20-year-old misfit who is harshly judged by her neighbors; Mr. Symmington, a lawyer and Megan’s stepfather; and the beautiful Elsie Holland, the governess of the Symmington’s young sons. Jerry and Joanna go to tea at Mr. Pye’s, a wealthy local man who loves art and collecting. He derides the locals and wonders who the anonymous letter writer could be, suggesting that it must be one of the uneducated villagers. Later they attend a party at the Symmingtons’ house, where the young boys are doted on but Megan is neglected. Jerry learns that the letter problem is getting worse, and many villagers don’t want to consult the police due to the stigma of being mixed up in crime. Jerry’s friendship with Megan deepens when she shows up unexpectedly for lunch and opens up about her sadness of being excluded and judged, revealing that she hates her family and the villagers.

Jerry is out for a walk when he meets Mrs. Calthrop, a local woman and the wife of the reverend. They puzzle over the letters. Mrs. Calthrop reveals that she knows many of the town’s real secrets, none of which seem to be in the letters. Jerry finds her to be an intimidating woman. The next day Jerry and Joanna are shocked to learn that Mrs. Symmington has died by suicide after receiving an anonymous letter, and invite a grateful Megan to come stay with them while she recovers. Jerry and Joanna host Megan at their home while rumors swirl around Mrs. Symmington’s death. Even though the inquest into her death rules that she was temporarily “insane” when she died, people wonder if the accusations in the letter to her were true. Jerry is frustrated by the endless judgment and gossip, but curiosity keeps him in Lymstock. 

Jerry learns that Mrs. Calthrop hated Mrs. Symmington and has no sympathy for her death. The siblings then have another unwanted visit from Aimee Griffith, a local busybody, after which Megan abruptly decides to go home. Their maid Partridge receives a call from Agnes Woddell, a maid at the Symmingtons’ house, and arranges to have tea with her old friend, but she never shows up, which alarms Jerry. Megan calls Jerry early in the morning, telling him that Agnes was murdered in the Symmingtons’ household the afternoon before. Jerry rushes over to comfort Megan. He wonders who could have killed Agnes, and talks to the house cook and governess with Superintendent Nash.

Jerry desperately puzzles over the clues, growing suspicious of nearly everyone. While some in the village are saddened by the tragedy, others gossip meanly or even express excitement about Agnes’s death. Jerry’s involvement deepens when he finds a cut-up book in his study, the pages of which were used to make the anonymous letters. He delivers the book to the police, while Mrs. Calthrop claims that she will hire an expert who will really solve the case. Jerry attends the inquest into Agnes’s death, and is disappointed that the police don’t reveal any more information about her murder. He visits the Calthrops at the vicarage, where he shares everything he knows with their inquisitive guest, Miss Marple. 

Jerry leaves Lymstock for London for a doctor’s check-up, and spontaneously takes Megan with him. He arranges for her to be made-over, determined to transform her from an awkward and poorly dressed misfit into a beautiful, confident woman. The two have a wonderful time and Jerry realizes that he has fallen in love with Megan. Jerry goes to the Symmingtons’ house to propose to Megan, and is disappointed when she turns him down, telling him she doesn’t deserve him. He tells Mr. Symmington about his proposal, but Megan’s step-father has little to say about it, as he doesn’t care about Megan at all. Back at home, Jerry hears that Joanna has bonded with Dr. Griffith.

Superintendent Nash arrests Aimee Griffith as the anonymous letter writer and finds the cut-up pages in her bookcase. She denies it at first, but then breaks down in tears. Joanna comforts Aimee’s brother, Dr. Griffith. Jerry runs into Megan, but Miss Marple warns him to leave her alone so she can keep her courage up and do what must be done. Chilled, Jerry wonders what could be going on, and that evening walks to the Symmingtons’ house. He overhears Megan extorting Mr. Symmington, and discovers that he is in the middle of a police sting. He enters the house with the police and helps catch Mr. Symmington just as he is staging Megan’s death by suicide.

Jerry visits the Calthrops, where Miss Marple is revealed to be an incredible amateur detective who cracked the case. Miss Marple credits Jerry for giving her the facts she needed to understand the case, and explains how Mr. Symmington created the anonymous letters to be a spectacular misdirection from the murder of his wife. Afterward, he grew paranoid and murdered his maid, Agnes Woddell, while Aimee Griffith muddied the waters by sending one nasty letter to Elsie Holland, warning her away from Mr. Symmington, with whom Aimee is in love. Mr. Symmington framed Aimee by planting the book pages in her home as she was being arrested. 

Jerry and Megan marry and decide to stay in Lymstock. They purchase Little Furze from Miss Barton, who decides she will finally fulfill her dream of going on a cruise.