Sleeping MurderSleeping Murder
Score Classic
What it's about
Gwenda Reed, a young newlywed from New Zealand, buys an old house in an English seaside town and feels strangely at home there. Then she starts to sense things about it she couldn't know, and remembers a horrifying scene: a woman lying dead in the hall. With the help of Miss Marple, Gwenda and her husband dig into a murder that may have happened eighteen years ago.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. Christie wrote it during the Second World War as Miss Marple's last case, to be published after her death.
You'll love it if you liked
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
And Then There Were None
RebeccaGood to know
It works as a standalone. It's gentle by modern standards.
By the numbers
- Readers45 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #127 of the 233 romances we rank
- #252 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #467 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1620 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Agatha Christie
And Then There Were NoneThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Curtain
Murder on the Orient ExpressIf you like this, read next
The Forgotten Garden
A Treacherous Curse
Gone with the Wind
From Here to Eternity
Middlemarch
Memoirs of HadrianExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Sleeping Murder worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,620 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Sleeping Murder about?
Gwenda Reed, a young newlywed from New Zealand, buys an old house in an English seaside town and feels strangely at home there. Then she starts to sense things about it she couldn't know, and remembers a horrifying scene: a woman lying dead in the hall. With the help of Miss Marple, Gwenda and her husband dig into a murder that may have happened eighteen years ago.
How long does it take to read Sleeping Murder?
About 6 hours (228 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Sleeping Murder?
If you liked it, try The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie or Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.