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Poster for Murder by the Book

Murder by the Book

Seen it?

1986 | 51 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, TV Movie

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Aimed squarely at people who can't resist a good whodunit and crime fans. The investigation drives everything, one lead at a time. Same wavelength as Sherlock: The Abominable Bride or Evil Under the Sun.
The mood
Tense, dark and gritty.
The pace
Quiet, then quietly devastating, at 51 min. An easy one to fit in on a school night.
What might put you off
Skip it if you like your heroes clean-cut.

Agatha Christie’s agents propose that it’s time for her to publish the manuscript she wrote thirty-five years earlier, a novel in which she finally kills off her most famous creation. And it’s not an entirely sad occasion. “That wretched little man,” she says. “He’s always been so much trouble. How is it Miss Marple has never upset me at all, not ever?” That night, who should appear at her doorstep but the wretched little man himself, Hercule Poirot? The great fictional detective and his creator proceed to play a very Christie-like game of cat and mouse for the manuscript – and for their own lives.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    Not enough engagement data yet

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Cast & crew

Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark

  • Peggy AshcroftAgatha Christie
  • Ian HolmHercule Poirot
  • Richard WilsonSir Max Mallowan
  • Michael AldridgeEdmond Cork
  • John AtkinsonGardener
  • Dawn ArchibaldSally