The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Inspector Slack and Sir Henry Clithering, who played large roles in the original story, are not featured here.

In the original novel, the family members had died in an air crash. The house is struck by a V2 rocket attack and many members of the family are killed and Conway Jefferson becomes wheelchair bound. Jefferson makes a speech, saying that the war would be ending soon and then Frank could return to his wife and home. This was during the later years of World War Two. There is a scene at the beginning showing the members of the Jefferson family at a birthday party for Frank Jefferson.(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) There is no shortage of suspects, not only family members but the handsome Raymond Starr, another of the hotel's dance professionals, and George Bartlett, the last person to see Ruby before her disappearance. Miss Marple is convinced that the solution to Ruby's murder may be found at the hotel and she and Dolly book into a suite to investigate. His son-in-law Mark Gaskell, and daughter-in-law Adelaide react variously to the news. Ruby is in favour with millionaire Conway Jefferson, whose own son and daughter were killed in a wartime air raid, and he wants to adopt her. Ruby Keane, a young girl employed as a dancer at the Majestic Hotel there, has gone missing, and her cousin Josie Turner identifies the corpse as Ruby's. Then Superintendent Harper rings from the coastal town of Danemouth. Pompous Chief Constable Melchett suspects a connection with Basil Blake, an arty young man who lives locally but Blake is dismissive when Melchett visits him. A young woman's corpse is dumped in the library of Gossington Hall, home of Jane Marple's friend Dolly Bantry and her husband Arthur.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie