A common village, a startling revelation, The residents of Chipping Cleghorn discover an unusual announcement in their daily newspapers: It has been announced that a murder would occur at Little Paddocks on Friday, October 29, at 6.30 p.m. They join together for some evening entertainment, thinking this is all a prank. A gunshot is then heard. In a last-ditch effort to find a killer, the police turn to an elderly woman who enjoys gardening and talking. After all, elderly women are the best at knowing what occurs in sleepy English communities.