What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! by Agatha Christie

Elspeth McGillicuddy had completed a day of Christmas shopping and was returning home on what was to be a very eventful train ride. On the ride, her train was passed by another train, and when Mrs. McGillicuddy looked out the window she saw what was happening in a compartment on the passing train. A woman whose face was contorted was being strangled by a man who had his back to Mrs. McGillicuddy. Mrs. McGillicuddy told the ticket collector about what happened, and he assumed that this elderly woman was just imagining things. Later she told the station master and sent a letter to the police; both of them paid no attention.

She then told her good friend, Jane Marple, who did believe Mrs. McGillicuddy, and who took action to find the body. Assuming that the woman's body had been thrown from the train, Miss Marple found a place on the train line where it was most likely to have landed. Since Miss Marple was getting a bit too old to carry out investigations her self, she hired the very efficient and intelligent Lucy Eyelesbarrow, an Oxford educated house keeper, to seek employment in the home of the Crackenthorpes which was located near the site where Miss Marple suspected the body would be located. Lucy was carry to out her employment part of the day, and search for the body in the remaining time.

Lucy was successful in her mission to find the body of the woman. Now it became essential to find out who she was as well as who killed her. Miss Marple, of course, succeeds at this even though she is at a distance from the scene of the crime as well as at a distance from all of the suspects.

This book was published in 1957. In 1961, a movie was made of this book. It starred Margaret Rutherford. In 1987, BBC made a version of the book starring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. In 2004, ITV did another version of this book starring Geraldine McEwan in the role of Miss Marple.