A young woman named Gwenda Reed arrives in England to settle into a new home, only to find herself haunted by a murder she unknowingly witnessed as a child. Gwenda attempts to renovate her house and establish a life, but the discovery of a hidden crime forces her to confront a past she cannot recall. She enlists the help of Jane Marple to investigate the long-buried secret, facing resistance from those who wish to keep the truth concealed. The narrative unfolds through a third-person perspective, meticulously tracking the unraveling of a decades-old mystery within the confines of a quiet coastal town.

This novel is widely recognized as the final installment in the Miss Marple series, serving as a poignant conclusion to the character's long tenure in detective fiction. Critics often highlight the book's unique premise, which centers on a crime that occurred years before the protagonist even arrived at the scene. The pacing is noted for its deliberate, atmospheric build, reflecting the author's signature style of blending social observation with intricate puzzle-solving. Readers frequently appreciate how the story manages to maintain suspense despite the cold-case nature of the central mystery.