The novels Death of a Maiden and Appointment with Death, written by Sheila Radley and Agatha Christie, are murder mysteries describing a betrayal of trust. While both are similar in this way, it is the differences between the two novels that make the similarities remarkable. By comparing the victims, the killers, and the investigators, the differences in the novels are revealed.

The victims in the novels, Mary Gadge and Mrs. Boynton, were murdered in very different ways. Mary Gedge was drowned in Ashthorpe river in her home town of Godbold;

The girl lay face-down, arms outstretched, rushes woven among her fingers. She wore a long dress of cotton, sprigged with tiny flowers, and the hem of the dress swung and rippled round her legs with the motion of the water. Gathered flowers--enamelled buttercups, mauve lady's smock--floated about her body and clung to her hair and her dress wherever they touched. It looked a quiet way to die.

Mrs. Boynton on the other hand, died a quiet and unexplainable death. Miss. Gedge was a young woman in the prime of her life loved by everyone, while Mrs. Boynton was a grouchy old shrew whom ev

The most interesting similarity between the two books is the way they both quote Hamlet. In the Epilogue of Christies' novel Sarah Boynton, in the words of Ophelia, whom she is now playing as an actress, describes the fate of her mother, It is rather ironic, I think, that both authors use the words of one of Shakespeare most tragic figures to describe their victims.

young woman to that of Shakespeares's Ophelia. Ophelia committed suicide in the play Hamlet reflecting the inspectors original view of Mary Gedge's death. In the case of Mrs. Boynton, on the other hand inspector Poirot had numerous suspects with convincing motives.

98 Radley) He had to work hard for his position, which made his job that much more important to him. His consciousness and his embarrassment about the reference to Ophelia was one of the reasons why he despised Inspector Tait at the beginning of the novel. For inspector Tait was well educated and fairly wealthy, he had an understanding of literature comparable to that of Hercule Poirot's. In the investigation of the murders Mr. Quantrill had a much harder time finding a murderer than Hercule. Quantrill had to canvas an entire town and interview

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Approximate Word count = 803
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)