'Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe ,' declared the parson ,brandishing a carving knife above ajoint of roast beef , 'would be doing the world at large a favour ! ' It was` a careless remark for a man of the cloth . And one which comes back to haunt the clergyman. Just a few hours later- when the Colonel is found shot dead in the clergyman`s study .But as MISS Marple soom discovers , the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe . The first MISS Marple mystery ,one which tests all her powers of observation and deduction .