"The moving finger writes; and having writ, moves on . . ." From Edward FitzGerald's translation of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám Injured war hero Jerry Burton and his sister, Joanna, have come to the quiet town of Lymstock for a much needed rest. No sooner do they arrive than they become embroiled in an outbreak of poison pen writing. But Burton's not the only one in Lymstock to be stung by threats, rumors and sordid accusations. In a town where gossip is the breath of life, suspicion can spread like venom -- and disarming pranks can take deadly turns. When one of the recipients of the poison pen letters is found dead and a note that reads, "I can't go on," surfaces, only Miss Jane Marple questions the coroner's suicide verdict. Is this the work of a poison pen -- or a cunning murderer?