Not bad for a first book in a series. Despite the dialogue-tag overdose of said and the lack of attention to description, The Murder at the Vicarage is a fun, faintly thrilling (in a way that keeps you turning the pages until the revelation) whodunit featuring a cast of hilarious characters. This reminds me so much of the Mrs. Jeffries series by Emily Brightwell which I grew up reading. They're both set in the post-Victorian era; they both have an old woman who helps solve the crimes. I like Miss Jane Marple; she's an insightful, persnickety woman -- old but sharp nonetheless. And I like the backdrop of a small English village; there's something cozy about it. I hope the later installments in the series get better.