Most murder mysteries are told from the point of view of the detective. Lamb to the slaughter is told in third person perspective from the point of view of the criminal, which is very unusual. This is so that we can learn more about Mary Maloney and sympathise for her. The Speckled Band is told from a first person perspective from the point of view of Sherlock Holmes, the detective. This helps us get into his character better and feel more involved in the story.
The speckled band is set in more of a typical location for a book of this genre, in an old house in the country. Lamb to the slaughter is set in a modern house in present times which is very unusual for a murder mystery book as it doesn’t give as much of a feeling of tension and horror.
Mary Maloney, who is the criminal in lamb to the slaughter, is actually more like a typical victim. Her initial description is one of a loving, caring housewife. We know that she deeply loves her husband as she waits anxiously for his return. Although she does commit a murder, the author downplays this. Her crime is a crime of passion; she doesn’t plan it in any way. She was severely provoked by her husband which caused her reaction. The fact that she killed him with a leg of lamb emphasis the fact that the author is trying to make her murder seem almost comical and cartoon like. It also reinforces the fact that she has killed in the heat of the moment, had she planned the murder she would have used a more suitable weapon. She is initially ready to give herself up, and only doesn’t do so because of her unborn baby. After the murder, her grief for her husband seems real, which shows that she is shocked that she had done such a thing. This further reinforces the fact that she acted in the heat of the moment.
The criminal in the speckled band is Dr Grimsby Roylott. He is much more of a typical criminal that you would expect to find in a murder mystery novel. However, this is partly due to the fact that the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was one of the pioneers this genre and so created the stereotypes on which we base characters. Grimsby Roylott has a definite criminal past and there are grave suspicions that he was involved in the death of Julia Stoner. We know that he physically abused Helen Stoner and that she was terrified of him. His physical description also highlights his evil nature. In fact, the first time we meet Grimsby Roylott, he acts in a very violent and aggressive manner towards Holmes. All of these features give us the impression of his stereotypical character.
The detective in Lamb to the slaughter is Jack Noonan. He is far less thorough, observant and effective as Sherlock Holmes. He does investigate Mary Maloney’s alibi but they seem to dismiss her as a suspect far too quickly. He knows her and allows this to cloud his judgement. The author ends the story making them seem stupid. The ironic ending makes the reader laugh at their inadequacy and gullibility. Sherlock Holmes is the archetypal detective. He is the role model for future criminal detectives. He is intelligent, witty, observant, brave, and courageous and he always solves the crime.
From reading these two stories, I’ve learnt that murder mystery stories can be very exciting and tense. I’d say I enjoyed the speckled band more than lamb to the slaughter, as I was more familiar with its features and themes.
