MARPLE

SYNOPSIS

This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.

· Naomi Alderman

· Leigh Bardugo

· Alyssa Cole

· Lucy Foley

· Elly Griffiths

· Natalie Haynes

· Jean Kwok

· Val McDermid

· Karen M. McManus

· Dreda Say Mitchell

· Kate Mosse

· Ruth Ware

Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.

Title: Marple

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication date: September 15, 2022

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Murder Is Announced was the first “adult” book I ever read back when I was a kid, so Miss Marple will always have a special place in my heart. When a few months back I saw this project announced I was overjoyed, but also a bit scared. Could twelve different authors capture Miss Marple’s spirit? Past few years I’ve enjoyed Sophie Hannah’s Poirot revival quite a lot so I was optimistic this one would deliver too.

Some of the biggest names in today’s literary world contribute stories to this short story collection where we’ll find twelve new mysteries that will help new generations of readers discover this beloved character. Even though each of them put their own personal spin, overall Christie’s character shines through.

As it happens with any short story collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others. Some of my favorites were the ones penned by Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, Dreda Say Mitchell and Kate Mosse, cause while I read them I had the feeling I was reading one of Agatha Christie’s stories. And what to say about Val McDermid’s homage to The Murder At The Vicarage with The Second Murder At The Vicarage? It was such fun!

Although most of the stories are set in the quaint village of St. Mary Mead, some of these authors take the character out for a trip and we’ll meet Miss Marple in NYC accompanying her nephew Raymond, in Italy or aboard a cruise to Asia. No matter the setting, she will always find a mystery to put her mind to work.

There were a couple of stories in which I didn’t find the Marple wit and soul at all. Yes, they were stories with a character named Jane Marple, but they didn’t read as a Miss Marple story.

Anyway, it was so nice to get reacquainted with one of my favorite characters ever, and I’m sure even the toughest Agatha Christie fans will be satisfied with this collection of mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.