All Miss Marple stories — The Agatha Christie Community Forum Archive

Miss Marple Returns to TV

GKCfan — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 08:30:24 +0000

Take a look at this article announcing an upcoming Miss Marple series.

https://deadline.com/2019/03/miss-marple-tv-series-bruna-papandrea-agatha-christie-adaptations-1202570652/

MARCH 2019 BOOK OF THE MONTH: THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE

GKCfan — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 22:53:58 +0000

March's "Book of the Month" is The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. What happens when Hollywood comes to St. Mary Mead? When a glamorous movie star buys Gossington Hall (the Bantrys' old estate featured in The Body in the Library), the residents of the British village think that life is going to get a lot more exciting. They're certainly right, as a guest is poisoned at a big party. But who was the real target, and what's the motive? As the bodies pile up, it's up to Miss Marple to figure out the truth.

Tuesday Club Murders

SirHenryClithering — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 23:32:54 +0000

Hey, I am currently reading Agatha Christie's The Thirteen Problems. Who are your favourite characters from this short story collection? I (obviously) like Sir Henry, but how about you? Also, which story was your favourite?

Best and Worst Miss Marple?

lachy.a.w — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 06:12:02 +0000

I'm in no position to comment on this since I've only read 4.50 from Paddington but I would like everyone else's thoughts on which Marple was both the best and which you liked the least.

Miss Marple's Side-kick

Tommy_A_Jones — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 14:58:01 +0000

If Agatha Christie had given Miss Marple a Permanent or Occasional Side-Kick who should it have Been? Dolly? Miss Dane Calthorp? Cherry, Bunch? Grizelda or Lucy? If she had been in Death On The Nile I would have liked to see Dolly Accompany her or Cherry and maybe Evil Under The Sun too.

Filming in Nether Wallop, Hampshire

biafranbaby — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 21:50:58 +0000

I live at The old Chapel, Nether Wallop which featured as St Mary Mead village school in the BBC's 1985 adaptation of "A Pocket Full of Rye". I would be interested in hearing from anybody who can identify locations of the three (?) episodes filmed in this village. Was "A Murder is Announced" (1985) filmed in Nether Wallop?

Favorite Miss Marple Stories?

Mus — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 21:41:30 +0000

My favorites are A Body in the Library and A Murder is Announced. Very gripping.

What Poirot novels do you think would be better suited to Miss Marple?

HerculeAndAchille — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 14:06:23 +0000

I read certain Poirots recently and realised how much better suited Miss Marple would have been as the detective.
Which ones do you think fall under this category?
(Before Christie purists, one of which I am, pick up the pitchforks - this is just speculation!)

The Moving Finger or Oh Where or Where Did Miss Marple Go?

Annika — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 02:44:33 +0000

I just finished rereading The Moving Finger. I have read it numerous times but haven't read it in several years. I was struck this time by how little Miss Marple is in The Moving Finger. I kept waiting for her to show up and it wasn't until the last 50 pages that she quietly makes an appearance and solves the case. I can't believe I never noticed this before and I think it can only be because I have watched the TV adaptations multiple times and she is in the entire show of course.

Is anyone else surprised by how little Miss Marple appears in this story? Does anyone think perhaps she needn't have been written into this particular mystery?

July's Book of the Month: A Caribbean Mystery

Tuppence — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:29:33 +0000

As Miss Marple sat basking in the Caribbean sunshine she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened. Eventually, her interest was aroused by an old soldier’s yarn about a murderer he had known. Infuriatingly, just as he was about to show her a snapshot of this acquaintance, the Major was suddenly interrupted. A diversion that was to prove fatal.

A Caribbean Mystery has been described as one of Christie's most solvable mysteries. Would you agree?

The Thirteen Problems

Tommy_A_Jones — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 15:06:32 +0000

I have just read The Thirteen Problems and have concluded that I prefer the 2nd Gathering to the 1st and I realise Jane Hellier is not so unfair as I previously thought as Raymond didn't know the solution to Ingots of Gold did he and nor did Joan/Joyce with The Bloodstained Pavement, What to others think of this book?

featuring Miss Marple

silvana — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 04:13:09 +0000

Is Miss Marple always necessary in the Miss Marple novels? For instance in A Pocketful of Rye ...Could Inspector Neele solve the crime on his own?

Nemesis

Tommy_A_Jones — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:58:55 +0000

I am on the last bit of Nemesis for the 2nd Time and loved it as much as the first time, I do think Jason Raphiel could have given Miss Marple more of a hint as to what he wanted her to do something like "Please find the Truth" secondly I think it would be great if Cooke and Barrow were 2 of Mr Goby's Operatives and I do hope Miss Marple didn't appologise to Joanne and Emlyb for suspecting them after the way they treated Joanna's Relative.

All Three Miss Marples versions of one story?

CA_Christie_Fan — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:07:03 +0000

Although I love Joan Hickson in A Murder is Announced and At Bertram's Hotel, I recently viewed Geraldine McEwan's versions of both those stories and enjoyed the experience. That led me to try Julia McKenzie's version of The Mirror Cracked From Side to Side, and it was also a treat! Do any of you know of a Miss Marple story that was done by all three Miss Marples: Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan, and Julia McKenzie? Am enjoying watching new versions of my Joan Hickson favorites, and would love to see a few that they all did!

The Body In The Library: I have a question

Tommy_A_Jones — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 12:48:46 +0000

I have just finished The Body In The Library and I have a question, Who is Ruth and Naomi? They are mentioned in the Denumont and I don't remember them

"They do it with mirrors" - a problem.

taliavishay-arbel — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 14:17:50 +0000

I'm rereading "They do it with mirrors" and there is something bothering me. After a couple of days of visiting, Miss Marple asks Carrie-Louise whether she has any worries. She answers: "...I've never been able to alter people - I don't see how you can. So it wouldn't be any good worrying, would it?"

But if she feels people can't be altered, how is is that she supports an institute that is dedicated to changing young delinquents? Her statement fits the conclusion of the whole book SPOILER - that the chief idealist turns out to also be a master criminal - but not her behavior before and during most of the story.

Anyone have any explanation?

By the way, as some of you know, I'm hooked on comparisons between books by different mystery writers. Well, in Ellis Peters' "Rainbow's End" there is mention of a school for young delinquents, with pretty much the same philosophy - that many juvenile delinquents are bright but need chalanging and channeling. There the school did it's job - students turned out well, and the character who is an alumni of the school is actually an actor - but the school closed because of lack of funds. Ironic, considering that in TDIWM lack of funds for the school is at the bottom of the crime.

Are Christie Leatherette Books Edited?

Scottys8166 — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 01:21:18 +0000

I have read several of Christie's Bantam leatherette books and recently finished 'The Moving Finer' but earlier today I was in a bookstore and saw an older edition of this book. This older edition was a paperback from the 1970s. I opened to the first chapter and noticed that the text was different - in fact, the whole first chapter was nearly different. I was shocked. Are all the Bantam leatherette books edited or what? I feel like I may have missed out by not reading earlier editions.

First Marple stories compared to the last.

katy0136 — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 21:11:54 +0000

Does anyone have any comments on how Christie's stories differ in the later years? For example The Carribean Mystery, Bertram's Hotel and Nemesis. Some people say the pace slows down, the kind of stories she writes change and the characters within the stories change but is that the case?

Happiest Memories of reading an Agatha Christie

MarcWatson-Gray — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 18:48:31 +0000

I have just been sitting in my garden on a beautiful, sunny evening with my dog beside me whilst reading Death On The Nile and feeling very blessed.
This made me wonder,if anyone has any particular memories of a time and place whilst reading and Agatha Christie that brings back happy thoughts ?

which order is the best to read Miss Marple novels?

helsbels172 — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:17:14 +0000

Can anyone recommend the best order to read the Miss Marple books? I've read Murder at the vigarage so far. Some people say the publication order but some say read sleeping murder second as that was written after that one but wasn't published til alot later. I each case is seperate and can be read in any order but I want to read them in the order of how her life develops,her nephew,great niece etc Thanks

Sleeping Murder

JanetBrown — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 01:50:33 +0000

The book has numerous references to 'The Duchess of Malfi' and Gwen and Miss Marple even go and see the play, so I was wondering, as I haven't seen the play, how important it is to the story and what the play is about?

Mirror cracked from side to side..... REAL LIFE?

aggierocks — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 21:27:31 +0000

I can't get any feedback on this so here goes, gang...... This story surely MUST have been based on part of the life of Gene Tierney. The whole thing about what happened to her baby with Oleg Cassini. It's too exact to be an accident. But in the bios I've read this is dismissed. It's been said AC HAD NO IDEA such a thing had ever happened to Tierney. Comments or info?

Raymond and Wife

Tommy_A_Jones — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 14:58:26 +0000

Does anyone dislike The West's as much as me, I am re-reading The 13 Problems and from the start of The Tuesday Club it is obvious to me that he has one thing on his mind, that is to one day get possession of his Aunt's Cottage which he loves so much as it would obviously be a great bolt hole to escape to and write, he doesn't have Miss Marple's well-being in mind just the thought that if he utters her up and pays for her to go away he will inherit and his wife is the same they deserve each other, Joyce?Joan is as obnoxious as he is, no wonder he employed the Patronizing Miss Knight to look after her, luckily Miss Marple knows what Raymond is like, hopefully she leaves him just a Token amount of money realising he doesn't need much, I hope she leaves the House to Cherry and large amounts of money to Bunch and Dermot.

Shock Value in Television adaptions or honesty ?

MarcWatson-Gray — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 19:35:11 +0000

A friend of mine recently commented on the ( very obvious) gay and lesbian characters in the Marple television adaptions.(The body in the library.The moving finger)

He feels that this was another attempt by producers to be more P.C. and appeal to modern viewers or a bit of shock value.

i pointed out that in the books there are some hints at a characters' sexuality.

Can anyone name any characters that they feel were Gay or Lesbian ?

Did Agatha Christie (In your opinion) draw a pretty good all 'round representation of the people of Britain in her books,given the restraints of the times ?

Does it really matter ? (As regards to the stories)

At Bertram's Hotel

Laisaac — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:00:28 +0000

What is your opinion on 'At Bertram's Hotel'? I saw the TV-adaption with Geraldine McEwan before I read the book, and I really liked it. But then I read the book and I thought it wasn't as good (shame on me). What do you think?

Murder at the Vicarage as AC's clever, covert reimagining of Pride & Prejudice

ArniePerlstein — Wed, 07 May 2014 21:15:55 +0000

As my Discussion Title indicates, I believe that Murder at the Vicarage (MATV) is, in (at least) 16 different ways, a covert homage by Agatha Christie to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice (P&P). In the following-linked blog post…. http://sharpelvessociety.blogspot.com/2014/05/answers-to-special-country-village.html ….I have set forth below those 16 different ways which collectively establish this veiled allusion. I am curious to hear the reaction of diehard Christie fans, especially those among you who are also Janeites. I particularly encourage you to react to any or all of 16 components of that allusion, and bring them back here for discussion. Cheers, ARNIE PERLSTEIN @JaneAustenCode on Twitter

4.50 from Paddington: source of the Mark Twain reference

e_m — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 23:03:29 +0000

From the book: ‘My own process of reasoning was not really original,’ said Miss Marple. ‘It’s all in Mark Twain. The boy who found the horse. He just imagined where he would go if he were a horse and he went there and there was the horse.’

Does anyone know the Mark Twain story that inspired Miss M?

The body in the library

romifran — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 08:34:44 +0000

Hallo! Happy to be part of Mrs Agatha Christie's community!
I'm an Italian teacher, and I'm writing a thesis about "The body in the library" and the rule of the library in this novel.
I would be glad to have some more information about this, if you have any.
I also have a specific question: for which reason in the movie dated 2004 (directed by Andy Wilson, with the fantastic Geraldine Mc Ewan starring Miss Marple) and adapted from the novel were so many features changed in comparison with Mrs Agatha Christie's plot?
Thank you very much for your kind help and congratulations for your wonderful website!
Roberta Dell'Elice

Maids

JanetBrown — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 21:31:05 +0000

Can you list all of miss marple's maids, including their name, fate and story they belong to?

Marple and her Maids

JanetBrown — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 07:27:30 +0000

In some of her novel it seems like Miss Marple acts as a mother figure to many of her maids. Do you think so? Is this normal in the 20th century?