Monday, April 10, 2023

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

 
From the Introduction: Miss Jane Marple, literature's preeminent amateur detective and one of Agatha Christie's finest creations, first appeared in print in December 1927 in a short story called "The Tuesday Night Club."
 
For the first time in forty-five years, one of the best sleuths in all of crime fiction returns to investigate twelve new cases in Marple. Twelve authors put their own personal spin on beloved elderly spinster Jane Marple, making this quite enjoyable to read.
 
Readers get to revisit the vicarage, Gossington Hall, and other places in England, but they also get to see Jane solve crimes on Broadway in New York City, on Cape Cod, in Hong Kong, and on the Amalfi Coast in Italy-- mostly thanks to her nephew the novelist. 

All the stories are winners, and I have to admit that I do like how Miss Marple was "updated" by showing her help a young Chinese woman and an interracial couple. Even faces familiar to Marple fans are seen in a different light.

It was obvious to me that all the authors had fun writing their stories, but some seemed to have a bit more fun than others, and their stories really shone. Which ones? Val McDermid with her "The Second Murder at the Vicarage"; Elly Griffiths' "Murder at the Villa Rosa"; Karen M. McManus' "The Murdering Sort"; and Leigh Berdugo's "The Disappearance". These were my particular favorites although-- as I said-- all the stories are good.
 
This anthology breathes some life into Miss Jane Marple. Her deductive capabilities shine, and the authors made me laugh several times, especially when one mentioned the fact that all of Miss Marple's relatives could be assured of receiving one of her knitted blankets at one time or another. 

Fans of Miss Marple should enjoy this anthology, and I wouldn't be surprised if she gains new devotees who experience her talents for the first time.

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
by Lucy Foley, Val McDermid, Alyssa Cole, Natalie Haynes,Ruth Ware, Naomi Alderman, Jean Kwok, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse & Leigh Bardugo
ISBN: 9780063136052
William Morrow © 2022
Hardcover, 384 pages
 
Short Story Anthology
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

14 comments:

  1. I've had this one on my radar for yonks, undecided on whether or not to get it. After reading your thoughts I think the answer is 'yes' as I'm already a Miss Marple devotee and these new stories sound like a lot of fun.

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    1. They are. I think I was a little surprised by how much fun they were.

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  2. Like Cath, I've been wondering about this one for a very long time, Cathy. I honestly am not usually a fan of follow-ons, but some of these stories do sound good. And the authors are very talented in their own right. Hmm....

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  3. I have it on my Kindle. It is getting buried with all my other TBR. This reminded me to read it soon.

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    1. I know how easily things get buried on my Kindle. I've been trying to rectify that, and since I'm not reading as many ARCs, I may actually make some progress.

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  4. Oh, my, what a fun idea! I had not heard of this book but it is now on my reading list. Agatha Christie and her characters Miss Marple and Poirot were early influences on my life and, I might say, made me the reader I am today.

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    1. I hope you enjoy the book when you get a chance to read it, Dorothy.

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  5. I think it's so fun that all those different authors got to try their hand at writing a Miss Marple mystery story. I wonder if any felt intimidated trying to equal Agatha Christie. This is a short story collection I'd love to read. :D

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    1. I would imagine that several of them at least started out being intimidated, don't you? :-)

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  6. What a fun collection! I agree with you about something like this gaining some new devotees for Miss Marple. I will save this for a while as I am still working my way through the original Miss Marples.

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    1. Yes, I think I would save this book until I was finished with the originals, too.

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  7. A friend of mine was delighted to win an ARC, and her reaction was similar to yours. I (believe I) have read all of Christie's books, but I'm not normally a fan of short stories, so I'm not as likely to try this one, though several of the authors involved are among my favorites.

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    1. I never used to be a fan of short stories either, but that's been changing the past few years. I'm not sure why.

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