A brand new collection of Miss Marple stories written by twelve bestselling authors 45 years after Agatha Christie’s final Marple novel was published posthumously in 1976.

I went in hoping that the twelve authors would capture the Miss Marple Christie wrote about, but also giving her their own twist and I have to say that it was a strange yet welcome experience reading brand new stories; each kept the essence of the original Marple stories whilst each author added their own quirks to the character(s).

Dreda Say Mitchell & Karen M. McManus’ stories were my favourites but I did enjoy each one!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being a massive Miss Marple fan, I was extremely excited to receive an ARC of this book, thanks to netgalley and the publishers.

It is a collection of twelve stories told be various authors. I found it incredibly enjoyable and feel it is a must read for any Marple fans.

Miss Marple - written by twelve of the most successful and inspiring female writers - absolutely fantastic. Some of my favourite authors have penned their version of one of the most famous amateur sleuth's, Miss Jane Marple. The consistency to the originals is outstanding. Whilst this task was most likely huge to each of these writers, following in the footsteps of Agatha Christie herself and attempting to replicate and embody that of her characters - but they do it so well. Despite the short length of each of these stories, the depth to them is fantastic. Some stories definitely stand out more than other - Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo and Lucy Foley - that said everyone will have their own favourite.
I will now be re-reading the Miss Marple stories by Agatha Christie and exploring the authors themselves and the books I haven't read thanks to this little gem.
Thank you so much netgalley and the published for affording me this opportunity to read these.

I think I’m going to be in the minority here as I didn’t love this one.

I’ll admit to never having read an Agatha Christie novel before but I was excited to get this one.

The book is a collected of 12 short stories. For me, there were a few that I really enjoyed but the the rest I struggled to get into. Possibly they took too long to get to the point and kind of missed the mark on being short! Others were a bit confusing as to what the setting was.

Looking back I may have enjoyed each story more if I read something else in between them.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of twelve contemporary authors writing new stories featuring Agatha Christie's beloved Miss Marple. As with most books of this type, the quality varies from story to story, but overall they are of a reasonably high quality, as you would expect from writers of this calibre.

There a couple of instances where I wasn't sure that the Miss Marple character as I had pictured her from my reading would have acted as the authors have her doing, but these were outnumbered by the instances of knowing nods to previous books and recurring characters.

Overall, Marple is a loving tribute to a well-loved character, and is sure to be well received by fans both old and new.

Rating - 3.5 stars rounded off to 4

A wonderful nostalgic trip down the memory lane for Agatha Christie fans!

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Marple : Twelve New Stories is a collection of short stories based on Christie’s popular female detective Miss Marple. When I saw that twelve brilliant authors were collaborating to reimagine Marple’s shenanigans, it was mouth-watering and utterly inviting not to grab the chance to read!

The idea behind this book is ingenious. We have fresh perspectives of modern thriller writers, who take us back to the 60s and 70s, with various settings, from Marple’s own little village of St Mary Meads, all the way to Manhattan.

However, just as with all short stories, I seemed to want more with every story. I felt that the premise was progressing too fast for me to keep up with.

Furthermore, it was also as if Miss Marple herself had to hurry up and produce the clues out of thin air 😆- so as to solve this mystery so that she could soon move on to the next 🙃!

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed some of these, particularly - The Mystery of the Acid soil by Kate Mosse, Miss Marple’s Christmas by Ruth Ware and The Disappearance by Leigh Burdago. These had just the right atmosphere with the perfect amount of mystery vibes surroundig their settings.

Unfortunately, some of the others felt underwhelming and a bit mediocre 🙈.

Miss Marple is undoubtedly at her very best, working her magic in unravelling the mysteries - entertaining us with her sharpness, wit and sleuthing skills.

Fans of Christie and Marple, will find this collection very eclectic!

This collection of new Miss Marple stories by various authors - all women - is, on the whole, remarkably faithful to the tone, style and character of the original; there were many times when I could easily have forgotten I wasn't actually reading a Christie story. With excellent contributions from the illustrious likes of Kate Mosse, Naomi Alderman, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths and more, all of whom are clearly very familiar with the world of Miss Marple, it's a lovely read.

The stories take us from the familiarity of St Mary Mead to an Oxford college, the Amalfi coast, a cruise to Hong Kong, and (twice) the USA. This is all perfectly fine - while we tend to think of Miss Marple in a village environment, she certainly didn't always stay there. She remains, however, the pink-and-white old lady we know and love, with china blue eyes and a deceptively fluttery manner belying a mind like a steel trap.

Admittedly, it's a little difficult to imagine Jane Marple in Manhattan, but that's where Alyssa Cole takes her, invited for a visit to attend a stage adaptation of her nephew Raymond's most popular novel (the delightfully titled Sordid and Unpleasant. How very Raymond.)

Karen McManus's YA slant - told by Miss Marple's teenage great-niece and taking place in Cape Cod - is perhaps the furthest removed from the original, but still a good read.

There are some cracking stories here, many of which, as I said above, could easily fit into a Christie anthology.

Altogether a loving and faithful homage to one of detective fiction's most beloved characters.

I love Agatha Christie and have read all her books, so I was excited to see this anthology, which has twelve new Miss Marple stories written by bestselling crime authors.

It has been a while since I last read a Miss Marple story, however, and I suspect my memory has been muddled by the various TV and film adaptations! Which is why I had Joan Hickson in my head throughout this book, along with Joanna Lumley every time Dolly Bantry made an appearance. I can't really judge if the authors have correctly captured Christie's 'voice' but they have certainly captured the flavour of her Miss Marple stories and they are all of an exceptional standard.

The stories are as follows:

Evil in Small Places by Lucy Foley
The Second Murder at the Vicarage by Val McDermid
Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole
The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes
Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware
The Open Mind by Naomi Adlerman
The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok
A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell
Murder at the Villa Rosa by Elly Griffiths
The Murdering Sort by Karen M. McManus
The Mystery of the Acid Soil by Kate Mosse
The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo

My favourites (in no particular order) were: The Second Murder at the Vicarage, A Deadly Wedding Day, Murder at the Villa Rosa, The Murdering Sort, The Mystery of the Acid Soil and The Disappearance, but they were all very good! I think my only complaint is that no original Miss Marple story was included.

This anthology was a clever idea and a lot of fun. Even with my rusty knowledge I recognised reoccurring characters (Raymond West, Dolly Bantry and Sir Henry Clithering) and references to other stories (The Murder at the Vicarage and A Caribbean Mystery). Marple would make the perfect present for any fan of cosy crime, 'golden age' mysteries - and of Agatha Christie, obviously!


Thank you to the authors and Harper Collins UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Wow! A delicious recipe of 12 'new' Miss Marple stories, all written by best selling authors and I loved it!

As you'd expect from 12 different authors, some I enjoyed more than others. However, overall, a fantastic idea, well executed. I'm not a great fan of short stories, but, I couldn't resist this book and am so glad I read. It doesn't compare to the original author, but, then I'm not sure that was the intention. Overall, a fun read.

Marple: Twelve New Stories by Agatha Christie; 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, HarperCollins Sep 2022.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected proof for reveiw.

Miss Marple has been dealt with extremely well by the writers in this collection. They have been helped by the selection of the Miss Marple story written by Agatha Christie with which the collection begins. The story presents a stronger Miss Marple, with less dithering and twittering than is apparent in the novels depicting this village detective. The writers have emulated this image, taking guidance from the short story, rather than reflecting upon the imagery in the novels. Together with this, some have given Miss Marple some strong views about antisemitic, classist and sexist behaviour. Here I feel that they are being kind to Agatha Christie whose writing sometimes includes all of these failures. However, the inclusion of more modern approach does not detract from the excellent characterisation of this appealing detective who uses her village analogies to great effect in unravelling mysteries.

Lucy Foley begins the collection of authors following in Christie’s footsteps with a story that features a very recognisable Miss Marple. She is astute, brings her domestic and village knowledge to her reasoning, and is unafraid of the nastiness she might uncover. The last sentence does Christie proud. Val McDermaid uses the Christie novel, Murder at the Vicarage, plot and characterisation to good effect. Mis Marple travels as part her nephew’s generosity in several stories, introducing some exotic locations, somewhat in the manner of some Miss Marple novels. The short stories demonstrate that murder can take place anywhere, but it is the village analogy that brings a criminal to justice.

Ruth Ware combines Raymond and Joan, Miss Marple’s nephew and his wife, Christmas celebrations, and Mrs and Colonel Bantry from The Murder in the Library to good effect in Miss Marple’s Christmas. Ware is particularly clever in that, rather than impose her own approach to crime, she fully immerses herself in Christie and Marple’s. The last story, by Leigh Bardugo, The Disappearance, also features Raymond and Joan. This time Miss Marple shivers in their modern flat, the ‘glorious light’ admired by Joan anathema to Miss Marple because of its accompanying cold. The story ends with two old women, Miss Marple and Dolly Bantry, finding a warm place to venture, while finalising their detection of a crime.

This collection is a worthy tribute to Miss Marple and Agatha Christie. In particular, the writers take Christie’s character, and write stories that adopt the characteristics for which Miss Marple is known, while gently adapting some to meet the times in which they are writing. In maintaining Christie’s sense of story to suit her character, and maintaining her as Christie’s character, rather than their own, the writers have provided Christie lovers with an admirable collection.


ep 2022 Sep 2022

A collection of new Miss Marple stories by modern authors including Val McDermid, Ruth Ware, & Karen M. McManus. The stories are very varied & take place, not just in the sleepy yet murderous village of St Mary Mead & further afield in rural England, but there are cases set in Manhattan, on the Amalfi coast, & on a ship bound for Hong Kong. There are weddings, parties, & holidays abroad which hide deceit, murder, blackmail, & all sorts of skullduggery just under the surface. As with most collections, some stories work better than others, & my particular favourites were 'Miss Marple's Christmas' by Ruth Ware, & 'The Mystery of the Acid Soil' by Kate Mosse. I felt that these authors captured the spirit of Christie's indomitable senior citizen detective the most accurately.

I'm a big fan of Agatha Christie's work & I especially loved the TV series of Miss Marple starring Joan Hickson, who for me, was the quintessential Marple. I couldn't help but picture Hickson in the stories which helped them really come alive. Miss Marple is the ultimate lesson in not judging someone by their looks or their age - she must be in her nineties in these books & still sharp as a tack. The only one I really had reservations about was the final book where the ending to me seemed a little out of character for Miss Marple. It was also nice to see the recurrence of some characters from the original books including nephew Raymond, & Arthur & Dolly Bantry. I rate this one a very enjoyable 4 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan so I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book.

I was not disappointed at all. I found the stories to be enjoyable and enjoyed having Miss Marple back with new mysteries to solve. I particularly enjoyed Ruth Ware's story but I also enjoyed the others. I was apprehensive about some, especially where she is travelling but I found them to be enjoyable. Though unlikely Christie would have written about Marple in Manhatten, it was still a good read and one which amused me as I have always enjoyed the relationship between Marple and her nephew.

The stories were well written, good lengths and fun to read, yes as a Christie fan I would definitely recommend.

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and read some of her novels multiple times. However, while I’ve read most of the Hercule Poirot novels, Miss Marple is still quite unknown to me. So far, I’ve read only one of the novels featuring the woman turned detective whose shrewd intelligence and inquisitive eyes lead her to solve cases that the police can’t, but after reading these intriguing and entertaining twelve short stories, I think I need to start focusing my attention on the legendary Jane Marple.

Each story is unique while also remaining faithful to the original stories and each features a different case in which Miss Jane Marple somehow gets involved. There is of course murder, but there is also blackmail, theft, mistaken identities, revenge, jealousies, inheritances at stake, missing jewels, and, in one case, a missing groom. And while the police thinks the case is quite straightforward and the culprit is arrested, Jane Marple analyses the complexity of each situation and the characters in play and reveals the often shocking truth.

“It wasn’t the first and it wouldn’t be the last time she was dismissed as a silly old woman with one foot in the grave.”

People often underestimate Miss Jane Marple because of her age and her sex. She wears tweed, tea and cherry are her drinks of choice, she is often found knitting or attending to her garden or taking part in gossip. She is barely noticed, not at all threatening, but nothing goes past her and she quietly solves cases. From her small village of St Mary Mead to New York, from Hong Kong to the Amalfi coast, whether it is during a wedding ceremony or a Christmas dinner, on a cruise or dining at the high table of an Oxford college, there is never a dull moment for Miss Jane Marple.

Marple: Twelve New Stories is an incredible and original collection of short stories written by twelve fantastic and renowned authors (including some of my favourite): Lucy Foley, Val McDermid, Alyssa Cole, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Naomi Alderman, Jean Kwok, Dreads Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, and Leigh Bardugo.

This is perfect for any Miss Marple fan. The short story collection is a really welcome return to St Mary Mead and beyond with Jane Marple saving the day every time.
All the authors have managed to keep the essence of Jane in a timeless way, like with all collections some are slightly better than other ( in my opinion) but all are enjoyable.

The stories:
Twelve modern authors take on the mantle of Agatha Christie with a new collection of short stories featuring the iconic Miss Marple.

Includes the authors: Lucy Foley; Val McDermid; Alyssa Cole; Natalie Haynes; Ruth Ware; Naomi Alderman; Jean Kwok; Dreda Say Mitchell; Elly Griffiths; Karen M McManus; Kate Mosse; and Leigh Bardugo.

My thoughts:
As a massive Agatha Christie fan, I was very excited to receive a copy of this new collection of Miss Marple short stories via NetGalley, and I enjoyed the chance to read something new featuring my favourite female sleuth. Several of the authors also included other familiar faces, from Miss Marple’s ever-attentive nephew Raymond, to other St Mary Mead residents such as gossipy Dolly Bantry, the anxious Reverend Leonard Clement and his cheerful wife Griselda.

Agatha Christie herself was very widely travelled and not afraid to take part in whatever experiences came her way, whether participating in an archeological dig or surfing in Hawaii. So I think the fact that some of the authors have taken Miss Marple many miles from St Mary Mead — New York (in the pleasingly named “Miss Marple takes Manhattan”, by Alyssa Cole) and Hong Kong (“The Jade Empress”, by Jean Kwok) among them — is a very fitting tribute to Agatha’s adventurous side.

Some stories were more in-keeping with my image of Miss Marple than others, but it was interesting in itself to think about how others interpret her. My particular favourites were “Miss Marple’s Christmas”, by Ruth Ware, which also gave a nod to another of my favourite amateur detectives, Lord Peter Wimsey; and “The Mystery of the Acid Soil”, by Kate Mosse; but all were enjoyable in their own right, and I thought captured the spirit of Christie well.

Overall, this is a fitting tribute to my icon Agatha Christie and a great read for all mystery fans!

Marple is a collection of 12 new and orginal stories featuring our very own Miss Jane Marple and are penned by twelve of today's most popular, bestselling authors. Each author reimagines Marple through their own unique perpective while staying true to the traditional aspects of 'Miss Marple' mysteries.

The authors are Naomi Anderson, Leigh Bardugo, Karen M. McManus, Ruth Ware, Val MC Dermid, Jean Kwok, Alyssa Cole, Kate Mosse, Elly Griffiths, Lucy Foley, Natalie Haynes and Dreda Say Mitchell.

My personal favourites were 'Miss Marple's Christmas' by Ruth Ware, 'The Second Murder at the Vicarage' by
Val Mc Dermid, 'The Mystery of the Acid Soil' by Kate Mosse and 'The Murdering Sort' by Karen McManus. These authors truly captured the essence of the original Miss Marple who has a clear yet cynical view of human nature with a suspenseful and mysterious narrative.

This collection of short stories is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie as well as of the bestselling mystery/thriller/crime fiction writers of today. I enjoyed reading them over a period of three days not reading more than 3 or 4 stories everyday.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollins for a digital advance reader copy to read and review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for the advance copy of #Marple.
This is a great little book with 12 short stories featuring AgathaChristie #MissMarple
They are all penned by different authors and although they are all different, they are also all the same.
For me personally this is a book to dip into in between reading other books, and just read one story.

I’m a big fan of Agatha Christie’s writing, and I grew up watching the Miss Marple and Poirot shows on TV with my mom, so I was EXTREMELY excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley & Harper Collins.

Some of the stories were more enjoyable than others (and more true to the original character), but overall I think this is a great book for existing Marple fans. It was fun to the authors’ interpretations and versions of Jane Marple, and a lovely tribute to Agatha Christie. Can’t wait to have the physical book on my shelf!

Agatha Christie was the Queen of Crime. Her work has delighted generations of readers and inspired countless writers. In ‘Marple’ we see just how important she has been to the development of mystery fiction, and to the women who have followed in her wake.

The stories cover different times in the 20th century, up to the 1970s. It is as if Marple is a character floating in time, never tied to one particular period.

As a huge fan of Agatha Christie, I have been desperately waiting to get my hands on a copy of this book. There are twelve short stories by contemporary writers. And the love for Miss Marple is obvious in each and every one.

My favourite story was ‘ The mystery of the Acid soul’ by Kate Mosse. It is exquisite in its descriptions and is beautifully written. Taking the train to visit an old friend, Jane meets a worried curate on the train. Once at her destination the reason for this becomes apparent. Once again Miss Marple finds herself at the centre of a perplexing mystery. An excellent story, capturing the true essence of Miss Marple.

Another winner was ‘The Second Murder at the Vicarage’ by Val McDermid. I loved the mention of characters I know well from Christie’s novels and short stories. You can tell she loves the books and knows them inside out. She pitches it just right and her story is entirely in keeping with the Miss Marple we all know and love.

I loved finding authors that were new to me in this collection. I particularly enjoyed the stories written by Jean Kwok, Leigh Bardugo and Ruth Ware.

I was given this ARC to review.

I grew up reading Agatha Christie novels and whilst my tastes may have changed I was nonetheless intrigued to see how twelve modern day authors would fare stepping into her shoes - all credit to them it must have been a daunting task. Most managed to capture her charm and intellect really well, the different writing styles and settings used made this an interesting read, it also introduced me to some authors I hadn't so far come across.

Its a charming collection of short stories that not only reminded me of the legendary Jane Marple but also made me reflect with nostalgia how she was one of the authors that ignited my lifelong love of books.

I'd recommend and if you know anyone thats an Agatha Christie fan this collection would make a great present!