I have loved Miss Marple ever since I started reading Agatha Christie as a young teenager so I was breathlessly anticipating this new material by some of my favourite authors. What I think is one of the most interesting aspects of getting different authors to write is that it reveals how differently Miss Marple is perceived by different writers- for me Jane Marple is less of a busybody, and more an intelligent, observant neighbour with a dry, engaging sense of humour with a penchant for impeccable manners and hot tea! For this reason Val McDermid and Ruth Ware hit the mark for me.
All the stories were, however, a real treat, and I think I shall be gifting many copies this Christmas.

How do you review short stories without giving the plot away?

How do you review short stories that are in tribute to the greatest crime writer of our timer?

I am not sure to the answer to either of these questions, so please excuse what could be called a pitiful review.

The aim of this collection of 12 short stories is to introduce a whole new generation to the wonderful little old lady, Miss Marple. If you have never heard of her, quite frankly where have you been! The original creation by Agatha Christie featured in a limited amount of novels and short stories unlike her other protagonist Hercule Poirot.

The other aim is, for those that do know Miss Marple, we have just got another glorious 12 stories to indulge our passion for all this St Mary Mead, village gossip, tweed skirts and afternoon tea with a good dollop of murder in.

I devoured each story and think actually that I will devour them again. Some were better than others, some you could tell were not the original author and without a doubt some you couldn’t tell. Of the authors of each, 12 women, I only recognised a few and read even less of those. All to be rectified having now read this collection.

The perfect collection of stories and has made me want to devour even more of the wily old spinster lady, knitting and observing every aspect of human nature in such a glorious way.

Entering the worlds created by Agatha Christie is like a warm, cosy blanket on a cold day. Comforting, reassuring and enjoyable but with a murder or two thrown in for good measure. I have always loved her short stories and to discover a new 12 short stories based on Miss Marple but writing by contemporary authors was very exciting.

And this book did not disappoint. 12 female authors including Lucy Foley, Val McDermid and Kate Mosse have each written a new Marple mystery and although each voice is slightly nuanced, they are all very much in keeping with the style of Agatha Christie’s greatest detective. She still sits and knits quietly in the corner, worrying about dropped stitches and the problems of getting staff but mystery stills finds her and her knack for remembering someone just like in St Mary Mead helps her save the innocent and solve the mystery.

A great read and I am hopeful there may be more in the future.....

Who doesn't love a good murder mystery? And nobody did it better than Agatha Christie. I attended a crime writers festival here in Sydney this weekend and I think that every author at every panel mentioned their admiration for Agatha and what she did for the genre all those years ago.

I grew up reading Agatha Christie novels with my grandmother, and it is a memory that will always stay with me. I was keen to see how these modern-day crime writers tackled Miss Marple. And I was really impressed. Jane Marple is a force to be reckoned with, and these writers captured her spirit, her wit and her tenacity. They took her outside her comfort zone, with trips to Manhattan and on a cruise ship. It was interesting to see their take on the gold age and returning to the village of St Mary Mead.

There are some amazing writers in this collection of 12 new Miss Marple stories. With names like Lucy Foley, Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths, Karen M. McManus and one of my favourites Ruth Ware. How could you not want to read this.

My favourite story was Miss Marples Christmas by Ruth Ware. It had all the elements of the classic tales, with the added bonus of Christmas.

So, grab this book, get re-acquainted with Jane Marple, and her knitting needles and sharp tongue.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published September 30th.

It was with a degree of trepidation that I requested this for review. I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and no 'extra' that I've read has ever managed to capture that same perfect sense of place and person. Over the years there have been a lot of sequels and adaptations and some have been better than others. I decided long ago that no one will ever be able to 'do' Christie, except Christie herself, but that doesn't usually stop me enjoying a book/adaptation that's well written.

In this instance, some of my favourite authors had stories in this anthology, so I was hopeful that they would be able to produce something that was towards the better end of the pseudo-Christie scale. Does it recreate Miss Marple in every glorious detail? No. Does that matter? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

I guess the answer to that question depends on what a reader is looking for. There is plenty for Christie purists to pick holes in; some of the settings don't fit with the traditional Miss Marple stories, there are references to much loved characters which don't quite work in the context of the story they're in and some stories are paler versions of Christie's own plots. However, there are plenty of positives to find as well. One story brilliantly captured Dolly Bantry as played by Joanna Lumley and I knew it was working when I found myself reading Dolly's lines in Joanna's voice. Miss Marple herself is as sharp as ever and there were several stories that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I think for me, the bottom line is this. As with any book of this type, it has to be judged on its own merits. We may think we are familiar with the characters it contains, but this is not an Agatha Christie book. Every writer imagines the characters slightly differently (we only have to look at the different TV and film incarnations to see this) and consequently, nothing will ever quite be the way we, the reader, think it should be. That said, the stories are well written and, if taken as a tribute to the great Miss Marple, should and will be enjoyed by many. Ultimately, Agatha Christie was one of a kind and it's a braver person than me who would attempt to follow in her footsteps.

Take the book purely on its own merit and it's a pleasant enough way to while away an afternoon.

Miss Marple is back and her ability to observe human nature has not dimmed. In this new collection of short stories, Miss Marple has a range of new crimes and capers to unravel. As the stories are written by 12 different authors, none of whom are Agatha Christie, there are a range of takes on Miss Marple and some new settings for her to apply her skills and knowledge.

Some stories worked better than others. Although Miss Marple might be perceived by some as a gossip and a busybody, those who have read the original books, will know this isn't actually the case. At least one of the stories portrayed her in that way, which felt rather jarring. But I thought most of the stories captured Miss Marple well and showed her ability to observe and piece together even seemingly insignificant details to solve mysteries and get to the truth.

As well as being a new addition to the Miss Marple canon, it's also an opportunity to read 12 differant authors, most from the world of crime and thrillers, but not all. So, you might also discover some authors you've not read before or to rediscover some old favourites.

Full disclosure - I love Miss Marple! I grew up watching Joan Hickson playing Miss Marple on TV. As a teenager I started reading Agatha Christie books and haven’t looked back. So, I was really excited to get an advanced reading copy of Marple and was fascinated to see how contemporary writers could embody Miss Marple and her world in St Mary Mead.

I enjoyed all the short stories, but I have to be honest and say that I relished some stories more than others.

I’m a fan of Lucy Foley and enjoyed reading her short story, Evil in Small Places. I thought it was a very tidy short story and I think that she really channelled Agatha Christie and Miss Marple very convincing, particular in Miss Marple’s turn of phrase.

I found Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole particularly entertaining. I loved the title and the notion of Miss Marple potentially being a fish out of water in Manhattan. But of course, she is Miss Marple and can not be ruffled and always knows exactly what is going on! I also loved The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok. I loved the idea of Miss Marple falling in love with ballroom dancing on a slow boat to China, whilst of course solving a murder! I wasn’t familiar with Alyssa Cole or Jean Kwok and based on the strength of their short stories in Marple, will seek out their other books.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins for the ARC of Marple in exchange for a fair and honest review and for introducing me to authors new to me.

With a not inconsiderable amount of trepidation, I began reading Marple expecting to be wholly disappointed. I’m pleased to report that I was thrilled with the new collection of stories written by the current crème de la crème of mystery writers. I’d love to know if the authors received a brief from the writer’s estate as almost all stories included copious amounts of knitting and the beloved nephew Raymond.
Admittedly there were some stand out stories which for me felt very close to Christie’s Marple, namely the ones by Val McDermid, Natalie Haynes and Kate Mosse. Interestingly, I preferred the stories by Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware to their own usual novels. I was more wary of the stories that displaced our heroine to uncharacteristic locations, treated her as an observer or questioned her morals or beliefs in some way however I’m being really nit-picky and would recommend this astounding collection to any fan of Christie.

Love. I’ll just start there. I loved Miss Marple as soon as I was introduced to her. I don’t remember what book it was, but I could not get enough of the character. I have always wished that Agatha Christie had written more Marple stories. I enjoy Poirot, but do wish that instead of the huge number of novels and short stories featuring him, there were more with her. Still, I read all the Miss Marples and kept wishing. Now comes this wonderful book, in which 12 contemporary writers have created short stories featuring Jane Marple. The love continues.

I loved this book. I was unsure how I would feel about it at first, thinking I might be disappointed, but not reading it wasn’t really an option and it became clear almost immediately that I needn’t have worried. It was a joy to read about Jane’s new adventures, some of which took place around the time as the original stories and some that were set in the future. In one story, Miss Marple is involved with the young adult granddaughter of her nephew, Raymond West! That would put her well into her 100s, but that’s OK.

The stories were well-written and stylistically varied. As with any collection, I had favourites—the ending of the last story was fabulous! Some stories placed Jane in entirely new places with new people, while some unfolded in more familiar settings with familiar people. It was fun to hang out for a while with Sir Henry Clithering and the Bantrys again. Some stories made reference to some of Miss Marple’s original cases, but it is not necessary to have read the originals to enjoy this book.

I felt that all of the authors stayed true to the essence of the character. That’s not to say that these stories were indistinguishable from the stories Christie wrote—there were subtle differences. But that’s to be expected and did not in any way detract from my great enjoyment of the book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The collection "Marple: Twelve New Stories" brings together a new set of imagined adventures of Jane Marple. My personal favourite is "Miss Marple Takes Manhattan", a short story that brings Miss Marple in the US vibes :)

Personally I read about 50% of the stories, then stopped because I felt it did not captivate me enough at this point in time. It might be that I will come back to the book and read other stories later.

However, I think this book is a super good present for Agatha Christie fans - I am sure they will appreciate getting back to the world of Miss Marple and her unexpected adventures!

I still remember from my youth the excitement of a new Christie For Christmas every year. Then sadly Dame Agatha died. I applaud her family for keeping her at the forefront of crime fiction ever since. First her daughter, then her grandson and now her great grandson have done her proud.
Now, ten top notch writers pay homage to the Queen of Crime in stories that have all the tropes one would expect, including several appearances of supporting characters from past novels and short stories, and subtle references to Miss Marple's past successes.
I was particularly impressed by the stories from Ruth Ware, Elly Griffiths, Kate Mosse and Leigh Bardugo. Manna from heaven for a new generation of Christie readers.

I was very impressed by the selection of authors who obviously have a soft spot for the Miss Maple stories. Set across several decades and countries they are all really well written. A fantastic read in the evening, on holiday, travelling... anywhere@

It takes a brave writer to try and step into the shoes of a literary classic author like Agatha Christie.........yet that is what 12 modern days authors have done to compile this book.

All authors have taken on a Jane Marple mystery of their own using their own style whilst being sympathic to the original author's ways of scribing the adventures of Miss Jane Marple.

My personal favourite was Lucy Foleys's chapter.

Great book.

An excellent anthology of Miss Marple stories there are twelve new stories written by female contemporary authors.
As with all short story collections some stories are better than others and for me Ruth Ware , Jean Kwok Elly Griffiths and Val McDermid stood out from the rest.
Some of the stories sees Miss Marple travel abroad and away from the traditional stories from Agatha Christie, whilst others follow the Queen of Crime’s style.
An excellent book and great stories which may introduce a new generation to Miss Marple , and on reading the anthology I hope they read the original Christie novels .
An enjoyable and interesting read , highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

⭐️ 3 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan and I adore Miss Marple, so I was extremely excited to read the twelve new stories. I must admit my expectations were extremely high — I appreciate how hard it must be to try to replicate a certain writing style especially one of such a renowned author, so maybe my expectations were just too high?

I thought all the stories were very well-written and all entertaining in their own way, but some were definitely more Christie-esque than others. The authors I thought pulled it out of the bag and captured the essence of Jane Marple perfectly were: Val McDermid (The Second Murder at the Vicarage), Ruth Ware (Miss Marple’s Christmas), Kate Mosse (The Mystery of the Acid Soil) and Leigh Bardugo (The Disappearance).

The stories are definitely well worth a read; because we all interpret them differently, the ones I loved might be the total opposite to the the ones other readers enjoy — I do recommend only reading one or two a day though, rather than over-indulging all at once.

Overall, an enjoyable collection of short stories — I’m sure the book will be a huge success.

I’m a big Agatha Christie fan so was really pleased to receive this review copy of 12 new Marple stories written by a fantastic group of authors.

It turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the stories got the characterisation of Miss Marple bang on, along with the ingenious twist and reveal at the end. Some of the others really missed the mark on both counts.

On the whole it’s quite entertaining but perhaps not quite as good as I had been hoping for. I suspect a more general reader will enjoy this a lot but for a real Christie/Marple fan it just felt a bit lacking in places.

I was so excited to get a copy of this approved as it has been on my Wishlist since I first spotted it on Ruth Ware's instagram! A restyling of any classic writing is always a bit....nerve wracking but these amazing authors have done a great job - a lot of new ideas whilst keeping in mind the original Marple, the side kick characters and the gentle cosy crime approach. Naturally I preferred some stories than others but overall 10/10 for all of them!

Perfect for fans of Miss Marple! These short stories each bring mystery and the characteristic sleuthing powers of miss Marple in new and interesting ways. I particularly liked Natalie Haynes' story as it was inspired by Greek mythology.

As always with collections of this sort, the standard is variable, excellent at best but never less than entertaining. Some of the best of modern crime writers, like Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths and Lucy Foley, have contributed, and new insights into the mind of Jane Marple are offered. An enjoyable collection.

Well written stories, by some great authors.
Each unique, but each encapsulating the Marple style, the traditional mystery vibe, and the era and surroundings that Marple moves in.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t for me. Which is definitely not a reflection on the skills of each author, but purely that I made an error in selection. I thought maybe a delve into a classic would go down well. Alas, it missed the mark for me.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a Review Copy