A strange but great concept of 12 different authors writing short stories about the infamous Marple character. Each author has a different take on a different Marple situation.

Some are more "Marple=y" than others - but that's to be expected being written by someone else!

All in each story is a great mystery!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this collection of short stories featuring Miss Marple. I discovered Agatha Christie as a pre-teen and have spent a lifetime enjoying her work. Her appeal is universal, and her observations about people and motivation have taught me a lot about human behavior. I was very impressed by this variety of stories featuring Miss Marple and especially appreciated several of the authors ability to capture the essence of the character. I particularly liked the stories by Val McDermid, Ruth Ware, Natalie Haynes, and Kate Mosse. I thought the portrayals were sympathetic to the original and the period details authentic. Thank you again to Netgalley and the publisher I highly recommend this collection.

Rating: 3.0/5

Ever since I heard that this project was being worked on, I have been looking forward to getting my hands on a copy. Twelve successful authors each penning a new mystery featuring Agatha Christie's classic amateur sleuth, Miss Jane Marple. Writing is a challenging enough occupation at the best of times, but when you are attempting to walk in the footsteps of the most famous mystery writer of all time, it is surely a task that brings with it a fair amount of trepidation, too. So, how did these fine writers fare in this new anthology? Well, as you might imagine, the results were mixed.

There is an art to writing a successful short story and I have great admiration for any author who can construct a properly rounded tale in the space of a hundred pages or so - but the writers of this collection had an even more difficult assignment, in that each of these stories is only around a third of that length! For that reason, I was not expecting perfectly crafted plotlines, nor fully rounded characters with real depth to them. I was also prepared for the solutions to mysteries to be a little contrived and stretching credulity in order to fit into the constraints of the very short format. What I was looking for was evidence of the core components of a solid mystery, with a portrayal of Miss Marple that captured the essence of her character and environment, but without being hackneyed or trite.

In my opinion, there are four authors whose depictions stand out positively from the rest. In the order in which they appear in this book, they are Lucy Foley ("Evil in Small Places"), Ruth Ware ("Miss Marple's Christmas"), Elly Griffiths ("Murder at the VIlla Rosa") and Kate Mosse ("The Mystery of the Acid Soil"). Of the other eight contributions, I thought two were quite poor, two were passable, and the remaining four were pretty decent, but without quite matching up to the most impressive ones that I listed.

My overall rating for the collection as a whole reflects my mixed feelings about the individual stories, but I would certainly recommend picking up this new collection and revisiting the world of St. Mary Mead. Now, I can't help but wonder whether one (or more) of these authors might be approached to write some new full-length Marple mysteries ... Time will tell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I find it hard to rate a book of short stories, particularly as each of these is by a different author. Some are classic, quintessential Miss Marple as portrayed by Christie, and some are a bit more removed from the original settings. Though even with the Christie universe Miss Marple did go abroad, so it's not that unlikely!

Almost all of them showcase Jane Marple's unique talents, and there are some nice plots. It's very enjoyable and with one exception I thought very in keeping with the original character.

Twelve authors, Twelve short stories.
Miss Marple, the little old unassuming lady solves the murders and mysteries wherever she is staying. She certainly gets around!
I enjoyed them all except one. Well written and entertaining.
Quaint villages, hot tea and interesting characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for granting my wish

Right from the foreword, I knew this was going to be a treasured love letter to Marple. This anthology is a unique collection that really allows each author’s individual style to flourish, while having this deep respect and reverence for the character and Christie herself.

We kick off proceedings with Evil in Small Places by Lucy Foley, which was a fun twisty little gem with a Wicker Man like atmosphere. Following on was The Second Murder at the Vicarage by Val McDermid, which I loved for its complexity and tangled nature. I loved how these two stories are outside of Marple’s perspective, adding that much more finesse to her particular set of skills.

Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole calls out some of Chrisite’s problematic elements, while focusing on all about Marple’s skills of deduction and knowledge of human flaws. The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes had incredibly strong classical tragedy vibes, contrasted by the festive atmosphere of Miss Marple’s Christmas by Ruth Ware, which also featured a lovely nod to Dorothy Sayers. The Open Mind by Naomi Alderman had some interesting comments around conspiracies and history.

The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok was one of my favourite stories of the collection, with really interesting character work and overarching themes. A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell was such a devious little story. Similarly, Murder at the Villa Rosa by Elly Griffiths hooks you from the opening but it isn’t the perspective you think it is.

The Murdering Sort by Karen McManus was just as twisty as you would expect from a queen of YA thrillers. It had that younger perspective, which really added that revered layer to the story and that sense of Marple passing down her skills to a new generation. The Mystery of the Acid Soil by Kate Mosse was so quintessentially Marple, with a quaint seeming village, tangled human relationships and complications and motives that expose the darker side of humanity. Finally, The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo was probably my favourite story of the collection, with its morally dubious and ethically complicated themes.

Marple brings that quintessential Christie feel to a new generation and reimagines the character in twelve completely intriguing and fresh ways.

This collection of short stories by well known crime writers, featuring Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple will be sure to please fans of that clever amateur sleuth and recruit her a new generation of admirers. Between them the authors have been very creative thinking up new crimes for Miss Marple to investigate.

Miss Marple solves all sorts of murders, in her own inimitable way while quietly being invisible in the way that older women can be. In addition to missing people and stolen jewelry there are murders aplenty to solve: the murder of a choirmistress, an Oxford Professor, a guest at a wedding, an inconvenient wife and her doctor, a leading actor, a pig herder and an elderly man who has gathered his family together to take a test to see who really cares for him. Miss Marple’s, Sir Henry Clithering, former commissioner of Scotland Yard is also occasionally called in to help investigate.

Some of the crimes occur in Miss Marple’s home village of St Mary Mead, where she knows everything that is going on and is most in her element, but several authors have transported her to a range of locations including other villages, London, an Oxford college, Manhattan, Cape Cod, the Amalfi coast and a cruise ship on a voyage to Hong Kong. All the stories are well executed in Christie style and I enjoyed them all. My favourites are Leigh Bardugo’s ‘The Disappearance’ with its surprisingly fitting ending and Elly Griffith’s ‘Murder at the Villa Rosa’ where Miss Marple meets a writer planning a murder.

Marple: Twelve New Stories is a celebration of Agatha Christie's famous creation, Miss Jane Marple. The twelve short stories take us from the picturesque St. Mary Mead to New York and Hong Kong, as well as several other locations. From an ill-fated wedding breakfast to an off-Broadway adaption of one of Raymond West's novels, Miss Marple's incredibly sharp mind and acute studies of the human character shine forth.

I had just turned eleven when I was introduced to Christie through A Murder is Announced. It set off an enduring love of crime fiction, and Miss Marple remains my favorite detective. So I was both excited and nervous to see this collection. Would it be any good? Yes. I loved The Mystery of the Acid Soil, Evil in Small Places, and the Jade Empress. My least favorite was The Disappearance — primarily due to its ending, which didn't work for me as a Marple story.

None of the authors try to be Christie but most capture Miss Marple's character. The stories are strong and well-paced, which can be a challenge for short stories of this genre. I highly recommend this collection, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

I really enjoyed this. I have read and reread Agatha Christie's work since my preteens and it was lovely to read something that pays such good tribute to her.
The book consists of 12 new stories featuring the one and only Miss Marple. Each story has its own feel as the different authors set their plots and Miss Marple in familiar places such as St. Mary Mead with well-known characters and less familiar places such as New York with her nephew Raymond. Needless to say, regardless of setting, Miss Marple proves that human nature is the same everywhere.
These are satisfying short stories with neat conclusions. I very much enjoyed it and will buy a copy as a present when it's released.

I always love short story collections, and was very intrigued by this one. Featuring some authors I know and love, as well as some I've never tried before, I felt that this was a perfect introduction to Marple, and would definitely encourage me to try the works of Agatha Christie. I particularly liked that there was such a range of authors, from well known crime authors, to young adult, making this collection truly accessible.

I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this collection. I had high hopes going into it, and I'm glad to say it was absolutely enjoyable, and I really liked most of the stories.


<i>Evil in Small Places</i> by Lucy Foley: 5 stars
The opening story worked perfectly for me, and it was probably my favourite of the whole collection. The cast of characters and the solution, both shocking and almost improbable, were very reminiscent of Agatha Christie. For being so short, everything worked really well. It was a lot of fun from start to finish.

<i>The Second Murder at the Vicarage</i> by Val McDermid: 4 stars
<i>The Murder at the Vicarage</i> is probably my favourite Marple novel, so I was delighted to find the same setting and characters. I really like the vicar, who is the narrator just like in the novel, and his wife Griselda. The solution was a little rushed, but it was mostly really well done.

<i>Miss Marple Takes Manhattan</i> by Alyssa Cole: 2 stars
Not one of my favourite. The author spends quite a lot of time drawing the setting, and, while I'm sure some readers will love it, I was a little bored and I just wanted to get to the mystery, which came way too late for me, and wasn't to my liking.

<i>The Unravelling</i> by Natalie Haynes: 4 stars.
This was quite a clever story. Although it wasn't too difficult to guess the culprit, the solution had one big surprise which I didn't see coming, which was typical Christie. And I loved how Haynes managed to include a little of mythology!

<i>Miss Marple's Christmas</i> by Ruth Ware: 4.5 stars.
One of my favourite of the collection. Very reminiscent of the original in both the cast of characters and the setting. The solution was maybe a little too easy to guess, but apart from this it was definitely enjoyable.

<i>The Open Mind</i> by Naomi Alderman: 4 stars.
A good story, although the solution was highly imbrobable, but again I was reminded of some of Christie's most intricate and shocking plots.

<i>The Jade Empress</i> by Jean Kwok: 4 stars
I really liked the setting and the inclusion of Chinese culture. How Miss Marple came to the solution was maybe a little too lucky, but it featured a classic Christie scene which I loved.

<i>A Deadly Wedding Day</i> by Dreda Say Mitchell: 5 stars
One of my favourite of the collection. I loved how Miss Marple paired with a friend, Miss Bella, who was just as clever and as resourceful. I also liked how it featured Caribbean culture and a marriage between a white man and a black woman. The solution was very clever and I loved the twist.

<i>Murder at the Villa Rosa</i> by Elly Griffiths: 3 stars.
This had a fantastic beginning and a lot of potential, but the ending fell flat for me. The narrator, a writer who is on vacation in Italy, meets a lot of bizarre characters, and there are suspect situations, but the ending was disappointing.

<i>The Murdering Sort</i> by Karen M. McManus: 2.5 stars.
This was a sort of YA retelling of Miss Marple, because the narrator is her great granddaughter. It was fine, but it didn't stand out in anyway. Miss Marple didn't do much, and the narrator, who could have been more similar to her, was quite bland. The solution also wasn't terribly clever.

<i>The Mystery of the Acid Soil</i> by Kate Mosse: 4 stars.
While the mystery wasn't hard to figure out, it was still a well written story. Miss Marple's investigation was reasonable, and the setting was very reminiscent of the original.

<i>The Disappearance</i> by Leigh Bardugo: 3.5 stars.
A good conclusion to the collection. I really liked the characterization of some of the characters. However, I'm not convinced by Miss Marple's final decision.

I've heard a lot about this book and I wasn't disappointed - the authors chosen to write Miss Marple stories are great, and its really fascinating to see the different approaches they take to the character. This is a great read for Agatha Christie fans, and lovely to see the character in new stories and situations, particularly in New York shopping in a department store, and also very familiar settings such as St Mary Mead. A great read - I really enjoyed this.

This is an absolute treat of a book It is a must for all Agatha Christie fans. All stories within the book are good they are ones which stand out as being truly outstanding, almost like they are a lost ,Christie. I will let you make up your own mind to which are the best but I loved “the second murder at the vicarage” by Val McDermid was brilliant to be among the going ons of St Mary Mead agains, it was full of Marple wit and sass.

This a great edition to any Christie fans bookshelves, it is the next best thing to the real deal.

Many of authors include in the book are authors of who’s work I enjoy and I have often noticed a lot classic Agatha among their work.

Agatha Christie was a truly talent writer who’s work lives on in this book and the books of many writers who I assume like me spent their summer holidays devouring her truly classic golden age of crime books. This was real treat for me thanks for the ARC I’ve already ordered my hard copy. A solid full five stars and five golden daggers

This interesting book of short stories by established crime authors is a chance for them to attempt to emulate Agatha Christie, and produce a story recognisable as a Miss Marple story, but with their own spin.
In general it was a good, if rather overwhelming (at one sitting), read, and some stories worked better than others.
I preferred the traditional tales set in a English village (especially Miss Marple’s Christmas), but was intrigued by other locations, New York, an ocean-going liner, an Oxford college…….
A book to be dipped into, and each story savoured.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

What an absolute joy to read this collection of short stories featuring the legendary Miss Marple. A good variety of styles from the different, very accomplished writers. I loved it!
Thankyou to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this collection.

I’ve read a couple of Agatha Christie stories and really enjoyed the fictionalised take on her ‘missing days’ in The Christie Affair. I’m not sure I’ve ever actually read a Miss Marple story. However, some of my favourite crime authors have contributed to this collection of new Marple stories so I was keen to give it a try.

The fact that the Miss Marple who appears in all of these stories feels consistent suggests each of the authors have brought a good understanding of Christie’s original character in to the story. I like too that many of the authors have managed to mix this with their own style. For instance Karen McManus, author of YA bestseller One of Us is Lying, focussed her story through Miss Marple’s teenage great niece.

I enjoyed some of the stories more than others - Val McDermid’s take was a particular highlight. But, what came out of it overall was a wish to discover the original Miss Marple and I’ll be adding some of Christie’s tales to my reading list.

I couldn't click fast enough to read this, and my instincts were correct. This is a charming collection. I enjoyed some stories more than others, and found there was a little too much reliance on original characters (was there a single story in which Raymond West wasn't at least mentioned?) for my taste, but overall this is a highly enjoyable anthology which made me happily nostalgic for the originals.

My thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is an example of the best kind of fan fiction. Whether you are a fan of Agatha Christie's Jane Marple, or you like any of the female crime writers who contributed to the collection, you will definitely enjoy this. It's interesting to see how each writer managed at the same time to keep the character of Miss Marple intact and put their own mark on it. It certainly works best if you have read the work of the writers involved because it gives you a better insight into the way each of them interpreted and redrew this much loved icon of crime. I can't imagine anyone not liking this, it's an an entertaining and insightful read and may bring a whole new generation to discover the original Marple stories.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was hoping to. Some of the stories were very good mysteries and captured the spirit of Marple. , I particularly liked the Christmas one. I think overall the medium of short story doesn’t really do justice to AC or the murder mystery genre as they feel too rushed. By the time the murder is described and we’re introduced to the suspects it has almost been solved and the so the stories lack anticipation and the necessary climax.

It goes without saying that no one can write Marple like Christie - she's a deceptively nuanced character with a lot of history. None of the authors here quite master it, but they very much capture her spirit, and there's a sense of fun throughout which makes these short stories thoroughly enjoyable.