With titles such as Miss Marple takes Manhattan, Miss Marple’s Christmas and Murder at the Villa Rosa this collection of stories about Miss Marple by 12 female writers is a real treat.

There is a fine line between writing parody of the Christie genre and writing new stories using the well known characters of Jane Marple, her nephew Raymond, and former Commissioner of Scotland Yard Sir Henry Clithering, in particular. Some of the writers have succeeded in this book by using parody but others have breathed new life by using the known characters in a more unfamiliar setting or time period. Some mysteries appeal more than than others but all have delights. Most have take on Miss Marple’s view of humankind as complex but knowable, and as one who is considerably more generous than others of her class. Some of the tales are funny. Some are wise. The writing is excellent throughout:
Like most old women, Miss Marple was often supposed to be in one place, as if she were a candlestick or a sofa cushion; however, she had the oddest habit of ending up exactly where she wanted to be instead. Alyssa Cole

Brilliant locations are used, St Mary Mead, of course, but also Hong Kong, Oxford, Chichester, New York, Italy, America and Miss Marple encounters murder, or proposed murder, in places including a manor house, a stately home, a vicarage, and a hotel /villa in Italy. I like how Miss Marple gets about in these stories and everywhere she has a ‘friend’ or soon makes one! And always knows the right solution or gives the right advice. Very much in the spirit of Miss Marple.

And there are jokes for us readers based on us being knowing readers from the future:
‘I’ve heard people say that, but, honestly, what would most of us do with a computing machine at home?’ said Eammon McManaway. ‘I can’t even work my Goblin Teasmade.’
Naomi Alderman

And Miss Marple’s conventions and expected standards are challenged:
She wore what was known in the more salacious newspapers as a ‘mini-skirt’. It was immodestly short and certainly not the kind of attire you would expect a respectable young lady to wear to a wedding reception. Dreda Say Mitchell

The stories are set in many different time periods. Some got me calculating just how old she would be! But good to know Miss Marple lives a long life, still as sharp and observant as ever.

Marple: Twelve New Stories

A collection of 12 short stories written by some of the biggest names in crime fiction in the style of Agatha Christie. As a young teenager I read a few Agatha Christie's. I remember enjoying them, not as gripping crime, but rather as a step up from Enid Blyton, old fashioned, formulaic satiresque. Nowadays we say "cozy mystery". Not my cup of tea anymore, but still, I was curious about where these contemporary authors might take us.

While one or two stories had a slightly more contemporary feel, most of them could very well have been written by AC herself. All the old chestnuts were in there; blue twinkling eyes, knitting, crackling fires, vicars and professors, zealous interest in all things gardening, however what I hoped might be modernised and weren't, were the unnuanced characters, the classism, the defining of baddies by their physical characteristics (weaselly, buck-toothed, unpretty ...) the doppiness of women.

It wasn't all murder, there were a few murder adjacent plots.

Overall, it was a very light and easy read, a missed opportunity to update some thinking, but purists will love this.

Thanks to #netgalley and #harpercollinsuk for the egalley

First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Full disclosure - I'm an avid Agatha Christie fan, and have probably read all her books at least twice. Miss Marple has always been one of my favourite literary detectives, and I have a sweet spot always reserved in my heart for this character. I've always adored the Marple novels by Christie, and struggled a bit with the short stories, many of which came across as a bit shallow and short.

This book collects 12 storied by female authors trying to bring Marple back to life. It's a smorgasbord of plots and talent, and the quality varies quite a bit.

The first story sees Miss Marple visiting her old friend, and unravel a concurrent murder. The plot is weak and the various clues that lead to the murder seem like deus ex machina moments only revealed in the last few pages. There seems to be no coherent and comprehensive logical plan, which the reader slowly discovers. This Miss Marple is not consistent with her original. 2 out 10 as far as detective stories go. 2 out of 10 as it relates to Miss Marple consistency.

The second story sees another murder at the vicarage, with many of the same characters. The story is well structured and the author did a great job bringing the old characters back to life. 6/10 as a detective story. 8/10 for Miss Marple consistency.

The third story takes Miss Marple to Manhattan and centres around events at an off-broadway theatre. That should be enough to dislike it, though the writing of course makes it even worse. The twist at the end is of course like the shot after the killshot. 2/10 as a detective story. 2/10 for Marple consistency.

The fourth story is about a murder after the war. Well told and executed, with an interesting twist. Solid structure, and great moral ambiguity. 8/10 as a detective story. 8/10 for Marple consistency. Among the best stories of the bunch (written by Natalie Hayes).

The fifth story is set in the more traditional environs of Marple stories, and deals with a heist. Quite well written, and thoughtfully executed. Crisp, though not exciting. The parts about the nephew and his wife's personal lives are just superfluous. 6/10 as a detective story. 7/10 for Marple consistency.

The sixth story, by Naomi Alderman, has Oxford academic intrigue at its centre. It is well executed, well paced, has logical consistency, and was actually interesting to read. 8/10 as a detective story. 10/10 for Marple consistency. Stands out superbly among the rest (together with the last two stories).

The 7th story takes place on a cruise ship making its way to Hong Kong. While the setting is reminiscent of the Orient Express and the Death on the Nile, this story is as far away from either as possible. The setting is manufactured and unreal (especially the unrealistic tightroping between describing the Asian characters as one would have 40 years ago, and being sufficiently contemporary with 21st century norms). Worst of all was Miss Marple's reliance on "instinct", and solving the murder through sheer luck rather than the intellectual algorithmic problem solving she was made famous for by Christie. 2/10 as a detective story. 1/10 for Marple consistency.

The 8th story describes a wedding between a white man (gentry) and a black woman, and touches some of the racism such unions elicited in the 1970s. It also includes an interesting twist at the end, albeit mostly derivative. Artistic freedom with regard to Miss Marple was apparent - the character came across as much younger than she was supposed to be, and devoid of her typical wit. 6/10 as a detective story. 3/10 for Marple consistency.

The 9th story is just one long soliloquy from the mouth of a fictional crime fiction author. The best thing I can say about this story is that it was short. 0/10 as a detective story. 2/10 for Marple consistency.

The 10th story is overly reminiscent of the Knives Out (film) plot. The storyteller being who they are is a nice twist. The plot is rather one dimensional and boring, with no real tension and even less unravelling of a mystery. 3/10 as a detective story. 6/10 for Marple consistency.

The 11th story is by Kate Mosse, and I thought it was the crown jewel of this collection (but then I read the last story!). Miss Marple here comes across as the real deal - the dialogues are superbly done, and the narrative is sufficiently thrilling. I did find the plot a bit derivative and simplistic, but for a short story it hits the mark. 7/10 as a detective story. 10/10 for Marple consistency.

The last story is by Leigh Bardugo and narrates the fate of a young charming predator. It is extremely well executed and the story is gripping and consistent. Reading this story made me feel like I'm reading Christie again - the langauge, the humour, the irony, etc. My only peeve is the moral ambiguity of Marple's decision at the end. More Poirot like, and unlike what I would have expecred from Miss Marple. 9/10 as a detective story. 9/10 for Marple consistency.

Overall, a lovely collection for Marple fans, albeit with highly variable quality (high highs, and low lows).. Not sure whether non fans will find anything amazing her. I'm glad I read it. Nostalgia at its best (or as best as it can be).

3.5 stars

As with any book with stories written by many authors, you'll like some more than others.
But to review this book as a whole, I can only say it was enjoyable.
There were times I swear I heard Joan Hickson (forever my Marple) speaking.
These took Miss Marple places I didnt always picture her, in scenarios I'd not thought of, and it was fun.
I'm not a diehard Christie fan, so the tone was set nicely for me.
It was a great way to spend a few hours.

I was looking forward to this one as I'm a massive Agatha Christie fan, and I was not disappointed. As i'm getting older, I'm loving the Miss Marple more and more. Most of the twelve authors here have got into her skin 100%.. The only one for me that didn't quite ring true was the story that took Miss Marple to America with her nephew - the ever insufferable Raymond West and his artist wife Joan. That one didn't seem to set as well with me as the others, even though it was still enjoyable. I can see myself reading these stories again, definitely. Highly recommended.

A nice trip into nostalgia with the collection of Miss Maple stories written by various well know author of today.
As with all these stories, duplicating the feel of the era and the original writer is difficult. There are some hits and misses, especially when some reader will have an intimate knowledge of Agatha Christie's writing. I enjoyed the various interpretation of Miss Marple and characters. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

What an enjoyable book! Whilst I preferred some stories over others, I found them all the be enjoyable in their own way.

It’s lovely to be back in the world of Miss Marple and her little eccentricities. I only guessed one suspect as well. Which to me is the sign of a good mystery.

Looking forward to hopefully more in the future.

Are you an Agatha Christie fan? Familiar with Jane Marple? Have you ever thought to yourself I wish there were more Miss Marple stories out there? This is THE book for you! Some of the greatest authors today wrote original short stories feature Miss Marple while staying true to Christie's style. I loved this so much!!! Ruth Ware writes the best of the twelve. But I thoroughly enjoyed every single short story in this collection. Each author brings their own take on Christie's classic masterful style featuring Miss Marple in all her glory. Highly recommended to Agatha Christie fans! Be sure to check out Marple: Twelve New Stories today!

Wishes do come true! Very pleased that they do :)
A brilliant collection of short stories written by contemporary authors about Miss Marple.
Very clever. Very easy reads. Very VERY good!

This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.
· 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
Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.
Really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins Uk HarperFiction
I just reviewed 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. #MarpleTwelveNewStories #NetGalley

For any Agatha Christie lover, this is a must read. Only a couple of these stories don’t quite hit the nostalgia of the original Miss Marple stories. How evocative are the names St Mary’s Mead and Colonel Banrty? Those names take me back to my late teens, when I devoured everything Christie and other Golden Age writers. This book is an absolute treat for any Miss Marple devotee.

A high 4 stars. Overall, a really amazing and fun time!

This is such a great collection! So many very typical Miss Marple stories! From an assortment of female mystery, crime and thriller writers who are taking a stab at writing a Miss Marple story.

The stories are all versions of very classic mystery tropes and plots. Most of the set-ups could easily be found in a Christie. It's brilliant.
Because many of the stories just seem so familiar, this anthology feels very cosy, even if the topics of the mysteries obviously aren't. Familiar and cosy in the best way!

Many of the stories use Raymond, Marple’s nephew, as the reason for Miss Marple to show up in certain places! It’s kind of hilarious.

I do wish more stories had been set between the wars and not so many in the 60s/70s. But that's just a personal preference.
Also, some authors, especially the American ones, didn't get the tone and language quite right. Their stories just felt off to me. They didn't fit into a Miss Marple anthology or feel like Miss Marple stories. But most of those were still fun, little mysteries nonetheless!

Most stories were just so much fun to read!

Individual ratings of the short stories:

Evil in Small Places by Lucy Foley - 4 stars
(Fun. And typically Miss Marple!)

The Second Murder at the Vicarage by Val McDermid - 4 stars
(Nicely written and a good time! Typical St Mary Mead!)

Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole - 2 stars
(This just felt wrong for a Marple story. The writing and setting were off and it was a bit boring.)

The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes - 4 stars
(Fun! Typical murder mystery! And I liked the writing.)

Miss Marple’s Christmas by Ruth Ware - 5 stars
(Personal favourite! Felt the most like a GAD mystery!)

The Open Mind by Naomi Alderman - 3.5 stars
(Great, just slightly the wrong tone for a Marple story. Has too many, different things happening for a short story. Would make a great full-length novel. With a sleuth who isn't Miss Marple.)

The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok - 2 stars
(Just didn't work. Felt more like a possible Poirot setting than a Marple one. No idea when this was set, which didn’t help the historical elements. I didn’t enjoy the writing style. Miss Marple didn’t read like Miss Marple.)

A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell - 3 stars
(Fun mystery. But not Marple-y enough. Too much internal dialogue and a second sleuth who isn’t just "the plucky, but slightly clueless, helper". Should have been its own book, without Miss Marple!)

Murder at the Villa Rosa by Elly Griffiths - 5 stars
(Third favourite. Really great version of a 1st person POV in a GAD-style mystery!)

The Murdering Sort by Karen M. McManus - 3 stars
(Really good mystery. But not a Marple story. Writing and setting felt slightly wrong. Was like expecting “Phryne Fisher” but ending up with a teenage version of "Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries".)

The Mystery of the Acid Soil by Kate Mosse - 4 stars
(A lot of fun and a very typical Miss Marple story with nice writing!)

The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo - 5 stars
(Second favourite. Writing was great and very funny. Felt like a classic mystery. Amazing version of a St Mary Mead story.)

Enjoyable exercise - asking a variety of best-selling writers to compose a short story featuring Jane Marple. Some I preferred to others, but they all contained the charm of Christie's original, and the disbelief of other characters that 'a little old lady from a picturesque village' could be aware of crime, let alone solve one. Definitely recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC.

This is a terrific short story collection that pays homage to the golden age of classic crime and one of its leading authors, Agatha Christie and her remarkable and iconic sleuth, the elderly Miss Jane Marple, so often to be found knitting. She is a close observer of all human behaviour, particularly of the residents of her home village of Saint Mary Mead, whilst remaining herself virtually invisible to others. The following authors have taken Miss Marple and created their own version of her and the murder, mayhem and crime that inevitably comes her way:

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

With few regular characters to draw on, many authors have Marple's nephew, successful writer Raymond West, appear in their tales that span numerous locations and time. There is the murder of a choir mistress, and a former maid is discovered dead at the Vicarage. In Manhattan, Miss Marple untangles a politically intriguing mystery involving her nephew's play in 'Broadway', and solves the death of a pigman. A Christmas at Gossington Hall is ruined with a missing valuable pearl necklace and a academic dinner celebration of Founder's Day at Bede College in Oxford results in the death of the unpopular Professor Cuthbert Cayling. Miss Marple dances and does tai chi in Hong Kong whilst getting to the bottom of 2 deaths and has no problems with a twisty death at a wedding. There is much humour to be found with an author intent on murder in Italy and in Chatham there is an intriguing pair of suspicious deaths and a missing woman.

There is the death of a paranoid wealthy man when Miss Marple goes to stay with a friend near Chichester and when Miss Marple is holidaying with Raymond in London, she gets an urgent call from Dolly Bantry and a missing man and jewellry which has her rushing home. This engaging collection of Marple short stories will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and will, I suspect, attract new readers to her and her wonderful character of Jane Marple. My favourites in this collection were Evil in Small Places, A Deadly Wedding, Murder at the Villa Rosa, and The Disappearance. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie’s writings, Poirot especially but Marple has her own perfect unique style, grace and personality when it comes to solving crimes. Often overlooked and delegated as a scatty old woman, it’s easy to underestimate her but this unassuming lady from St Mary Meads is certainly not one to write off…

I was amazed at how well all of these authors, (by the way, the almost amazing selection of writers to choose for this; there wasn’t a weak one amongst them). They all rose to the challenge of capturing Marple’s character greatly. They each produced some absolute stellar stories and wrote murder mystery at their best. Some great examples and mirroring of Christie’s writings, with twists and turns, the most perfect portrayal of our beloved Jane Marple that did her justice.

I enjoyed every single story and could have kept reading them forever. Each tale was varied and different yet shone a light on Miss Marple at her best. I’m so glad they did this and created some new Agatha Christie style stories for us to get stuck into.

It was a brilliant idea which was amazingly executed, as I’m always a little worried when they do ‘new like the old’ kind of things but this one had me in no doubt for how well it was done. Bravo to all involved (insert clapping emoji here).

To sum: A stunning collection of murder mystery stories, written by a whole host of amazing authors in the style of Miss Marple as it would have been. A great and must read for all fans of Agathas great works.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Love Miss Marple and most of these authors and this didn’t disappoint!

As a massive Agatha Christie, and in particular Miss Marple fan, I was thrilled to be approved for this long awaited book.
I devoured it in a couple of days.
Some of the stories were very reminiscent of the Miss Marple of old, the authors doing a fantastic job of emulating Christie’s style.
Some others were a bit more untraditional in style and settings, but I enjoyed these too.
All in all a great example of new Marple short stories, which I know I will be rereading.
Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for my copy.

A great collection of short stories featuring the classic English detective, Miss Marple. As with most short story anthologies, some stick with you despite their length, while others miss the mark. Overall though, this collection of stories is a must read for lovers of classic British crime fiction.

Fourteen murders, one con trick, a couple of thefts, an abduction, and a perversion of the course of justice. Jane Marple is a crime magnet. In this book, however, they didn’t all happen in St Mary Mead during a particularly busy day. In fact only four are in or around that crime hot spot, although a further four are what might be described as ‘traditional’. Other crimes (including one of the murders) happen in the USA and a further two of the murders happen on a boat to Hong Kong. Bring our total to twelve stories, one is set on the Amalfi coast – and doesn’t have a conventional anything. The stories span, I think, the 1950s to the 1970s (it is sometimes hard to tell and the range might start in the 1940s), which covers the majority of the original stories). For a Marple afficionado there is ample material for enjoyment in the stories, and for checking on the chronology.
Reviewing a book of short stories is tricky because they are short! A brief hint of the tale cannot really stray into much of the story before tripping over the first clue. Shortness also means that the crime can’t really be too complicated, and here they all fall into well-known tropes. So they are not really ‘how’ and ’what’ stories but ‘who’ and ‘why’. Writing an authentic sounding story in another’s voice without plummeting into pastiche is difficult, and the authors here do manage to avoid it; some more successfully than others. A couple of the stories I would have rated around 2.5 and a couple I would have rated around 4.5, and perhaps given Kate Mosse a 5.
Speaking of authors, Naomi Alderman is first named in the authorial list and seems to be tagged in some places as the only named author. This is, I think, an example of “alphabetical primacy” and could be seen to be unfair. Usually collections have a named editor or collator, but I can’t find one. The publishers suggest that this collection will introduce Miss Marple to a new audience, but I can’t see why this should be any better at doing this than the existing Christie oeuvre. Perhaps the idea is that fans of the writers will follow the trail to here, but will they really be a new audience?
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I wasn’t sure what to think before I started reading this Miss Marple anthology. I wasn’t sure if she would be in situ, in her bygone age, or whether she would have been given a modern make over. I was very pleased to find her for the majority, happily still in her time.

Bear with me for the next sentence, it will make sense, honestly. In a way, I think Miss Marple is very similar to Dr Who. Depending on your age, we all have a Dr Who we see in our mind, and I think the same of Miss Marple too. For me, it is Joan Hickson, she is the archetypal Miss Marple. In each of these stories, this is who I saw.

Each of the authors gave a new crime to solve, while still providing backdrops of familiar people and places, and mentions of previous crimes solved.
There were small passages in each of the stories that made me smile.
Lucy Foley’s description of George’s complexion.
Val MeDermid’s turn of phrase for when Mary had let the boiled eggs boil dry.
Alyssa Cole giving voice to Miss Marple on the subject of handsome men.
Elly Griffiths’ allowing Miss Marple to share her thoughts on the writing of books.

I really hope that Marple will bring new readers to this classic character, a National Treasure. This trip down memory lane, to a genteel time, where, apart from the frequent murders, the most pressing issue is a disagreement within The Parish Council, has been a breath of fresh air. This is the perfect book to read, when you need a book to dip in and out of, though the whole book of short stories only took me two days to read. Agatha Christie is such a distinctive and much loved author, it was brave of these 12 authors to take up the baton, to encourage new interest for the original author.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.