A novel by: Agatha Christie, Alyssa Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Jean Kwok, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid Overall, I was disappointed by the stories and the narrators. Some of the good narrators (Ramon Tikaram) were saddled with poor stories and some narrators spoiled what may have been good stories. Imogen Stubbs sounds like she arrived at the recording studio in a rush and was still trying to catch her breath. Alison Steadman was almost unbearable. She has such a shrill, screechy, histrionic voice. It was very unpleasant to listen to. I understand she's a "name" and so was probably meant to be a draw, but for me she was terrible. The synopsis says this collection “will introduce the character to a whole new generation”. Honestly, if you want to introduce Miss Marple to a new generation, just make them read the original Christie novels because they’re timeless, expertly crafted and cleverly thought out mysteries that cannot be replicated. The Mystery of the Acid Soil" by Kate Mosse (5 stars)-A really good story that definitely evokes the best of Miss Marple. I loved the idea of her meeting a curate and getting caught up in his story of a young lady that he knows who has gone missing. I also loved the solution since I didn't put two and two together. The 8th story is A Deadly Wedding Day by Dread Say Mitchell, narrated by Cathy Tyson. There is a connection to Christie's novel, A Caribbean Mystery, as it is mentioned that Miss Marple had solved a mystery in the Caribbean community of Notting Hill in London, UK. An interesting question occurs to Miss Marple, why doesn't the bride get to give a speech at her own wedding? Favorite quote:

I think this collection did several things well: it's a nice mix of the refreshingly new and the comforting old, and it varied in type of mystery from murder to more. Each author captures Christie—and Marple—perfectly, while also displaying just a bit of her own unique touch. . . . This new and entertaining collection by some of our favorite writers will hook a new group of readers to the formidable Miss Marple." — Rhys Bowen, Washington PostAlyssa Cole is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers and romance (historical, contemporary, and sci-fi). Her books have received critical acclaim from Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets.When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her many pets. A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors. This book will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author included in the new publication will reimagine Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery. A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell - Marple enlists the help of Miss Bella to get to the bottom of a murder at a wedding reception. This one was, easily one of my favourites. It's a well thought out and executed mystery, and the addition of Miss Bella brings out Miss Marple's best observational skills. 4/5 Given that she was “born” in a short story, it seems only fitting that this new collection of Miss Marple works should be comprised of short stories (though if the folks in charge of Christie's estate want to authorise some full-length novels, we'll happily read those, too). Authors & Stories Included in the Collection

The Open Mind by Naomi Alderman - Miss Marple gets invited to an Oxford dinner where she meets a particularly obnoxious scholar. This was just a bit bland overall, and not helped by my dislike of books about academia. The mystery elements felt a bit pointless. 2/5. Short stories are great throw aways, and especially fun old-time mysteries with that twist spin by those mystery authors we have come to love. 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.Can’t wait for Agatha Christie, Alyssa Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Jean Kwok, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid Marple release? Planning to get hold of Marple? Already have your hands on Marple? Looking forward to other Marple upcoming books? Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Agatha 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.

The 2nd story is The Second Murder at the Vicarage by Val McDermid, narrated by Adrian Scarborough. More recently, M.C. Beaton selected her own successor in Rod Greene. He's carried on both the Agatha Raisin series and the Hamish Macbeth novels.In Miss Marple’s Christmas by Ruth Ware (4.5/5) the theft of a valuable string of pearls during a Christmas gathering at Gossington Hall puts a damper on the festivities. This story is truly reminiscent of Agatha Christie's signature style in terms of a closed room setting, multiple suspects, and a surprising revelation. A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell (4.5/5), has Miss Marple teaming up with her friend Miss Bella whose niece’s wedding becomes the scene of a murder. In The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok (4/5) we find Miss Marple on a cruise to Hong Kong during which two murders occur and the daughter of one of the victims is the accused. It is up to Miss Marple to figure out what truly happened. In The Murdering Sort by Karen M. McManus (4.5/5), Miss Marple and her great–grand-niece Nicola West work together to solve the mystery behind the murder of the grandfather of one of Nicola’s school friends. This story is set in the United States. I'm afraid . . .' I stopped, not feeling entirely comfortable delivering my news among the gladioli and the dahlias and the talk of romance. We not only cover the release of Marple but also other Agatha Christie, Alyssa Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Jean Kwok, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid 2022/2023 releases and Agatha Christie, Alyssa Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Jean Kwok, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid 2022 new books. With bookreleases.com you’ll never miss Agatha Christie, Alyssa Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Jean Kwok, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid new releases. In The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok, Miss Marple solves a murder on a cruise ship to Hong Kong with shades of A Caribbean Mystery in the set-up. Dreda Say Mitchell’s A Deadly Wedding Day finds Miss Marple teaming up with her Caribbean equivalent to solve a death at an aristocratic wedding in England. Murder at the Villa Rosa by Elly Griffiths sets up a crime writer at an Italian hotel filled with people who might be characters from a crime novel, including Miss Marple, naturally.

And, you can be sure that she will wear tweed, do some knitting and gardening, and have tea or Cherry Brandy, and sometimes even tea with Cherry Brandy which both go surprisingly well with village GOSSIP! Opinions on this episode, both at the time and retrospectively, fall into two camps: either Christie experienced a genuine loss of memory, or she was faking it. One (male) journalist even suggested that she had deliberately set out to frame her husband for murder. Worsley is firmly of the belief that Christie suffered an episode of mental illness (what would now be called a dissociative fugue state), and here her sympathy for her subject is at its fiercest: “The great injustice of Agatha Christie’s life was not that her husband betrayed her while she was mourning her mother. Nor was it even the mental distress. It was the fact that she was shamed for her illness in the national newspapers in such a public way that people ever since have suspected her of duplicity and lies.” The later Marple novels ‘all express Agatha’s view of a Britain that has gone wrong’ 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. The Mystery of the Acid Soil was good, although not as good as the other 3 I've mentioned. It seemed a little silly, although it was very well constructed as a story, with believable characters.

Review

Twelve New Stories involving Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple? Purists will be up in arms. Me, I’m delighted my favourite crime authors took part. Thank you,NetGalley and the publishers, HarperCollinsUK, for a chance to read this book. It came out on Thursday. Marple: Twelve New Stories No idea when any of the stories begin and end - have to stab around 30 odd chapters hoping not to hear the ending first. Would titles of the stories be too much too ask?!