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Juliet Stevenson reads Miss Marple’s Final Cases, Agatha Christie’s last collection of short stories to feature the woman who had become the world’s most popular female detective, Miss Jane Marple. Nine intriguing talesOne unequalled storytellerAn unknown wounded man in a church. A fatal riding accident. A corpse and a tape measure. Whether in St Mary Mead or further afield, there is always much wickedness lurking below the surface, should, like Jane Marple, you have the eyes to see it. Published posthumously, this collection of tales, seven of them featuring Agatha Christie’s much loved Miss Marple, plus two stand-alone stories, is a treasure trove. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed.’ Susan Lewis ‘The acknowledged queen of detective fiction.’ Observer

Marple

Miss Marple’s Final Cases

Juliet Stevenson reads Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems, the series of linked short stories that introduced readers to the Tuesday Night Club and to the woman who would become the world’s most popular female detective, Miss Jane Marple. A weekly dinner partyTen amateur sleuthsThe Tuesday Night Club murdersOn a quiet Tuesday in St Mary Mead, a group of friends gather for dinner. A policeman, a clergyman, a solicitor, an author, an artist, and an unassuming lady with a shrewd gaze – Miss Jane Marple. Conversation naturally turns to crime. Each recounts a seemingly unsolvable mystery. Each thinks they know the answer. But it’s the one they least expect who understands the true nature of each wicked act… Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Billions of readers can’t be wrong.’ Dreda Say Mitchell ‘The plots are so good that one marvels . . . most of them would have made a full-length thriller.’ Daily Mirror

The Thirteen Problems

First released on cassette tape in 1993, these archive recordings of six short stories from the book Miss Marple’s Final Cases feature Joan Hickson as Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. First, the mystery man in the church with a bullet-wound… then, the riddle of a dead man’s buried treasure… the curious conduct of a caretaker after a fatal riding accident… the corpse and a tape-measure… the girl framed for theft… and the suspect accused of stabbing his wife with a dagger. Recorded thirty years ago after the BBC finished filming the series Miss Marple, these final short stories were read by Joan Hickson when she was nearly 87 years old and capture the warmth and nostalgia of a bygone age. Due to the archival nature of these recordings, the quality may vary. Newer recordings of Miss Marple’s Final Cases, read by Juliet Stevenson, are also available.

Strange Jest and Other Stories

First released on cassette tape in 1987, these archive recordings feature Joan Hickson as Miss Marple reading Agatha Christie’s The Thirteen Problems. When the Tuesday Night Club meets in St Mary Mead, the weekly conversation turns to unsolved crimes. The stories of murder and intrigue are often so wicked that they have confounded even Scotland Yard. But there is one person present who has observed enough about human nature to be more than a match for the most perspicacious investigator… Recorded more than 35 years ago while the BBC was filming the series Miss Marple, these thirteen short stories were read by Joan Hickson when she was 80 years old and capture the warmth and nostalgia of a bygone age. Due to the archival nature of these recordings, the quality may vary. Newer recordings of The Thirteen Problems, read by Juliet Stevenson, are also available.

The Tuesday Club Murders

A quiet English villageA shocking murderAn unlikely detectiveNobody liked Colonel Protheroe. So when he’s found dead in the vicarage study, there’s no absence of suspects in the seemingly peaceful village of St Mary Mead. In fact, Jane Marple can think of at least seven. As gossip abounds in the parlours and kitchens of the parish, everyone becomes an amateur detective. The police dismiss her as a prying busybody, but only the ingenious Miss Marple can uncover the truth . . . Never underestimate Miss Marple. ‘Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction both for readers and for writers.’ Val McDermid ‘Always keeps her reader enthralled and guessing to the end.’ Times Literary Supplement

The Murder at the Vicarage

A young woman found murderedA scandal in the makingWhen Mrs Bantry wakes to find a body in her library, there’s only one woman to call: her good friend Jane Marple. But she hasn’t called her old friend for comfort. The body in her library has been murdered and Miss Marple is so very good at solving murders. Her investigations uncover a scandal far darker than either of them could have imagined, and this time she may be out of her depth. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Christie always defied expectations, not only in her legendary twists and reveals, but also in the underestimated detectives she created as her heroes. The villains never see these sleuths coming – and that’s half the fun.’ Leigh Bardugo ‘One of the most ingeniously contrived of all her murder stories.’ Birmingham Post

The Body in the Library

A malicious letterA tragic deathA village filled with suspectsNothing ever happens in the sleepy village of Lymstock. Until letters accusing the villagers of unspeakable acts start to appear. They try to dismiss them as a cruel hoax, but then one of the recipients is found dead. The letter next to her body reads simply, ‘I can’t go on’. As fear spreads among the villagers, Jane Marple must uncover who is writing these letters – before anyone else is hurt. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Miss Marple is one of the most subversive, the most original, most distinctive characters in fiction. Often underestimated and overlooked, she always triumphs in the end.’ Kate Mosse ‘Beyond all doubt the puzzle in The Moving Finger is fit for experts.’ The Times

The Moving Finger

A strange houseA ghost from the pastAs soon as she moves into Hillside, Gwenda knows there’s something strange about this house. A sealed room. A hidden door. The apparition of a young woman being strangled. But strangest of all – this all seems quite familiar. As her friend Jane Marple investigates, the answer seems to lie in a crime committed nearly twenty years ago. The killer may have gotten away with murder. But Miss Marple is never far behind. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ Tana French ‘Miss Marple is spry, shrewd and compassionate.’ Sunday Telegraph

Sleeping Murder

An ordinary villageA shocking announcementOne morning the villagers of Chipping Cleghorn wake to find a strange notice in their papers: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.’ Suspecting this is just a joke, they gather for some evening entertainment. Then a gunshot is heard. In desperation, the police turn to an old lady whose hobbies are gardening, gossiping – and solving murders. After all, old ladies know better than anyone exactly what goes on in quiet English villages… Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘The queen of jaw-dropping, heart-stopping twists.’ Karen M. McManus ‘Establishes firmly her claim to the throne of detection. The plot is as ingenious as ever… the dialogue both wise and witty; while the suspense is maintained very skilfully until the final revelation.’ A.A. Milne

A Murder is Announced

A shocking crimeA mansion filled with suspectsRuth Van Rydock can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to her sister at Stonygates house. Her old school friend Jane Marple decides it’s time to pay a visit. But this grand Victorian mansion isn’t just a family home – it’s also a correctional facility for wayward young men. And when something terrible does indeed happen, Miss Marple must face her most eccentric cast of suspects yet. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘If a genius is someone who leaves the field they work in totally different from how they found it, then we should certainly remember Agatha Christie as a genius.’ Stephen Fry ‘No one on either side of the Atlantic does it better.’ New York Times

They Do It With Mirrors

A wealthy familyA fatal cup of teaRex Fortescue was enjoying his morning cup of tea when he met his untimely end. Suspicions naturally turn to his wife. He was filthy rich, after all. Then she too is found dead. Strange clues have Scotland Yard’s finest minds scratching their heads. Poisoned marmalade. Dead blackbirds. A victim found with a pocketful of rye. It’s up to Jane Marple to put the pieces of this strange puzzle together… Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Captivating and addictive, Agatha Christie's work never fails to delight.’ Jean Kwok ‘This is the best of the novels starring Christie’s Miss Marple.’ New York Times

A Pocket Full of Rye

Two trainsSide by side for a brief momentIn that moment, a murderElspeth McGillicuddy is positive she witnessed a man strangling a woman to death. But it was only the merest glimpse through a carriage window as the trains drew parallel. She is the only witness, there are no suspects, and, most importantly, there is no corpse. Who, apart from her friend Jane Marple, would take her seriously? Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘All crime writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt.’ Peter James ‘Never a dull moment.’ The Times

4.50 from Paddington

A movie starA deadly cocktailA murderWhen glamorous Marina Gregg came to live in St Mary Mead, tongues were sure to wag. But, with a local gossip’s sudden death, has one tongue wagged a bit too much? As the police chase false leads, and two more victims meet untimely ends, Miss Marple starts to ask her own questions. What secrets might link a peaceful English village and a star of the silver screen? Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Christie’s ingenious plots and fiendish twists set the bar for all of us who follow in her footsteps.’ Ruth Ware ‘The pieces finally drop into place with a satisfying click.’ Times Literary Supplement

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side

A Caribbean resortStrangers thrown togetherIs there evil in paradise?Major Palgrave enjoys an audience, and, in Miss Marple, he discovers a captive audience too polite to walk away. But midway through recounting the tale of a multiple murder, he stops suddenly when something, or someone, catches his eye. Then, when he’s found dead the following day, Miss Marple suspects that someone wanted to silence the talkative major. Permanently. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘There’s no such thing as a disappointing Agatha Christie: there are only good ones and better ones.’ Naomi Alderman ‘Livelieness . . . infectious zest . . . as good as anything Miss Christie has done.’ Observer

A Caribbean Mystery

A grand old London hotelA series of alarming coincidencesDanger lurking down every corridorImpeccable service. Luxurious rooms. Eccentric guests. There are worse places for Canon Pennyfather to find himself stranded than Bertram’s Hotel. But when he gets his dates in a muddle and attempts to travel to Lucerne a day too late, he unwittingly sets off a violent chain of events. And Miss Marple is convinced there is more going on than meets the eye. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Agatha Christie inspired me, aged eleven, to write my own murder mystery set in a country village. I can’t remember much of the plot (think the vicar did it) but Christie has been inspiring me ever since.’ Elly Griffiths ‘Brilliant.’ Guardian

At Bertram’s Hotel

A letter from beyond the graveOne last requestAn unsolvable crimeWhen Miss Marple receives a letter from the recently deceased millionaire Jason Rafiel, she’s not sure what to make of it. Knowing her deductive skills, he challenges her to solve a crime. If she does so, she will inherit £20,000. The only problem is that he has failed to mention who was involved, or where, and when the crime was committed. Jane Marple is intrigued. Never underestimate Miss Marple ‘Sorry Poirot, but I’m team Marple every time. A mind to rival the great Sherlock Holmes – and much handier with a knitting needle – yet patronised and underestimated by those around her, her invisibility is her superpower. That and her uncanny understanding of the darkest depths of human nature . . .’ Lucy Foley ‘Her gift is pure genius.’ Observer

Nemesis

Agatha Christies classic murder mystery novels where the unforgettable Miss Marple solves difficult crimes thanks to her shrewd intelligence.

Marple

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