Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie Narrator: Juliet Stevenson
Series: MIss Marple
Published by HarperAudio on November 1, 2022
Genres: Historical Mystery
Length: 12 hours, 12 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
At last - all 20 Miss Marple short stories in a single volume!
Jane Marple is from the village of St Mary Mead and applies her skills of observation and deduction to a wide variety of mysteries. Several of the supporting characters appear in many of these stories, including her nephew Raymond West, Dolly and Arthur Bantry of Gossington Hall, and Sir Henry Clithering formerly of Scotland Yard.
Miss Marple made her first appearance in a book in 1930, and her twelfth and final novel was published shortly after Agatha Christie's death almost 50 years later. In the intervening years Miss Marple also featured in 20 short stories, published in a number of different collections. But never before have they been available together.
In this complete volume, Miss Marple uses her unique insight to deduce the truth about a series of unsolved crimes - cases of a girl framed for theft, some disappearing bloodstains, the cryptic last message of a poisoned man, a woman killed within days of writing her will, a spiritualist who predicts death, a mortally wounded stranger in a church, a Christmas tragedy...
The twenty stories are:
1. The Tuesday Night Club (1927)
2. The Idol House of Astarte (1928)
3. Ingots of Gold (1928)
4. The Bloodstained Pavement (1928)
5. Motive v. Opportunity (1928)
6. The Thumb Mark of St Peter (1928)
7. The Blue Geranium (1929)
8. The Companion (1930)
9. The Four Suspects (1930)
10. A Christmas Tragedy (1930)
11. The Herb of Death (1930)
12. The Affair at the Bungalow (1930)
13. Death by Drowning (1931)
14. Miss Marple Tells a Story (1935)
15. Strange Jest (1941)
16. Tape-Measure Murder (1941)
17. The Case of the Caretaker (1942)
18. The Case of the Perfect Maid (1942)
19. Sanctuary (1954)
20. Greenshaw's Folly (1956)
I am always very happy to have a complete collection of short stories in a world rather than having to hunt around for a bunch of shorts. Miss Marple is my favorite Christie character so this seemed like a great fit for me. I’ve been buying the thirteen individual books with Miss Marple adventures but the older versions. All the new ones, like this collection are narrated by Juliet Stevenson.
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories was a real pleasure for me. I had read some of the stories previously but I really appreciate having them all together. It’s fun to see how Miss Marple’s experience with life and human nature lets her see the truth in so many different situations.
A real advantage of the short stories is that each one is a complete story so it’s convenient when one needs a short listen to fill in between longer ones or when time is limited. I highly recommend this combination with all the Marple stories. It was originally to be released on audio in June, then early September, and finally it is here!
Narration:
Juliet Stevenson is the narrator of this book and all the new editions Miss Marple books. (The ones with all the pretty new covers, too) I enjoyed listening, and the voices were comfortably appropriate for the characters, male or female. The feeling is somehow updated. The older editions felt more old-fashioned and I like that as well. I listened at my usual 1.50x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Oh fun! I read these years ago under the Tuesday Club Murders and I agree that its great to have them all in one place. Juliet Stevenson is a fav narrator already. 🙂
I really enjoyed this. I was happy to have all the short stories together too.
That’s great. I’ve never read these.
Miss Marple is my favorite and I like having them all together so I don’t have to find all the short stories separately.
That’s a lot of short stories in one book. What a fun way to read these short stories.
They are really fun. Miss Marple is my favorite although I enjoy everything Christie. It’s just great to have them all together.
I have a collectors edition of the Agatha Christie books that I bought years ago. All except for a few I lent out and never got back. Must hunt them down on eBay I think. I do love these new covers though and it’s nice having all the short stories in one book. I’d love to re-read by audio!
That’s basically what I’m doing. REreading all the Christie books on audio. Although I’m starting with Miss Marple; she’s my favorite. I have a few print books but by no means everything.
I have never read Agatha Christie but I keep saying that I should. I need to try to make it happen sometime soon.
Oh Carole I LOVE Agatha Christie. I’ve read everything, some more than once. Right now I’m collecting everything Miss Marple on audio for a reread. But the classic And Then There Were None is where I would start. Although it and other older Christie books are a bit racist or class snobby which is accurate for the times.
I came really close to requesting this one but I’ve not read the Miss Marple series yet. Glad you’re enjoying them.
I’m not sure you have to have read the series although it does help with knowing who some of the characters are, so I see your point. I have read them all probably 40 years ago. I own some in print. Now I’m collecting them on audio.
I’ve been meaning to read more books by Agatha Christie recently. Good to know you enjoyed the narration in this audiobook.