Ever since I was in elementary school, I have loved the books written by Agatha Christie. I’ve loved all of her characters, from Hercule Poirot to Tuppence and Tommy. I particularly enjoyed Miss Marple, the elderly woman who lived in the small English village of St. Mary Mead. She was single and had spent her whole life in her little town, but she was wise about people. She saw that no matter where you lived, whether it was London or St. Mary Mead, people were all the same. She used her wisdom to solve murder mysteries that perplexed the police.
Always carrying her purse and her bag of knitting (for she was always making sweaters for this baby or that child), she sat in the lobby of the hotel or the deck chair overlooking the beach, watching, always watching. Eavesdropping was her particular specialty. In the end, she got her man (or woman).
Because of my love for Miss Marple, I was intrigued by the volume entitled simply Marple: Twelve New Mysteries. What? How can there be new mysteries when Agatha Christie has been dead for 47 years. Marple is a collection of brand new adventures of Miss Marple, written by contemporary authors who are renowned mystery writers in their own right. Some of the authors include award winners Elly Griffiths, Lucy Foley, and Alyssa Cole.
The stories are quite varied. Some are more contemporary; others take place in Christie’s original time frame. One of the authors places Miss Marple in New York City. Admittedly, some of the stories were better in my opinion than others.
Continuing the stories originated by Agatha Christie isn’t a new idea. Sophie Hanna has been writing new Poirot mysteries for some time, and quite successfully. The difference is that Hanna tries to replicate Christie’s voice, while these authors use their own styles to assist Miss Marple in her adventures. Quite successfully, I might add.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but overall, the book was fun. It was wonderful to have the ability to connect with one of my favorite detectives.
Nana's Whimsies 