Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

MARPLE: TWELVE NEW MYSTERIES is a new story collection with Agatha Christie’s iconic character Miss Jane Marple at the center. The twelve who-dun-its are written by a variety of award-winning and best-selling authors, including Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Karen McManus, and Kate Mosse. While there are many references to the tiny village of St. Mary Mead, Ruth Ware (“Miss Marple’s Christmas”) and Val McDermid (“The Second Murder at the Vicarage”) actually set their tales there. Others choose to pursue a rather unexpected twist and imagine Miss Marple as an international traveler: Alyssa Cole transports her to New York (“Miss Marple Takes Manhattan”), Jean Kwok to Hong Kong (“The Jade Empress”) and Elly Griffiths to rural Italy (“Murder at the Villa Rosa”). Rounding out the dozen stories are selections from Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, and Dreda Say Mitchell. Each suspenseful choice is a reminder of Christie’s skills in developing characters and also a portrayal of the other crime writers’ ability to craft a puzzling tale. Mystery fans will find much to enjoy; MARPLE: TWELVE NEW MYSTERIES has a beautiful cover and received a starred review from Booklist.