Have Your Say

Discuss Marple

Talk about everything Marple related here!

recommend me a Marple book

detectivepauljohn 23 Nov 08 at 10:12 a.m. GMT

Please recommend me A Marple book featuring Miss Marple, of course. I already own and read Murder At the Vicarage. Please recommend me another book/s?

Login or register to add posts and reply

24 replies

Reverse order

squatty 23 Nov 08 at 11:21 a.m. GMT

I'd go for A Murder Is Announced, which is one of my favourite AC's, let alone my favourite Marple. I'd also go for The Moving Finger, but be warned, Miss Marple doesnt appear until quite late on in the book. However, the way the suspense builds as you realise something very unpleasant is happening is this quiet little village is briliantly disturbing

AndThenThereWasTim 23 Nov 08 at 3:35 p.m. GMT

Yea i'd say Body in the Library or Murder is Annouced.. Both are really good.. If you read MIA then read closely

ariadnepoirotmarple 24 Nov 08 at 2:08 p.m. GMT

Body In The Library is amazing. The plot is really exciting. It's a quite intersting book by Agatha Christie. A pocket full of rye isn't bad, I liked it, the characters were fantastic and the plot was intersting. 4h50 from Paddington is great! Probably my favourite Marple. The characters are very likeable and it's a really mysterious case.

Tommy_A_Jones 06 Dec 08 at 4:29 p.m. GMT

You could start with Murder In The Vicarage as that is the first (Even though it mentions Body In The Library which is a later book) but I preferred A Murder Is Announced, 4.50 From Paddington and Sleeping Murder, apart from those 5 the only one I have read is Moving Finger which is also brilliant, Ahh The more I think of the Miss Marple books the more I think I prefer her to Poirot, In will have to get my Joan Hickson Videos out.

pnerd 23 Jan 09 at 1:42 p.m. GMT

"The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" is a good one.

murderisannounced 27 Jan 09 at 5:28 p.m. GMT

I agree with pnerd, that is my favourite Marple, (To Read,) it has such a clever ending.

squatty 29 Jan 09 at 6:28 p.m. GMT

I disagree with starting your Marple collection with The Mirror Cracked. I think it is one of the weaker Marples in that most of the characters are rather one-dimentional and the solution is fairly easy to solve.

GKCfan 29 Jan 09 at 9:59 p.m. GMT

I like "The Mirror Crack'd," but you should be warned: crucial solution spoilers (not the guilty party's identity, but other details regarding the crime) to "The Body in the Library" appear in it.

devilgal19 31 Jan 09 at 1:08 a.m. GMT

Murder at the Vicarage is my favourite and also Nemesis.

biscotte 11 Feb 09 at 6:05 p.m. GMT

I would recommend Body in the library and The mirror crack'd from side to side.

I just finished the The mirror Crack'd from side to side. I could not put that book down! I loved the way it unravelled and the end was exquisite!

I like the caracter of miss marple, and i find the stories with her are generally easier to follow.

Tommy_A_Jones 12 Feb 09 at 4 p.m. GMT

I have only read 7 so far and my favourite is either SLEEPING MURDER, 4.50 FROM PADDING or MURDER IS ANNOUNCED so I would suggest one of those three.

susandiane 14 Feb 09 at 9:57 p.m. GMT

Moving Finger or Body in the Library

susandiane 18 Feb 09 at 10:43 a.m. GMT

Why stop at one? Read them all! But for your next, "Body in the Library" Try to read them in order.

ArlenaSMarshall 28 Jun 09 at 12:28 a.m. GMT

I agree. I like both The Body in the Library AND A Murder is Announced.

mirror 28 Jun 09 at 2:27 a.m. GMT

I especially recommend you "A Murder is Announced".  In terms of  relationships between characters, it is worthy of guessing a lot and that is interesting.

"The Sleeping Murder " and "A Pocket Full of Rye" are kind of boring, I think.

Actually, I was disappointed at the endings.

Dolly_B 28 Jun 09 at 2:35 p.m. GMT

Please read all the Marples.  But start with A Murder is Announced or  The Moving Finger or The Body in the Library. Please don't begin with The Mirror Cracked, Sleeping Murder or 4:50 from Paddington.  Mirror and Sleeping are boring and Paddington starts off great, but fizzles. Check out the Marple short stories.  Great reading!.

Frndorfoe 28 Jun 09 at 3:02 p.m. GMT

I'm a BIG, BIG Miss Marple fan! I've read all of the novels and short stories. And I must admit I like them all. The first Agatha Christie book I ever read was A Murder is Announced. Instantly I was hooked. All of the short stories are great but I would recommend reading The Thirteen Problems first. Among the novels the best are A Murder is Announced, The Body in the Library, The Moving Finger, A Pocket Full of Rye and Sleeping Murder. Sorry but I disagree with mirror and Dolly. Sleeping Murder is a complex psychological tale something in which Agatha Christie excels. Also, A Pocket Full of Rye has Miss Marple at her best. Her just and courageous nature shines through in this story. I did not find these two tales boring at all. But yes, The Mirror Cracked is kind of boring while 4.50 from Paddington is O.K. but still these are vintage Miss Marple!

akkshay1 30 Jun 09 at 3:52 p.m. GMT

I would suggest u "A Murder is Announced" or Sleeping Murder" both are very good

activesolutions 30 Jun 09 at 6:05 p.m. GMT

I saw on a Australian news channel and the Sydney Morning Herald that a new Miss Marple, with Julia Mckenzie was screened last week, "Pocket Full Of Rye". Its a pity that ITV in the UK have not shown it yet and have not given a date when it will be shown.

asmikhushi 04 Jul 09 at 5:05 a.m. GMT

if you care for short stories, then 'the thirteen problems' is a good choice...since all the stories have different types of endings...it wont disappoint you.

i was not  a big fan of short stories till i read this one. My favourite is motive vs. opportunity.