Marple: Twelve New Stories

Marple: Twelve New Stories, published by HarperCollins in Sep 2022 is a collection of short stories by twelve modern day writers who "reimagine Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery." The collection is authorised by Agatha Christie Ltd and is seen as a means to introduce a new generation of readers to Agatha Christie's to the exploits of her famous detective Jane Marple. The collection is also marketed as Marple: Twelve New Mysteries (isbn: 9780063136052).

The writers who were commissioned to write the stories had been given a number of parameters. The stories had to be set within the period covered by Agatha Christie's own Miss Marple stories. The writers could use characters and situations in the original Marple stoties but could not include characters or events from Christie's non-Marple stories or invent a backstory which Christie herself had not created.

Publisher's summary

"Agatha Christie’s legendary sleuth, Jane Marple, returns to solve twelve baffling cases in this brand-new collection, penned by a host of acclaimed authors skilled in the fine art of mystery and murder

One doesn't stop at one murder...

Jane Marple is an elderly lady from St Mary Mead who possesses an uncanny knack for solving even the most perplexing puzzles. Now, for the first time in 45 years, Agatha Christie’s beloved character returns to the page for a globe-trotting tour of crime and detection.

Join Marple as she travels through her sleepy English village and around the world. In St Mary Mead, a Christmas dinner is interrupted by unexpected guests; the Broadway stage in New York City is set for a dangerous improvisation; bad omens surround an untimely death aboard a cruise ship to Hong Kong; and a bestselling writer on holiday in Italy is caught in a nefarious plot. These and other crimes committed in the name of love, jealousy, blackmail, and revenge are ones that only the indomitable Jane Marple can solve.

Bringing a fresh twist to the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, these twelve esteemed writers have captured the sharp wit, unique voice, and droll ingenuity of the deceptively demure detective. A triumphant celebration of Christie’s legacy and essential reading for crime lovers, Marple is a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains one of the most famous detectives of all time."

Short stories in the Collection

• Evil in Small Places - Lucy Foley
• The Second Murder at the Vicarage - Val McDermid
• Miss Marple Takes Manhattan - Alyssa Cole
• The Unravelling - Natalie Haynes
• Miss Marple's Christmas - Ruth Ware
• The Open Mind - Naomi Alderman
• The Jade Empress - Jean Kwok
• A Deadly Wedding Day - Dreda Say Mitchell
• Murder at the Villa Rosa - Elly Griffiths
• The Murdering Sort - Karen M. McManus
• The Mystery of the Acid Soil - Kate Mosse
• The Disappearance - Leigh Bardugo