Twelve female mystery writers, many of whom have written novels reviewed in this blog, have each written a short story featuring the character of Miss Jane Marple, Agatha Christie’s noteworthy detective. Each places her in a different setting, most familiar to Marple fans, such as her village of St. Mary Mead, or various locales in England; other authors have Marple solving mysteries further afield, such as New York City, a cruise ship bound for Hong Kong, and the Amalfi coast of Italy. Miss Marple is consistent in demeanor, approach, and intuition from story to story, so recognizable is her character. While admitting to some infirmities of old age, such as arthritis, some loss of hearing, and less energy, she is still spry, a sharp observer, and forever interested in others. She manages to uncover wrong doings and malfeasance where others glide by, failing to notice anything untoward.

Naomi Alderman (The Power), Lucy Foley (most recently The Paris Apartment), Ruth Ware (most recently The It Girl), are some of the mystery writers, to name a few. Marple has a large network of friends who call upon her when circumstances go badly wrong, such as in The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo. Other situations arise serendipitously, such as the fake murder designed to end careers of politically black-listed actors in Marple’s nephew’s stage adaptation of one of his novels in Miss Marple Takes Manhattan, by Alyssa Cole. Whether the setting is typically British, such as an Oxford University dining hall or tea at a manor house, or Tai Chi in a park in Hong Kong, Miss Marple is so aware and alert to the circumstances of those around her that it is downright impossible to slip any deceit past her.

Agatha Christie fans, or mystery fans in general, will love reading their favorite authors paying homage and taking the challenge of faithfully rendering this highly recognizable figure of the genre. Recommended.