From Publishers Weekly
Hart has done a careful job of sifting through all of Agatha Christie's stories and novels devoted to Miss Jane Marple to piece together this "biography" of the spinster detective. The book opens with a description of Miss Marple's hometown, St. Mary Mead, a village south of London. The reader is introduced to many of the residents, from the Vicar to the fishmonger's delivery boys (all of whom are named Fred). From the Marple works Hart extracts references to the detective's past, and reconstructs her girlhood and the genesis of her career. The author also follows Miss Marple through the 1930s and World War II, and describes her appearance and personality, daily routine, travels and relationships with relatives and friends. Though the casual reader of Christie mysteries may think this is a bit precious, Miss Marple zealots will find it charming, and a suitable companion to The Collected Stories, reviewed above. U.K. rights: Laurence Pollinger; translation rights: Dodd, Mead. December 2
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Two useful additions to the growing corpus of Christie explication. Canadian author Hart has gleaned a remarkable amount of biographical detail from a careful (and obviously enjoyable) reading of the 12 books and 20 short stories featuring Christie's favorite female sleuth. After describing the village of St. Mary Mead, Hart recounts Miss Marple's life and adventures chronologically, then explores her personality and detection methods. This very readable study concludes with an extensive Marpelian bibliography. Recommended for fans and skeptics alike. Although very different in format and method, Morselt's book is another labor of love. One-page character and plot summaries are presented in separate chronological order for 66 novels and 144 short stories. These are numbered sequentially and followed by an appendix identifying "who-dunnits" tied in with the numerical keys, so that the mysteries aren't spoiled for the potential reader. Four indexes complete this unusual British import. Jeanne Gelinas, Hennepin Cty. Lib., Golden Valley, Minn.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
