Miss Marple's Final Cases
A Miss Marple Short Story Collection
By Agatha Christie Ulverscroft Large Print, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-44480-234-4
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Reviewed by Auggie Moore - July 9, 2010
Miss Marple's Final Cases is a collection of nine Miss Marple short stories, all from the prolific pen of Dame Agatha Christie. Published posthumously, this collection was originally entitled, Miss Marple's 6 Final Cases and Two Other Stories . The book was called her Final Cases because it mostly contained the last short stories that Christie wrote that focused on her famed amateur detective, the elderly Miss Marple. However, two of the stories in this collection, The Dressmaker's Doll and In a Glass Darkly do not contain Miss Marple and are the "and Two Other Stories" listed in the original title.
Over the years, this volume has been reprinted in a variety of formats, and with an ever-changing number of stories in the collection. The nine stories in this most recent compilation are:
Sanctuary
Strange Jest
Tape-Measure Murder
The Case of the Caretaker
The Case of the Perfect Maid
Miss Marple Tells a Story
The Dressmaker's Doll
In a Glass Darkly
Greenshaw's Folly
All of the above stories were in the original collection with the exception of Greenshaw's Folly, which has been added to this new addition. Many of the stories in this collection, including Greenshaw's Folly can be found, individually, in other Christie short story collections. However, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only publication where you can find all nine of these stories in one place.
Two of the stories in this collection have a somewhat supernatural feel, while the rest are traditional mysteries including one fantastic locked room mystery. Other stories in this collection follow Miss Marple's efforts to prove a man innocent of murdering his wife. There is a story in which a man tries to get the last laugh on his heir, from beyond the grave. There is also a nice assortment of thefts, murders, and a missing person's case, as well as other forms of mayhem. As well, all include a solid hodgepodge of red herrings yet enough clues to enable you to solve the mystery - if you keep all your wits about you! Many of the stories in this collection also include characters that appeared in other Miss Marple novels and stories, such as Inspector Craddock, Raymond West, and Inspector Slack. Therefore, if you are an old Miss Marple fan, these stories will serve as a friendly visit with some old friends. If you are new to Miss Marple, these stories will serve as an excellent introduction to Miss Marple's keen detective abilities and the unique and ofttimes eccentric, and very British characters, that inhabit Miss Marple's world. This collection also give you a taste of Christie's non-Miss Marple mysteries.
This is a great collection of Miss Marple short stories that is sure to please all mystery fans.
Miss Marple's Final Cases can be purchased directly from Ulverscroft.
Click Here for a complete list of all the books written by Agatha Christie.
Related Reviews:
The 13 Problems, by Agatha Christie.
Miss Marple puts her deductive skills to use in thirteen of her most fiendish cases in this short story collection from the reigning matriarch of mystery.
Poirot's Early Cases, by Agatha Christie.
Eighteen thrilling mysteries from the early cases of Hercule Poirot that will have you working your little grey cells to solve the case before Poirot does.
