Yesterday I shared my thoughts on Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness (2024) and today it is now available to buy. Perhaps you’ve bribed a family member to buy this book on the way home from work, or maybe you’re on tenterhooks waiting for your local postal worker to drop off this much-anticipated volume. So, while you’re waiting, you might like to read this post, which is an interview I did with Mark Aldridge.
Now, I suspect Mark has done and will go on to do a lot of interviews for the release of his new book. Such interviews may discuss the research Mark undertook to complete Agatha Christie’s Marple, or perhaps they will explore the enduring appeal of Christie’s work or the influence of modern adaptations. All very good topics. However, it occurred to me that covering this same ground might not be so useful or as needed. Why read my interview, when much more important people are asking the same questions?
So, I decided to take my questions in a different direction, one partially inspired by my own book, How to Survive a Classic Crime Novel. To write something like Agatha Christie’s Marple, you have to immerse yourself in her world, whether it’s the one in the short stories and novels, or the adaptations on radio, TV, stage and film. I wanted my questions to capture a sense of this intense experience. I intended my questions to be ones which my readers could have an opinion on, and in that way widen the discussion. And yeah, I did want to have a nerdy Miss Marple moment with someone who loves her as much as I do (if not more!).
I would like to thank Mark for taking the time to answer my slightly less conventional questions, in which his knowledge of Miss Marple and her world are put to the test. It was fun to read his answers, which often made me laugh (in a good way!). Mark does not identify any Marple cases by name (except question 13 and 14 in a non-spoiler fashion), so I had a good time noticing all the references he makes to them.
So, without further ado, let’s begin with question one…
1. Based on your readings of Miss Marple’s cases, what do you think is the best way to gain entry to a suspect’s house? [Any comments in bold are my own]
By invitation! Perhaps you don’t get out much, you’re a bit down on your luck, or simply wish to admire someone’s lovely china or beautiful garden… who could turn down an unsubtle hint from an older lady, for example?
A very sensible idea! Much better than fabricating a car crash outside a suspect’s house, which a younger heroine did in one of Christie’s standalone novels.
2. What do you think is the best way to trap a killer?
Shock value works here! A sudden, clear, reminder of the evil deed that the murderer has committed. This might be achieved through a brief re-enactment, or even using your voice throwing skills to bring someone back to life…
3. Where are the danger hotspots in the Marple universe?
Polite society, especially villages. The real danger is not just the murder, but the fact that there is so much scandal among ‘respectable’ Middle England that it can so easily be covered up, because nobody wants their own secrets exposed.
4. What three top tips would you give to someone wishing to avoid getting killed in a Marple novel?
The top tip is DO NOT KEEP SECRETS! No matter what your intent – perhaps your lover asks you to keep your affair a secret, or you have scandalous information about someone – if it has value to you, then it has value for someone else, and they may not want the truth exposed, at any cost. Also, DON’T TRUST ANYONE – especially people who seem to be highly respectable. They are far more likely to murder you than those less well embedded in village life. Finally, BRING MISS MARPLE WITH YOU EVERYWHERE! She tends not to be present when the actual murders are committed, and if you’re unlucky enough to be killed anyway, at least she’ll know who did it pretty quickly!
5. Where is the best place to eat out in the Marple universe?
At Gossington Hall with the Bantrys, of course – although it is by invitation only. They tell such marvellous stories over dinner.
That is a very good point! Although you might want to avoid staying overnight as in the morning you might find yourself embroiled in a murder mystery!
6. What sort of person or character type would you say you could most rely on to be an ally, if you are an amateur sleuth?
Someone on the fringes of society – perhaps someone wo has immigrated to the country, or a maid, or an elderly woman. They know what is really going on because people speak freely in front of them, as they wrongly believe them not to be ‘important’.
7. Where are the best places to hide things?
In plain sight. Perhaps you can just swap a couple of ornaments to keep one hidden away a little, or wear an ostentatious fashion accessory to mask a secret. Alternatively, you may hide an important item via a riddle, although you may need Miss Marple’s help to solve it!
8. What do you think are the best ways of eliciting information from a suspect or witness?
Feigning stupidity is an excellent way to gain information – or, at least, feigning naivety. You may remark that something looks awfully clever or interesting, and oh do tell me more, were you working on this on Thursday afternoon at around 3pm…?
9. What do you think is the riskiest job to have in the Marple universe?
A maid, unfortunately. Although they’re rarely the primary victim, maids do have a tendency to see or hear rather too much, which means that they may need to be disposed of by a killer desperate not to be caught.
This might explain why the later Christie novels comment on the lack of good domestic help. Perhaps Christie’s middle-class characters needed to offer danger money?
10. What top three tips would you give to someone wanting to avoid becoming incriminated in a crime they did not commit?
Firstly, don’t be stupid! Don’t cover things up for other people, or pretend that you’ve done things that you haven’t, the truth will soon come to light and make you seem suspicious. Secondly, be completely honest about any motive you may have – if this comes out later you’ll seem very suspicious! And finally, if you find the body first, tell everyone about it right away – don’t rearrange the scene of the crime to make yourself seem a less likely suspect!
11. If someone was looking for love in the Marple universe, what dangers would you warn them against?
It all comes down to one thing – lies. Is that person really who they say they are? Always get a second opinion. Or, even better, a third!
And I suggest one of those opinions should be Miss Marple’s!
12. Would you want to meet Miss Marple in real life and if so, what top question would you want to ask her?
Oh yes, I am sure Miss Marple is someone who would be wonderful to meet. Only one question would be needed: ‘Have you noticed anything interesting recently?’.
I love this question, as it is not one I would have predicted. It is so wonderfully open-ended that Miss Marple’s answer could take you anywhere, which is very exciting!
13. Which is your favourite Marple case and why? [A mean question I know, as picking reading favourites is always tricky.]
There are many top contenders, including some charming short stories that I love to revisit, but A Murder is Announced must be the best for me. It’s a perfectly constructed mystery that also has so much to say about society – it’s brilliant as a novel in its own right, and as a case to be solved by Miss Marple.
14. Finally, what is Miss Marple’s finest hour?
The way that she confronts the murderer at the end of Nemesis is probably her finest moment. She will not be swayed by emotion, as she reminds the killer of the heinous acts that they have performed, and outlines the power of love for good and for ill. For Miss Marple, there is never an excuse for murder.
I agree this is a wonderfully dramatic moment. I pondered what my own answer to this question would be and I too went for a later Miss Marple moment. For me her finest hour is in Sleeping Murder, when she comes to the rescue at the end of the novel. I know some readers find it a bit ridiculous, but I have always been taken by it, and my fondness for it was further cemented by the Joan Hickson adaptation of the story.
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Over to You
Which is your favourite Marple case? Or do you have a different finest hour in mind? Are there any other tips you think the Miss Marple stories offer for staying save within the Christie universe?