HarperCollins

Not all stories are even but they all blend remarkably well, picking up on all the little idiosyncrasies of Miss Marple and her entourage. Some are delightfully funny, others have a real mystery at their heart, and others yet are almost more like Christie than the esteemed author herself. I definitely enjoyed myself and would definitely recommend this volume to fans who will recognize the little allusions to the original series.

Every year I look forward to the book put out by The Grand Tour (even though this is only the second year). The books and their predecessors (see page 225 of this book for a non-definition of the two words not to be mentioned) are always good for a laugh or three. Plus, you might even learn something. This year’s instalment, A-Z of the Car, is slightly heavier on the facts with less emphasis on the shows of the current season. This suited me as I still haven’t seen Season 2 because show more Australian internet is slower and jerkier than a manual Nissan Duke driven by a first-time learner. (Seriously, it takes a week of planning just to update my Xbox. Co-ordination to watch an episode involves moon phases, aeroplane tracking and most of my neighbourhood suffering an unfortunate blackout).

The premise of the book is simple – facts about cars, their brands and parts listed in an A-Z format. Handy. Easy. Don’t go thinking that this is a reference book though. For starters, there’s no index. Then there are the handy comments from JC, RH and JM. (James’ comments are helpfully truncated by Jeremy, ensuring this book weighs less than a sack of spuds). There are more than a few Nazi references as well as some snickering over the Wankel engine. (Now I know why schools refer to it simply as the rotary engine. Important stuff here). Some of the facts are likely to be quite true. Some sound very true and no doubt will impress your mates, especially if they are less cluey about cars than you (e.g. thinking the Mazda 3 is the most progressive car ever).

Me, I particularly enjoyed the entries about cars I like and giggled at the commentary on cars I dislike (e.g. Hyundai Ascent, Ssang Yong, SAAB). It’s also useful in getting an idea of who bought who and who’s gone bust. (In short, GM buys everything, goes bust and others scramble in a fire sale). In between the fun, you will actually learn a fact or two. Which could come in handy in getting rid of boring people at parties, impressing the opposite sex and attracting James May.

I would have loved to see some interruptions from the guys talking random stuff (and where is Hammond’s, ‘I HATE THE NISSAN JUKE’ essay?) but overall, this was a fun read whether you’re a car buff or just like alternative facts.

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A set of 12 authors each provided a short Miss Marple story in this anthology. As with any anthology, it is a mixed bag. Some tried a bit to hard to be different, moving Miss Marple to New York, Italy or a boat to Hing King, each of which felt a bit too far fetched to work. Other stuck more closely to home and they fared better. In one instance the voice of the teller was the first person, in this case the vicar finding yet another body in his house. There were a few quite successful ones show more with MIss Marple in a village location with an old friend each time. The most successful was by Natalie Haynes, and was the one that I was sure I'd read before, it had Miss Marple at Gossington Hall with Dolly & Arthur Bantry, Henry Clithering, Raymond & Joan. The missing jewels were carefully hidden, and I was sure I'd read that hiding place before - and I was right, as it was inspired by a book that the jewel thieves' nephew was reading and I have also read. It was very cleverly done, used a known setting and known characters and a borrowed plot. Simple but effective.
It was interesting that while some of the stories made reference to Miss Marple's youth, none tried to set a story in her younger days, she remains a little old lady in each of these stories. Maybe we can't imagine her any other way. show less

For the first time in forty-five years, one of the best sleuths in all of crime fiction returns to investigate twelve new cases in Marple. Twelve authors put their own personal spin on beloved elderly spinster Jane Marple, making this quite enjoyable to read.

Readers get to revisit the vicarage, Gossington Hall, and other places in England, but they also get to see Jane solve crimes on Broadway in New York City, on Cape Cod, in Hong Kong, and on the Amalfi Coast in Italy-- mostly thanks to show more her nephew the novelist.

All the stories are winners, and I have to admit that I do like how Miss Marple was "updated" by showing her help a young Chinese woman and an interracial couple. Even faces familiar to Marple fans are seen in a different light.

It was obvious to me that all the authors had fun writing their stories, but some seemed to have a bit more fun than others, and their stories really shone. Which ones? Val McDermid with her "The Second Murder at the Vicarage"; Elly Griffiths' "Murder at the Villa Rosa"; Karen M. McManus' "The Murdering Sort"; and Leigh Berdugo's "The Disappearance". These were my particular favorites although-- as I said-- all the stories are good.

This anthology breathes some life into Miss Jane Marple. Her deductive capabilities shine, and the authors made me laugh several times, especially when one mentioned the fact that all of Miss Marple's relatives could be assured of receiving one of her knitted blankets at one time or another.

Fans of Miss Marple should enjoy this anthology, and I wouldn't be surprised if she gains new devotees who experience her talents for the first time. show less