Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware (Review by Caitlin Winkler)

Rating 4.25/5 stars

When you think mystery, you have to immediately think of Agatha Christie. At least I do! I still remember my first Agatha Christie book, And Then There Were None, and how much it absolutely captivated me from beginning to end. I had to know who did it and it drew me to the genre of suspense/mystery later in life. While Agatha Christie did not write these short stories, absolutely incredible authors did based on the classic Christie character-Mrs. Marple. Marple: Twelve New Mysteries is a truly entertaining read!

Jane Marple the best at solving crimes and puzzles. So what if she is a little elderly and frequently viewed as somewhat ‘wacky’-she is good at getting to the bottom of things. Across 12 different short stories we see Ms. Marple travel from her hometown of St. Mary Mead to a cruise bound for Hong Kong, a show in NYC, and a vacation retreat in Italy to name a few settings. Along the way she is presented with all sorts of crimes, and it is up to her to get to the bottom of it. How she does so and whether or not the culprit is found…you will have to read to find out!

These authors did a wonderful job taking this classic character and writing stories that truly highlighted Ms. Marple. Not to mention-the lineup of authors included in this book-Leigh Bardugo anyone?!-is insane! I am a huge fan of Leigh’s work and expected her story to be my favorite (which was kind of true) but among other authors were Lucy Foley, Alyssa Cole, and Ruth Ware-all big names in the thriller genre! Go out and grab this book! Not just for the storytelling of these modern authors, but for the nostalgia of a long beloved sleuth!