Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "kate-mosse"

Marple: Twelve New Stories by Naomi Alderman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Agatha Christie's Miss Marple returns in a collection of mysteries by contemporary writers.

Schemes of blackmail and murder in a small village…
St. Mary Mead’s vicarage is once again host to murder…
A trip to Manhattan turns deadly…
Miss Marple unravels a public family drama…
Christmas celebrations are interrupted by a jewellery theft…
A sudden death in an academic circle…
A killer strikes on an Oriental cruise ship…
A wedding is interrupted by a sudden poisoning…
A writer plots a murder in the sunny Mediterranean…
Miss Marple’s great-grand-niece becomes embroiled in a murder…
A peaceful visit to a Sussex village leads Miss Marple to uncover a string of murders…
Called back to St. Mary Mead, Miss Marple is asked to investigate a man’s sudden disappearance…

'Marple' presents twelve short stories by twelve mystery and thriller writers, celebrating one of Agatha Christie's most ingenious characters and her second most famous detective - Miss Jane Marple. Behind her unassuming appearance of the elderly spinster and legatee of the Victorian era, in her neat quaint cottage where she tends her garden in the small chocolate-box English village of St. Mary Mead, is a woman with a keen understanding of human nature and a skill at solving even the most complex of mysteries.

Every one of these stories is a perfect slice of the genius of Miss Marple, as sharp, unobtrusive and quietly observant as ever, capturing the subtlety, intuition and intellect with which Christie wrote her character. My personal favourites were:
'The Second Murder at the Vicarage' by Val McDermid, for its vintage style and sleight-of-hand solution;
'Miss Marple's Christmas' by Ruth Ware, for its festive, classic mystery atmosphere;
'A Deadly Wedding Day' by Dreda Say Mitchell, for its thrilling pace and twists in the narrative;
'The Mystery of the Acid Soil' by Kate Mosse, for its detail-driven plotting and masterful piece of detection.

This collection has so much to delight a mystery reader - secrets and lies, plotting and scheming, adultery and affairs of the heart, clever thefts and strange disappearances, and, of course, brutal murders. Featuring an eclectic mix of supporting characters, which also include some reappearances of several from Christie's own stories, such as nephew Raymond and friend and neighbour Dolly Bantry, the stories are told from differing perspectives, taking place across multiple locations. With allusions and references to Christie’s stories, this collection of tales makes for an indulgent treat.

Part of the genius of the Miss Marple stories is in how so many people simply dismiss her as an elderly woman. This theme remains as timely as ever - the elderly often written off, their time passed. Within the collection, we experience how elderly people are seen in other cultures, revered for their wisdom, knowledge and life experience – in contrast to what is often seen in British society and similar cultures. As well as exploring perceptions of the elderly, the underlying theme of aging also runs throughout the collection - how it feels to grow old, especially as a woman, to fade into the background (or be expected to), while your mind may remain as it ever was. It's quite unclear just how old Miss Marple is in her later stories, but she never loses the twinkle in her eye or her ability for astute and quick observation. If we must grow old, as all of us who are lucky enough to do so must, then let it be as Miss Marple does.

Miss Marple, much like Poirot and many other classic detectives, was a delightful part of my childhood. As Sophie Hannah has done with her 'Poirot' novels, the authors featured in this collection have offered the world something we believed lost with the passing of Agatha Christie - new stories featuring these incredible characters. Like Christie's entire legacy, Miss Marple remains immortal.

A marvellous collection of mysteries, both fresh and nostalgic, ‘Marple’ proves the magic of Agatha Christie never wavers, her spirit within each of these tales from twelve talented authors.



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The Black Mountain by Kate Mosse

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A thrilling historical mystery.

May 1706. Ana lives in a small coastal town on the island of Tenerife, in the shadow of a mighty volcano.

No one believes the volcano will ever erupt. But when Ana notices strange changes in the environment, she senses they are in grave danger.

Yet no one will listen to her, and her determination to raise the alarm only puts her in greater danger at the hands of those who wish for her warnings to be silenced.

‘The Black Mountain’ is an historical novella by Kate Mosse, a blend of murder mystery, disaster action adventure, and coming of age story, set in Tenerife in 1706 and exploring the events surrounding a volcanic eruption, centring on the experience of a young Spanish woman, Ana, and her close family and friends. An enjoyable, fast-paced read with some vividly described scenes; Mosse narrates a tale fraught with danger, grief, corruption, and tragedy, in which one’s faith in humanity is shaken and renewed in equal measure.

Ana is an endearing character, reminiscent of the lead characters of childhood adventure stories. Courageous and strong-willed, she is both the moral heart and hero of the story, currently dealing with her immense grief at the loss of her father, whom it was believed took his own life. Ana comes to believe her father was murdered, her quest to solve this mystery sidetracked by the threat of the volcano. Ana senses the heavy aura in the air and the animals taking cover before the earth begins to tremor, but the powerful men of the town have no desire to listen to her, and so it falls to her, along with her brothers and friends, to do what little they can.

The novella is set against the backdrop of a true historical event, the eruption of the Trevejo volcano, the eponymous black mountain, in May 1706, which changed the course of history for the island of Tenerife. While there were no recorded human fatalities, the port we visit in the story was buried by lava flows and later relegated to a fishing village, leading to an economic shift following the disaster. Also abounding are tales of churches and a convent that the lava dared not touch, while other buildings were lost.

I particularly loved the touch of folklore of the legend of the Devil living inside the volcano; it perfectly illustrates the ominous threat that is both constant but distant and not quite believed, a throwback to an ancient explanation for the roars that escape into the night and the magma that rises as if from the pits of Hell. Though incredibly subtle, it plays into the concept of justice explored in the subtext of the novella, whether legal, moral, natural or divine.

A short, entertaining novella, ‘The Black Mountain’ is perfect for a one-sitting summer read, appealing to adults and young adults alike, and serves as a great appetiser for Kate Mosse’s work.



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