Miss Marple Meets Murder: The Mirror Crack'd / A Pocket Full of Rye / At Bertram's Hotel / The Moving Finger

by Agatha Christie

A Dodd Mead, Nelson Doubleday collection of four Miss Marple novels by Agatha Christie. A 1980 Hardcover Limited Collector's Edition.

"Miss Marple Meets Murder" includes: "The Mirror Crack'd" (full title "The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side"); "A Pocket Full of Rye;" "At Bertram's Hotel;" and "The Moving Finger." 661 Pages.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the collection "Miss Marple Meets Murder." Entries for each of the individual titles as well as 8 other novels and the 20 short stories in the Miss Marple series can be found elsewhere on Goodreads.

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Classics, Collections

661 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Agatha Christie was the greatest exponent of the classical detective story. Her unique literary talents have crossed every boundary of age, race, class, geography and education. While she refined the template for a fictional form, the reading of her books became an international pastime." John Curran

I started reading and collecting Agatha Christie books when I was 9 years old. I adored her books and still do. There is a great comfort, as an adult, in reading her books and acute observations of people that favours style over the penny horrors of sadism, torture, and graphic violence favoured by some authors.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

I read the first book in this. It was interesting, partly for its commentary on getting old, and partly for its relatively early (1962) commentary on the intrusion of planned developments into existing communities.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories by Christie featuring Jane Marple. In The Moving Finger, Miss Jane Marple investigates an apparent suicide after the victim receives a series of poison pens letters. This is a vintage British mystery.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were not Christie's best. They were, all the same, not horrible disappointments either, only mild disappointments. In the many novels and short stories of hers that I have read, I am only now reaching the lesser of her books, so to speak. And they still held my attention just fine.

[Roshni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Pocket Full of Rye was a good one, but the last two are average, not very enthralling, and I demand to be enthralled.

[judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you don't feel like going to the library, unearthing a collection of fluffy Miss Marples is a great alternative. Love her as much as ever.

[Mripma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading out loud while Mark does his back exercises.

[Lucy Samuelsen]

Read Aug. 30, 2016 - Sept. 27, 2016

[Prakash Murthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another collection of Agatha Christie murder mysteries completed. These books are proving to be very helpful at managing stress :-)

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Marple rules!

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. The popularity of Miss Marple continues almost unabated. Could the reason be that Agatha Christie and her sleuth are really dealing with human nature, under stress mind you, which is universal and not time limited? These four novels cover the gamut, from the loss of a child, envy and retribution, to desire and unrequited love. Now if you can figure out which goes with which, good on you. The top drawer here has to go to "The Moving Finger." A vicious string of poison pen letters seems to have little reason or validity until one of them results in suicide. Miss Marple sets out to find the author. Nursery rhymes appear in numerous Christie novels and the one surrounding "A Pocket Full of Rye" is special as it was used by her twice. The Poirot short story, "Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds" has the same theme. (March 2021)

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading these classic mysteries. I was fooled by one or two of these full novels. I would recommend these books to everyone. I like the plotting and the way I was surprised at the endings.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection, although I think I prefer Christie's full length novels. The stories were less interesting a mysteries than as period pieces of British culture.