Reading the Detectives discussion

Sleeping Murder is an oddity in the Miss Marple series - set in the 1930's, written during WWII and published in 1976. As suggested with the Agatha Christie website, we have placed it here and hope the order works well.

Please avoid posting spoilers in this thread - there will be a separate spoiler thread for the book. Thank you.

My copy has Miss Marple's Last Case written across the coverSleeping Murder: Miss Marple's Last Case and on the inside title page

Jill wrote: "My copy has Miss Marple's Last Case written across the coverSleeping Murder: Miss Marple's Last Case and on the inside title page"

Technically Sleeping Murder isn't the last Miss Marple book, though it was the last Marple book released to the public. Sleeping Murder was written many years before and there's a story about that in her autobiography. Nemesis was actually the last book and the final scene provides a more satisfying end to the series.

I really enjoyed Sleeping Murder and it's great that Miss Marple plays a much bigger part in this book than she does in The Moving Finger.

Even so, I've found myself getting the two slightly mixed up at times because one has a young brother and sister and the other has a young married couple centre stage, both moving to a new area.

And I was getting two books a bit mixed up as I recently read Locked Rooms which has Mary Russell returning to her childhood home and resurrecting lost memories.

I enjoyed this one very much- I think Miss Marple was in her element in this one, and I liked to see her involved in the case right from the beginning.

She came across as quite caring in this book too - tucking Gwen up in bed after she was upset and listening to her concerns.

Susan wrote: "She came across as quite caring in this book too - tucking Gwen up in bed after she was upset and listening to her concerns."

Yes- this was the idea of Miss Marple I had in my mind- probably formed over the books but I'd never read them in order. It is nice to see how her character comes across as the series progresses.

Loved reading this

This one is so far my favorite Miss Marple book. I picked it up from the library this morning and just had to read it to the end. Very good.

Good to hear so much enjoyment of this months choice. Did anyone feel it had more to offer as Miss Marple was more involved?

Susan wrote: "Good to hear so much enjoyment of this months choice. Did anyone feel it had more to offer as Miss Marple was more involved?"

Yes- I think so. I enjoyed the Moving Finger but when I read it as a "Miss Marple" book, I felt a little disappointed that she didn't appear sooner on the scene, though if I had read it without knowing that it was one, that wouldn't have been the case.

Diane wrote: "This one is so far my favorite Miss Marple book. I picked it up from the library this morning and just had to read it to the end. Very good."

A Murder is Announced (up next) and 4:50 from Paddington are also very good- so is A Pocketful of Rye.

I very much enjoyed this book. One of the aspects of Miss Marple I appreciated was that she let the young couple investigate more or less or their own, even though she was worried for their safety. Lots of helpful hints and warnings but it was their case and she didn't take over.

I also loved the scene where she manipulated her doctor to prescribe a seaside vacation to this particular village. And how he knew just what she was doing and played his role.

Sandy wrote: "I also loved the scene where she manipulated her doctor to prescribe a seaside vacation to this particular village....."
Her "social networks" help her a great deal in her investigations- be it getting to the village with a legitimate excuse or mingling with local society, who just happen to be connected with the case at hand.

Yes, the same is true in "A Murder is Announced." She certainly does seem to know a lot of people and her family obviously think highly of her too - the successful nephew is a good ploy, enabling her to get out and about and paying for hotels, etc.

Susan wrote: "Yes, the same is true in "A Murder is Announced." She certainly does seem to know a lot of people and her family obviously think highly of her too - the successful nephew is a good ploy, enabling h..."
That and of course the fact that she can find connections of connections- there was an interesting article I read on passports and identity which starts off with Miss Marple and A Murder is Announced and how introductions and essentially social connections worked as well as how things had changed post-war.
It is here if anyone's interested:
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publica...

Thanks for posting, Lady. We must remember to re-post the link next month. A Murder is Announced allows Christie to develop that post-war world, but in Sleeping Murder everyone still remembers who lived in which house (and probably worked for them, or knew them socially) even a number of years ago.

I'm just over halfway and, using the formulae published in the newspaper article, think i may have worked out whodunit! It'll be interesting to see if it did work out right.

Lesley~aka Ella's Gran wrote: "I'm just over halfway and, using the formulae published in the newspaper article, think i may have worked out whodunit! It'll be interesting to see if it did work out right. "

That's always the exciting bit about reading a mystery!

Sandy wrote: "I very much enjoyed this book. One of the aspects of Miss Marple I appreciated was that she let the young couple investigate more or less or their own, even though she was worried for their safety...."

I thought the same and is why I enjoyed this one so much. It's a nice change to not have the detective hog every scene but to allow others to shine.

Diane wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I very much enjoyed this book. One of the aspects of Miss Marple I appreciated was that she let the young couple investigate more or less or their own, even though she was worried for..."

I don't think Miss Marple ever does come in the way in that sense.

She acts as a sounding board quite often and, as she says, is adept at asking innocent sounding, gossipy questions. She is a little Miss Climpson like in that regard.

Yes, she's very clever at questioning people in shops etc while not appearing to do so, although if the locals all compared notes they might find not all her stories match!

I think this has one of the strongest openings of any mystery I've read - all the strange events in the house are very spooky and almost Gothic.

Yes, how disconcerting to try to exit from a doorway that was no longer there, or have vague remembrance of a place. Very well done.

Susan wrote: "Yes, how disconcerting to try to exit from a doorway that was no longer there, or have vague remembrance of a place. Very well done."

At that point, it almost reminded me of those stories/films which explore a rebirth theme...

What did everyone think of Gwen going to choose a house by herself? Her husband must surely have trusted her, I thought - and how nice to be able to pick where you wanted to live without having to consider the location in terms of work, etc. I am often a little perplexed by the GA characters way of supporting themselves financially. Either they are landowners, which I get, or else seem to have some wonderful financial arrangement where a relative has left them an income. Even many of those working as detectives, often do not really need to do so, but have a private income and almost seem to work as a hobby.

Gwenda was a New Zealander - well, raised in NZ, so even if not having done a days work in her life, she will have been a very independent woman as were most NZ women, even the skivvies. So since she had come to England ahead of her husband and somewhere for them to live was a priority, I wasn't surprised that she went house shopping on her own.

You're right when you say GA characters rarely seem to have to skivvy to support themselves. We do hear about that class of people who need to 'roll up their sleeves and skivvy' to put a crust on the table, but they are always doing the skivvying for the landed gentry!

Interesting how the common worker doesn't have a book written about them; where they are the main characters; where they are the key figures doing the sleuthing - or do they? Are there any books where the roles are reversed?

Lesley~aka Ella's Gran wrote: "Gwenda was a New Zealander - well, raised in NZ, so even if not having done a days work in her life, she will have been a very independent woman as were most NZ women, even the skivvies. So since s..."

i can't remember any off hand but in 4:50 from paddington, the girl that helps Miss Marple was earning her living- an interesting character when we get to her.

I haven't read 4|:50 from Paddington for years, Lady. I shall look forward to re-reading it.

I've been wondering about this too, Lesley and Clementina - so many of the books of this era have aristocratic detectives, including quite a few police, and your typical country house mystery has a lot of money around!

Patricia Wentworth does have quite a few poor young women featuring in her early standalone novels - I've read one where a maid is one of the central characters. J.S. Fletcher also seems to have characters from a lot of varied backgrounds.

I'd love to find a book of this era where a servant turns detective, though I suppose it would be hard for them to find the time since they had to work such long hours.

This doesn't exactly fit, but I just remembered that J. Jefferson Farjeon has a Cockney "passing tramp" called Ben as a series detective. (Hence the name of The Passing Tramp blog written by Curtis Evans.)

Last time I looked into these books they were out of print, but I've just discovered that Collins Crime Club has reprinted quite a few, so I must give one a try!

I was struck at how shocking characters found it in 'Grey Mask,' where Margaret, basically trying on hats was considered arduous. I understand customers could be difficult, but it was hardly working as a scullery maid. There are some historical mysteries featuring housekeepers, etc. In reality though, servants (other than Bunter!) probably would not have had time. In the Body in the Library, remember the valet in the hotel never hardly even went downstairs, let alone outside?

Judy wrote: "I've been wondering about this too, Lesley and Clementina - so many of the books of this era have aristocratic detectives, including quite a few police, and your typical country house mystery has a..."

That reminds me- the Inspector Sloan books- the Stately Home Murder in particular brought out the contrast between working class and wealth- the inspector is "ordinary" trying to navigate in a country home, and has much to learn and understand.

Susan wrote: "I was struck at how shocking characters found it in 'Grey Mask,' where Margaret, basically trying on hats was considered arduous. I understand customers could be difficult, but it was hardly workin..."

Margaret's situation was also something like one of the girls in The Hollow- where she had a similar job in a shop trying on things or helping ladies try on things which she finds frustrating. Perhaps it was more to do with their backgrounds and thus the contrast with the kind of work they are doing having to be submissive etc..

When I picked up my Miss Marple collection yesterday, I didn't even double-check my calendar for which one I was supposed to be reading, I just dove right into A Murder Is Announced... and just now realized I've read the wrong book. lol! So now I'm ahead for next month (a rare occurrence for me!) but still need to read Sleeping Murder for this month.

I've just started!

The good news is these are fairly short, particularly compared to many of the Lord Peter books :)

Yes, much shorter than the Sayers books, and I found Sleeping Murder an especially quick read. :)

Judy wrote: "Yes, much shorter than the Sayers books, and I found Sleeping Murder an especially quick read. :)"

That's good to hear. I have just got the e-version of the book on openlibrary. And I am so happy to join you. Unfortunately, I haven't finished The five red herrings and the book that I borrowed online has also Murder must advertise. I am not sure how I can manage to finish all of them within two weeks. But I am so fired up.

Sawako wrote: "Judy wrote: "Yes, much shorter than the Sayers books, and I found Sleeping Murder an especially quick read. :)"

That's good to hear. I have just got the e-version of the book on openlibrary. And I..."

I can imagine those electronic pages flying by - enjoy!

Sandy wrote: "Sawako wrote: "Judy wrote: "Yes, much shorter than the Sayers books, and I found Sleeping Murder an especially quick read. :)"

That's good to hear. I have just got the e-version of the book on ope..."

Thanks!

Don't feel rushed - just enjoy what you are reading. That is what's important :)

Susan wrote: "Don't feel rushed - just enjoy what you are reading. That is what's important :)"

Thank you, Susan. I will try. It's just that I am so pumped up and excited that I have joined this lovely group and I found the books online. Also, it's my first time to join a group challenge. :D

That's so sweet, Sawako :) Don't worry though, the discussion threads all stay open, so take your time.

For some reason, this is one of the Miss Marple books I like best. I have decided to reread it via audiobook; I picked up the CDs from the library yesterday.

Is it known why the book wasn't published earlier?
I thought perhaps she wasn't satisfied with it and withheld it, but so far it seems like the perfect Agatha Cristie: funny and witty, the atmosphere is well set and it has an interesting set up.

I have read that she held this and a Poirot book back in case she was killed in WW2, to leave to her daughter and husband. I'm surprised she wasn't tempted to publish this one after the end of the war though!

That's interesting, thanks Judy! Imagine the luxury of being able to hold back a good book like this