Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our August 25 challenge read of Sleeping Murder the fourth Miss Marple novel, published in 1976.

The book features Miss Marple. Released posthumously, it was the last published Christie novel, although not the last Miss Marple novel in order of writing. The story is explicitly set in 1944 but the first draft of the novel was possibly written during the Blitz in 1940. Miss Marple aids a young couple who choose to uncover events in the wife's past life, and not let sleeping murder lie.

The owner of a seaside villa is plagued by strange feelings about its past…

Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernise the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs…

In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a ‘perfect’ crime committed many years before.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

Didn’t want to post in the non-spoiler thread in case I give something away. I recently watched the Geraldine McEwen version of this Marple, and must say I was disappointed. The introduction of a theatrical troupe, faked death in India, Glenda coming from India instead of NZ, leaving behind a fiancé, not a husband-way too many padded bits of melodrama, I found myself fast forwarding through scenes!

I’ve only seen the Joan Hickson version once, but plan to rewatch it as a palate cleanser-sticks much closer to the plot of the book. Some of the McEwen Marples have been fun, but rather ridiculous plot additions- I don’t think Christie needed plot help!

That sounds absolutely dreadful, and unnecessary!

Sandy wrote: "That sounds absolutely dreadful, and unnecessary!"

I thought so - just odd - and the ending totally altered, with a Poirot style gathering and Miss Marple doing a big, chatty reveal. Watched the older version last weekend, much better! I know I’m prejudiced about Hickson as Marple, but it’s also fewer alterations to the plots - some changes in the newer dramatizations make the books almost unrecognizable.

I just watched the Hickson version (on youtube) and really enjoyed it.

The McEwan and McKenzie Miss Marple versions have some great actors but it's a shame about all the strange changes to the plots - thanks for the warning about this one, Susan!

My favorite aspect of this book may be Miss Marple's protective attitude towards the young people: forever warning them to not investigate, to not believe everything they are told, to have less faith in other's innate goodness.

Judy wrote: "The McEwan and McKenzie Miss Marple versions have some great actors but it's a shame about all the strange changes to the plots - thanks for the warning about this one, Susan!"

Yes, amazing casts - almost felt as if jamming big stars was the goal, and the plots were twisted accordingly to play to their strengths!

I agree that Joan Hickson was the best Miss Marple.

I listened to this on Audible and it was a really fun listen. If it was published now, the plot would be seen as improbably, but I enjoyed it.

And Miss Marple with the squirty gun at the end!!!

Sandy wrote: "My favorite aspect of this book may be Miss Marple's protective attitude towards the young people: forever warning them to not investigate, to not believe everything they are told..."

I liked her protective attitude too and think it makes the warmth of her personality come across even though she doesn't come into the story as much as I'd remembered from my previous read!

I kept wondering if she really wants them not to investigate, though, since she is the one who says that Gwenda must have lived in the house before and suggests there really was a murder, so without her they might never think to investigate in the first place. Maybe she is torn between her protective feelings and her desire for justice, and the knowledge that there may be a killer still at large.

Susan in NC wrote: "Yes, amazing casts - almost felt as if jamming big stars was the goal, and the plots were twisted accordingly to play to their strengths!"...

True - probably hard to cast a big name and then give them not much to do. I hadn't thought about the unnecessary plot twists being added in for this reason, but it sounds very likely!

Judy wrote

I kept wondering if she really wants them not to investigate

this makes sense to me: she knows both that something ugly/dangerous is there to be found and maybe should be left alone, and also there is still the truth which is necessary for justice.

Susan wrote: "I agree that Joan Hickson was the best Miss Marple.

I listened to this on Audible and it was a really fun listen. If it was published now, the plot would be seen as improbably, but I enjoyed it.

..."

Yes! Miss Marple to the rescue was the best! Couldn’t believe they swapped it out of the 2006 version for a Poirot-like gathering/reveal to the whole cast - felt very un-Marplelike

Judy wrote: "Sandy wrote: "My favorite aspect of this book may be Miss Marple's protective attitude towards the young people: forever warning them to not investigate, to not believe everything they are told..."..."

I agree, I think she’s torn between protecting the youngins from the emotional pain and possibly poking a mad killer vs. the need for justice.

Jackie wrote: "Judy wrote

I kept wondering if she really wants them not to investigate

this makes sense to me: she knows both that something ugly/dangerous is there to be found and maybe should be left alone, ..."

Very well stated.

I enjoyed this book, but I am surprised it's some people's favorite Marple. It was brilliant, but for some reason I don't like it as much as others and not even sure why.

I really enjoyed this one, and as it was a reread (or at least I'd seen the Hickson version) I loved watching Christie lay out the clues. When MM says at the end that she never believes anything anyone says, it really clicked, as reading this time made me see all the ways that Kennedy was able to twist things to his advantage-all the "information" he was able to give them-and the forged handwriting sample-and also how he was able to manipulate Helen and her husband in the first place.

Christie really does Psychology well-the whole idea of featuring a brother who is a fine upstanding community pillar having obsessive and likely borderline incestuous thoughts about his much younger sister was probably somewhat forward for the time.

Can I ask how we ended up doing this one at this point in the challenge? Goodreads lists it as the 12th Marple, as does my William Morrow edition, and it appears to have been published in 1976. I'm very happy to have read this one, but wondered if there was some disagreement about the publishing or writing order.

Frances, we're going by the chronological/writing order - it is a bit confusing but this book was written in the 1940s and is set then, although it wasn't published until 1976 . Agatha Christie.com has a Miss Marple reading list to download with a note about it. https://www.agathachristie.com/en/new...

PS I must say I find it amazing that Christie held on to a book of such quality without publishing it for so many years!

Another PS, sorry just remembered we also had some discussion about the publication date earlier in the non-spoiler thread.

Is there any thought that Miss Marple was supposed to die at the end of the book, the way she wrote one in which Poirot dies but held off on publishing it, so that no one could continue writing about him? Otherwise it does seem odd that she held off on publishing this one or so long.

Good question, Frances. I believe she wrote the two 'final' books for her detectives both around the same time and held them both back, but I don't know any detail.

I'm glad that I really enjoyed this. For once, I guessed the murderer rather early, but I feel like it didn't detract from the experience of reading it for the first time. If anything, it was interesting to be able to put myself in Miss Marple's shoes by knowing the killer but not what he was going to do next or how to prove it.