All 16 of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books, ranked
Book rankings: With a twinkle in my eye, I rank the complete literary canon of the iconic spinster sleuth.
Miss Marple
‘Marple’ Season 6 (2013) takes a respectable final bow
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): Jane gets a well-deserved island vacation in a grand but shortened season that includes a short-story mashup and a great “Endless Night” lead turn.
‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’ Season 5 (2010-11) offers something old, something new
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): A Miss Marple short story finally gets adapted, along with two non-Marple novels and one of her standout novels.
Handoff to McKenzie is intriguing – if not exactly smooth – in ‘Marple’ Season 4 (2009)
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): Though Marple’s personality changes, she still fits the elderly sleuth’s flexible template in four engaging episodes.
‘Marple’s’ intrusions make more sense in strong Season 3 (2007-09)
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): Geraldine McEwan wraps up her 12 episodes in the title role in respectable fashion.
Jane gets nosy in ‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’ Season 2 (2006)
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): I know some people see her as an interfering old biddy, but even so, it’s ridiculous that she intrudes in two non-Marple stories.
‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’ Season 1 (2004-05) comes out of the garden gate swinging
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): The first four episodes under Geraldine McEwan’s watch nicely balance faithfulness with a brisker 21st century pace.
Hayes steps into Marple role for lively ‘Caribbean Mystery’ (1983)
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): True, she doesn’t seem remotely British. But if you can accept the Americanization, this is a fun adaptation of Christie’s novel.
Lansbury takes crack at Marple in ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ (1980)
Sleuthing Sunday (Movie review): While the actress isn’t my idea of Christie’s sleuth, the plotting and acting are strong in this adaptation.
‘Marple: Twelve New Mysteries’ (2022) honors, expands character
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): A dozen modern authors write Marple with an ease that will make you cozy next to the fireplace; plus, we get mild surprises.