Miss Marple Tells a Story: a Miss Marple Short Story

Miss Marple #SS 14

by Agatha Christie

A man is accused of stabbing his wife in the chest while they were staying at a hotel. Only he and a chambermaid are suspects and the evidence against him seems infallible. In a desperate attempt to save his life, he and his solicitor come to Miss Marple seeking her help to prove his innocence. She asks a few questions.

Librarian's note: this entry relates to the short story, Miss Marple Tells a Story. Collections and the other stories by the author are located elsewhere on Goodreads. The Miss Marple series includes twelve novels and 20 short stories. Entries for each of the short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: a Miss Marple Short Story.

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Classics

28 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1934

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

[EveStar91 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In a case of illness one likes two points of view—that of the specialist and that of the family physician. It is the fashion to regard the former as of more value, but I am not sure that I agree. The specialist has experience only in his own subject—the family doctor has, perhaps, less knowledge—but a wider experience.”

Jane Marple proves to have a much wider experience of people's thoughts and prejudices and a much cleverer detective than a fancy lawyer in Miss Marple Tells a Story. Her estate lawyer brings another client accused of murdering his wife to Marple's house, asking her to solve the murder mystery from her living room and prevent the client's wrongful incarceration, which she easily does!

A recommended story, playing to the strengths of both Miss Marple on page and Agatha Christie in the plot and themes explored.

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/4
[One star for the premise and the whole story; 3/4 star for the characters; One star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 4 1/4 stars in total.]

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the way Miss Marple narrated the story in a hilarious, humblebrag kind of way.
When a lawyer brings his client to Jane and asks her to listen to the story of the events leading up to him finding his wife dead in their hotel room, the client in question thinks it's a waste of time.
However, just as her lawyer friend hoped, the fluffy old lady manages to see a few things that everyone else missed and ends up saving his bacon.



The best part, though, is the way she retells the story to her nephew and his wife in a very oh my, I'm not sure how the police missed this obvious clue way that she always does. And of course, the people in the story reminded her of so-n-so in the village, which inevitably showed her exactly who the killer was.
Love her!



Originally written as a radio play for the BBC in 1934, it was then turned into a short story for Home Journal in 1935.
Read as part of the short story collection The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories.

[Adrienne L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story

I mean, it's Miss Marple showing up all the young whipper snappers, so of course it's good stuff.

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. It's a few years after the Tuesday Night Club, and one of its participants, lawyer Mr. Petherick, comes to see Miss Marple about a case. One of the few aspects of crime mysteries which I don't like is the unrealistic impression created in some as to the events being the first time the hero had solved a serious crime. Example? Murder She Wrote with Jessica Fletcher and over 250 episodes! This one is refreshing; Mr. Petherick knew Miss M's hidden talents. Can she find a solution to a situation confronting his client? Mr. Rhodes and his wife had been staying at the Crown Hotel in Barnchester. They had two connecting rooms but her hallway door was locked. She used his door exclusively. One evening he went into her room to check on her before going to bed. She was dead from a knife wound! How could that have happened? The only visitor had been one of the hotel's long-serving maids. Of course the police were suspicious and charges were imminent. Jane asks questions. It first appeared as a radio play on the BBC in 1934. I read its 12 pages in Miss Marple: the Complete Short Stories of 2011. Were her questions the right ones? (De2020/Ja2026)

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little over the top with the forgetfulness and playing dumb because Miss Marple never forgets things and is a very bright woman. The story is clever but Christie has her rambling at times in this short story written in 1934.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful short story about one of my favorite detectives, Miss Marple!

This time, she’s relating a story of one of her earliest successes - her lawyer drops in with a man suspected of killing his wife in a hotel in a neighboring town. It’s a classic locked room mystery, but Marple saves the Day with her clear thinking and knowledge of human nature. Delightful treat for a lazy Black Friday afternoon for those of us who’d rather read than shop!

[Agla]

Another nice short. Miss Marple is too subdued and apologetic for her own worth. I know it's part of her personality but still. The mystery was nice though!

[Ranwa Alkateb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's my first experience with Agatha Christie and I don't think it'll be the last.
Short story with simple language, I want to read more of the Miss Marple series..

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story featuring Miss Marple. Quick and entertaining.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't really remember what happened in this at all. I really don't think I'm going to read/listen to Miss Marple. I should try a full book first, but if this is the narrator for Miss Marple books then I really can't with this series. The narrator speaking for Miss Marple had this lisp that was really distracting. I really need to go on audible and see if it's the same narrator, cause this narrator will make this series a try or a no for me.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not certain that this even deserves three stars, but I didn't really dislike it, so I will give it the benefit of the doubt since it did make a good point about what we generally perceive about our surroundings. For the record, I did not read the kindle version of this book of 26 pages. It was included in a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie.

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems hard cheese that the murderess is driven mad and into becoming a murderess because apparently they didn't prosecute for vehicular manslaughter or any variation of it back then.

[Bmalnovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Miss Marple

This is a fun little short story. It ties everything up in a nice bow and very quickly! Nice to read if you only have a short amount of time.

[As You Wish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure why this is in the format of Miss Marple telling a story. I get the feeling this was an aside Agatha Christie was writing as an aside but it took on a life of its own. Anywho she solved the murder with a little bit of the girl who cried wolf.

[Whitney (The Cover Collector) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written so Agatha Christie could read it aloud for the BBC.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe a little too succinct? but it was all there (if you knew the answer before the story; clearly all the clues weren't 1st given).

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…just by applying a little common sense, I believe I really did solve a problem that had baffled cleverer heads than mine.”

Miss Marple’s powers of observation and understanding are beyond compare.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

We could almost be returning to the original six; exchanging stories that seem incomprehensible mysteries devoid of explanation or solution.

Miss Marple Tells a Story is simply that. Playing down her achievement to understand a “locked room” scenario where the husband in the adjoining hotel bedroom seemed the only possible murderer of his wife. Indeed as with Agatha Christie’s writing the scene is beautifully outlined and until Miss Marple explains her reasoning the solution remains beyond even the most careful reader.

Not that we should be surprised. In ‘Marpleland’ common sense prevails and her everyday experiences and knowledge of people bring her clarity of thought and reason. In her day no-one took notice of the servants; today we might be guilty of seeing the tradesperson not the individual. The uniform conceals the person themselves unless ‘it is a man looking upon an attractive woman’.

I love audio books.
“Miss Marple Tells a Story is a radio play created by Agatha Christie for the BBC in 1934 which was converted into a short story published in Home Journal on May 25, 1935.”

As with most things Agatha Christie was ahead of her time!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, entertaining short story, with a bit of a bland narrative though. Basically, two visitors (Mr. Petherick from the Tuesday Night Club and a Mr. Rhodes) tell the facts, Miss Marple asks a few more questions, and then she comes up with the one possible solution that clears Mr. Rhodes of murdering his wife.

Mrs. Rhodes was murdered and the only person seen entering and leaving the hotel-rooms of her and the husband was a maid (emphasis on "a"). However, the rooms had the unusual constellation of being around a corner, and there were different witnesses seeing the two doors. So they saw a maid entering and leaving on one side and a maid entering and leaving on the other, but in the end it was not the same maid, one was the murderer.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Marple recounts a consultation by a solicitor and his client. The client's wife was in a hotel room where the only way in our out was through her husband's room because the door to the corridor was locked. Only the husband and a chambermaid came in or went out. But the husband did not kill her.

Who done it? The "chambermaid". It was actually a woman who was insane and wanted revenge on the wife because of a car accident many years before. She became a guest at the hotel and dressed up as a chambermaid in order to have access to the room. No one noticed her face, just the chambermaid's uniform.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Through trial and error, I have learned that the best way for me to read Agatha Christie is to avoid her full-length novels and concentrate instead on her short stories. I'm reading through her Miss Marple stories first. This one isn't as good as others because Miss Marple basically relating a case to someone else, and there are too many instances of "I hope I'm not digressing" and "You're going to think this silly." Miss Marple works much better when she's on the scent at the scene of the crime and we get to watch her in action.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

She’s regaling Raymond and his girlfriend Joan with one of her little experiences.

Joan paints those very remarkable pictures of square people with curious bulges on them – very clever of you, my dear, but as Raymond always says (only quite kindly, because he is the kindest of nephews) I am hopelessly Victorian.

Ouch.
A lawyer has brought his client to Miss Marple to see if she can come up with a solution to the stabbing of the wife before he is found guilty of the crime. In those days it was hanging for murder.
3 stars

[Stephanie Linnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a bit of a Agatha Christie binge right now so I decided to read this short story that I found. I enjoyed this one as it was told from the point of view of Miss Marple, which isn't normally the case in the other books I have read with her as the main character. I enjoyed the mystery in this one and I also enjoy how better at sleuthing Miss Marple is than everyone else around her. I ended up giving this 4/5 stars!

[Reema · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as part of the sinister spring collection. Miss marple is actually so sweet, I love the way she speaks and talks and think and basically everything about her! This was an interesting idea with a focus on human nature and perceptions and how they decieve. Didn’t get what was spring about it personally to be in this collection.

[Cassandra Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, as usual

I would recommend this short story to anyone who loves mysteries or the mystery of human nature. This is a very short and very enjoyable little tale. Agatha Christie is the master. She truly seemed to understand the complexities of human behavior.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Marple: the Complete Short Stories

Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man accused of murdering his wife consults Miss Marple's attorney & friend Peveril and the two bring their locked room mystery to Miss Marple.

A perfect little short story solved by the clever Miss Marple.

[Barbara Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Marple Solves the Case!

Another case solved by the incredible elderly Miss Marple. This was the case of a woman who was murdered in her room and the murderer was not seen. I gave another 5 star rating.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great short mystery.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, quick short story. Fun to kind of think about and try to decide what happened before the ending.