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BBC Radio 4 Marple
At Bertram's Hotel
Jane Marple, is being treated to a few days holiday by her niece, staying at Bertram's Hotel - a dignified, unostentatious establishment tucked away in a back street of busy Mayfair. It is a place where sedate upper-class ladies, retired military gentlemen and the higher echelons of the clergy can indulge in the comforts of a bygone age.
But Miss Marple begins to feel uneasy. Something sinister lurks beneath the polished veneer. Why are so many major crimes associated in some way with the hotel or somehow implicate eminently respectable people staying there.
1/5 Spinster sleuth Jane Marple's stay in London proves more eventful than planned.
2/5 Amateur sleuth Miss Marple's old acquaintance is about to receive a nasty shock
3/5 The sleuth's morning paper brings some very alarming news - and a police investigation.
4/5 Just as one mystery is cleared up, the spinster sleuth becomes involved in another.
5/5 The police ask spinster sleuth Jane Marple to take part in a little experiment.
Frederick Jaeger as chief inspector davy
Sian Phillips as bess sedgwick
Maurice Denham as canon pennyfather
Patrick Allen as sir ronald graves
June Whitfield as miss Jane Marple
By Agatha Christie
Adapted by Michael Bakewell
directed by Enyd Williams
But Miss Marple begins to feel uneasy. Something sinister lurks beneath the polished veneer. Why are so many major crimes associated in some way with the hotel or somehow implicate eminently respectable people staying there.
1/5 Spinster sleuth Jane Marple's stay in London proves more eventful than planned.
2/5 Amateur sleuth Miss Marple's old acquaintance is about to receive a nasty shock
3/5 The sleuth's morning paper brings some very alarming news - and a police investigation.
4/5 Just as one mystery is cleared up, the spinster sleuth becomes involved in another.
5/5 The police ask spinster sleuth Jane Marple to take part in a little experiment.
Frederick Jaeger as chief inspector davy
Sian Phillips as bess sedgwick
Maurice Denham as canon pennyfather
Patrick Allen as sir ronald graves
June Whitfield as miss Jane Marple
By Agatha Christie
Adapted by Michael Bakewell
directed by Enyd Williams
3 pages, Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1998
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bakewell
72 books6 followersMichael Bakewell (7 June 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a British radio and television producer and radio playwright.
His work included adapting The Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley) into a 1981 radio series for the BBC and a series of 27 adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories broadcast between 1985 and 2007 by BBC Radio 4.
He was born in Birmingham, England. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC's Third Programme. He became the first Head of Plays at the BBC in the 1960s.
His work included adapting The Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley) into a 1981 radio series for the BBC and a series of 27 adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories broadcast between 1985 and 2007 by BBC Radio 4.
He was born in Birmingham, England. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC's Third Programme. He became the first Head of Plays at the BBC in the 1960s.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 24, 2020
Miss Marple goes on holiday to posh and traditional Bertram’s Hotel. She has fond memories of the place, but now nothing is as it seems. A murder takes place, a priest disappears and there is a major robbery. Bertram’s seems to be in the center of it all and Miss Marple is asked to help the police with their investigation.
I listened to the audio CD edition of At Bertram’s Hotel (Miss Marple #11) and it is one of the shorter stories. Listening time is only 2 hours and 20 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed the pre WWII vibe I get from stories about Miss Marple. I am a great and longtime fan of Agatha Christie’s characters and have read, listened to or watched TV adaptations of a number of her works. I particularly enjoyed the little music bits throughout, which were unique to the experience of this story.
At Bertram’s Hotel (Miss Marple #11) continues Agatha Christie’s stories about Miss Marple. The police investigate the disappearance of the forgetful and absent minded Canon Pennyfather. Turning up again with a concussion and memory loss, he is very little help to the police when they try to question him about his whereabouts at the time when other criminal activity takes place in the area.
With the combination of investigative skills and eavesdropping, Miss Marple shares with the police details of what she has seen and heard during her stay at the hotel. In this story I am very pleased to see she is actually taken seriously and her contributions prove valuable to the solution of the case. Miss Marple feels there is something wrong with Bertram’s Hotel and that ends up being true on so many levels.
Main character Miss Marple is her usual gossipy, sleuthing self in this story. I find her very funny as she is actually making eavesdropping into an art form. I find her clever and entertaining as well as a person to be reckoned with, which makes her my favorite character of this story.
.
Secondary character Lady Bess Sedgewick is the eccentric famous, danger seeking guest with a forceful and domineering personality. Her business interests are shady and she has dangerous secrets. I find her demanding and pushy personality unsympathetic, which makes her my least favorite character of this story, but she is memorable and adds drama to the plot.
The audio CD edition of At Bertram’s Hotel (Miss Marple #11) is a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. It is the exciting and entertaining story of Miss Marple as she is re-visiting Bertram’s Hotel. This is one of many stories I have read, watched or listened to, which is expertly crafted by The Queen of Crime.
There are numerous books starring Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, and I would recommend any one of them to fans of Agatha Christie as well as anyone who enjoy crime fiction. Trust me, it would be time well spent. Similar works to explore might be the Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle.
All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: Expertly crafted characters, exiting plot, addition of music throughout
I listened to the audio CD edition of At Bertram’s Hotel (Miss Marple #11) and it is one of the shorter stories. Listening time is only 2 hours and 20 minutes. I thoroughly enjoyed the pre WWII vibe I get from stories about Miss Marple. I am a great and longtime fan of Agatha Christie’s characters and have read, listened to or watched TV adaptations of a number of her works. I particularly enjoyed the little music bits throughout, which were unique to the experience of this story.
At Bertram’s Hotel (Miss Marple #11) continues Agatha Christie’s stories about Miss Marple. The police investigate the disappearance of the forgetful and absent minded Canon Pennyfather. Turning up again with a concussion and memory loss, he is very little help to the police when they try to question him about his whereabouts at the time when other criminal activity takes place in the area.
With the combination of investigative skills and eavesdropping, Miss Marple shares with the police details of what she has seen and heard during her stay at the hotel. In this story I am very pleased to see she is actually taken seriously and her contributions prove valuable to the solution of the case. Miss Marple feels there is something wrong with Bertram’s Hotel and that ends up being true on so many levels.
Main character Miss Marple is her usual gossipy, sleuthing self in this story. I find her very funny as she is actually making eavesdropping into an art form. I find her clever and entertaining as well as a person to be reckoned with, which makes her my favorite character of this story.
.
Secondary character Lady Bess Sedgewick is the eccentric famous, danger seeking guest with a forceful and domineering personality. Her business interests are shady and she has dangerous secrets. I find her demanding and pushy personality unsympathetic, which makes her my least favorite character of this story, but she is memorable and adds drama to the plot.
The audio CD edition of At Bertram’s Hotel (Miss Marple #11) is a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. It is the exciting and entertaining story of Miss Marple as she is re-visiting Bertram’s Hotel. This is one of many stories I have read, watched or listened to, which is expertly crafted by The Queen of Crime.
There are numerous books starring Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, and I would recommend any one of them to fans of Agatha Christie as well as anyone who enjoy crime fiction. Trust me, it would be time well spent. Similar works to explore might be the Sherlock Holmes Series by Arthur Conan Doyle.
All opinions in this review are completely my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: Expertly crafted characters, exiting plot, addition of music throughout
January 12, 2020
A great reading refresher of details as I listened to a full cast BBC Radio quality audio. Video or film episodes are restricted in what is portrayed which I found was the case as I enjoyed the radio performances today for the #Book2MovieRC.
February 23, 2023
Maybe one of the few Christie novels that I have never read before & I found this really engaging. The characters are so well written, and this kept me hanging on to the last minute. Fantastic dramatisation by the BBC too.
May 29, 2016
I enjoyed this Miss Marple murder mystery.
August 4, 2016
Audiobook
Miss Marple visits a hotel she used to love and finds it has changed beyond repair. This was a BBC production so there was an entire cast with sound effects. Nice change from the normal one narrator type audiobooks. 4 out of 5 stars.
Miss Marple visits a hotel she used to love and finds it has changed beyond repair. This was a BBC production so there was an entire cast with sound effects. Nice change from the normal one narrator type audiobooks. 4 out of 5 stars.
September 17, 2016
Sooo much plot was lost in this audio book
September 9, 2023
Oh my godddd this was HORRIBLE! I usually really like the audioplays/dramatizations of Agatha Christie's novels but BLEGH. They relied on the fact that Bertram's is a place reserved for the older American "gentry" (if you will) and not really a place for young people. The whole mystery just... sucked. It fell flat spectacularly and I just couldn't force myself through!
Very disappointed, especially because At Bertram's Hotel is one of my absolute favorite shows, with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.
Very disappointed, especially because At Bertram's Hotel is one of my absolute favorite shows, with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2022
had to google the plot but the actor who voiced Malinowski went SO HARD
June 25, 2019
There is something suspicious going on at Bertram's Hotel . It turns out that its charming allure, high end guests, and perfect cucumber sandwiches is an elaborate front to cover an illegal scheme being championed by the brilliance of an unlikely suspect.
Miss Marple arrives at Bertram’s hotel for a 2 week getaway, courtesy of her niece. It’s a nostalgic place for her whereby she recalls many happy memories. This time however, Miss Marple plays narrator and observer to the uncovering of a mystery when a man of the cloth, Canon Penny father disappears and then unceremoniously reappears elsewhere. The curious facts of the case naturally attracts the investigation of the police whose presence appears in the one named inspector Davy. The disappearance of Penny father although an ordeal was the event that ultimately exposed Bertram’s Hotel respectability to be a ruse.
As usual Agatha is capricious in her story telling and the dramatization of the underworld at Bertram’s hotel keeps one engaged. However this time Miss Marple was more of a wallpaper or consultant to the case. There was not much engagement from her although her acute observations helped to put important facts and details together. Despite the presentable appeal of the story, the madness at Bertram’s is not among my Agatha favorites. (I Still recommended to Agatha Fans everywhere.)
Miss Marple arrives at Bertram’s hotel for a 2 week getaway, courtesy of her niece. It’s a nostalgic place for her whereby she recalls many happy memories. This time however, Miss Marple plays narrator and observer to the uncovering of a mystery when a man of the cloth, Canon Penny father disappears and then unceremoniously reappears elsewhere. The curious facts of the case naturally attracts the investigation of the police whose presence appears in the one named inspector Davy. The disappearance of Penny father although an ordeal was the event that ultimately exposed Bertram’s Hotel respectability to be a ruse.
As usual Agatha is capricious in her story telling and the dramatization of the underworld at Bertram’s hotel keeps one engaged. However this time Miss Marple was more of a wallpaper or consultant to the case. There was not much engagement from her although her acute observations helped to put important facts and details together. Despite the presentable appeal of the story, the madness at Bertram’s is not among my Agatha favorites. (I Still recommended to Agatha Fans everywhere.)
February 11, 2010
This tale gets quite complicated, with crazy subterfuge and mistaken identities and heiresses and Miss Marple in the middle of it all at Bertram's Hotel. It's as if Christie was trying to fit in as many implausible storylines as she could into one novel. This one also emphasises why I dislike Marple so much. She is a busy body at every chance, listening in and sneaking around and deliberately poking her nose where she shouldn't.
November 1, 2015
After reading some books that were quite difficult to digest, I was longing for something cosy and old-fashioned for a change. So I discovered that I was in the mood for Miss Marple this weekend. Maybe At Bertram`s Hotel doesn`t have the most exciting plot ever, but I liked the atmosphere.
April 4, 2021
Another winner. Great characters, witty repartee, scandalous happenings and intriguing situations. Great for reading anytime. This was a doozy. Didn't see any of it coming. The Miss Marple is a peach. Totally Enjoy!
September 27, 2021
Excellent adaptation of the classic Miss Marple story. June Whitfield is a good radio Marple although no one comes close to Joan Hickson for me.
July 19, 2023
(audiobook) beautifully narrated! shame that miss marple didn’t feature much.
April 18, 2022
The whole story sounded like it was made for audio. And I was completely fooled over the main crime of the novel. I haven't enjoyed such a Agatha Christie for a long while now.
June 3, 2024
One of my favourites! Another excellent adaptation from Michael Bakewell.
August 6, 2012
1/5 Spinster sleuth Jane Marple's stay in London proves more eventful than planned.
2/5 Amateur sleuth Miss Marple's old acquaintance is about to receive a nasty shock.
3/5 The sleuth's morning paper brings some very alarming news - and a police investigation.
4/5 Just as one mystery is cleared up, the spinster sleuth becomes involved in another.
5/5 The police ask spinster sleuth Jane Marple to take part in a little experiment.
Frederick Jaeger as chief inspector davy
Sian Phillips as bess sedgwick
Maurice Denham as canon pennyfather
Patrick Allen as sir ronald graves
June Whitfield as miss Jane Marple
Adapted by Michael Bakewell
directed by Enyd Williams
Jane Marple, hat von ihrem Neffen, einem Schriftsteller, einen Aufenthalt in Bertrams Hotel in London geschenkt bekommen. Miss Marple verbindet glückliche Erinnerungen mit diesem Hotel, in welchem sie einmal als junges Mädchen wohnte und möchte noch einmal in Erinnerungen schwelgen. Zu ihrer großen Überraschung und Zufriedenheit findet sie das Hotel nahezu unverändert vor. Doch der Scheint trügt. Schon bald hat sie das Gefühl, dass etwas nicht stimmt. Da wäre die junge Erbin Elvira Blake mit ihrem Vormund Colonel Luscombe, die sich fragt, wer erbt, wenn sie stirbt. Dann verschwindet der zerstreute Priester Kanonikus Pennyfather, ein Postzug wird überfallen und irgendwie laufen alle Fäden in Bertrams Hotel zusammen.
Dieses Hörspiel aus dem Jahr 1995 basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Kriminalroman von Agatha Christie aus dem Jahr 1965. Obwohl es Miss Maples zehnter Fall ist, ist dieser in sich abgeschlossen, und man muss die anderen Fälle nicht kennen, man muss nicht einmal die Figuren wirklich kennen.
Wer einen wirklich ermittelten Kriminalfall erwartet wird enttäuscht werden. Das Hörspiel erzählt eher, was verschiedenen Gäste von Bertrams Hotel so machen, Dinge, die Miss Maple nicht wissen kann. Es gibt einige Szenen aus Miss Maples Sicht, einige aus Sicht anderer Protagonisten und dann ermitteln noch zwei Polizisten. Die Auflösung ist konfus, an den Haaren herbeigezogen, unnötig kompliziert und unglaubwürdig und dennoch oder vielleicht deswegen, bleibt es bis zum Ende Spannend, denn wie üblich werden essentielle Informationen bis zum Showdown zurückgehalte und dann aus dem Ärmel geschüttelt.
Die Sprecher sind sehr gut, so wie man das von BBC Hörspielen auch erwartet. Die Klangkulisse ist stimmig und unterstützend, der Soundtrack unauffällig und unaufdringlich. Die Sprecher sprechen wunderbares britisch Englisch, dem man problemlos folgen kann.
Fazit: Tolles Hörspiel basierend auf einem mittelmäßigen, überkonstruierten, wenn auch klassischem Kriminalroman.
2/5 Amateur sleuth Miss Marple's old acquaintance is about to receive a nasty shock.
3/5 The sleuth's morning paper brings some very alarming news - and a police investigation.
4/5 Just as one mystery is cleared up, the spinster sleuth becomes involved in another.
5/5 The police ask spinster sleuth Jane Marple to take part in a little experiment.
Frederick Jaeger as chief inspector davy
Sian Phillips as bess sedgwick
Maurice Denham as canon pennyfather
Patrick Allen as sir ronald graves
June Whitfield as miss Jane Marple
Adapted by Michael Bakewell
directed by Enyd Williams
Jane Marple, hat von ihrem Neffen, einem Schriftsteller, einen Aufenthalt in Bertrams Hotel in London geschenkt bekommen. Miss Marple verbindet glückliche Erinnerungen mit diesem Hotel, in welchem sie einmal als junges Mädchen wohnte und möchte noch einmal in Erinnerungen schwelgen. Zu ihrer großen Überraschung und Zufriedenheit findet sie das Hotel nahezu unverändert vor. Doch der Scheint trügt. Schon bald hat sie das Gefühl, dass etwas nicht stimmt. Da wäre die junge Erbin Elvira Blake mit ihrem Vormund Colonel Luscombe, die sich fragt, wer erbt, wenn sie stirbt. Dann verschwindet der zerstreute Priester Kanonikus Pennyfather, ein Postzug wird überfallen und irgendwie laufen alle Fäden in Bertrams Hotel zusammen.
Dieses Hörspiel aus dem Jahr 1995 basiert auf dem gleichnamigen Kriminalroman von Agatha Christie aus dem Jahr 1965. Obwohl es Miss Maples zehnter Fall ist, ist dieser in sich abgeschlossen, und man muss die anderen Fälle nicht kennen, man muss nicht einmal die Figuren wirklich kennen.
Wer einen wirklich ermittelten Kriminalfall erwartet wird enttäuscht werden. Das Hörspiel erzählt eher, was verschiedenen Gäste von Bertrams Hotel so machen, Dinge, die Miss Maple nicht wissen kann. Es gibt einige Szenen aus Miss Maples Sicht, einige aus Sicht anderer Protagonisten und dann ermitteln noch zwei Polizisten. Die Auflösung ist konfus, an den Haaren herbeigezogen, unnötig kompliziert und unglaubwürdig und dennoch oder vielleicht deswegen, bleibt es bis zum Ende Spannend, denn wie üblich werden essentielle Informationen bis zum Showdown zurückgehalte und dann aus dem Ärmel geschüttelt.
Die Sprecher sind sehr gut, so wie man das von BBC Hörspielen auch erwartet. Die Klangkulisse ist stimmig und unterstützend, der Soundtrack unauffällig und unaufdringlich. Die Sprecher sprechen wunderbares britisch Englisch, dem man problemlos folgen kann.
Fazit: Tolles Hörspiel basierend auf einem mittelmäßigen, überkonstruierten, wenn auch klassischem Kriminalroman.
April 2, 2018
You know if Miss Marple shows up at a hotel where something seems amiss that indeed something is amiss! When she arrives for a little getaway at Bertram's Hotel in London, an old favourite from holidaying in her youth, Miss Marple finds some familiar faces and some new ones. And, of course, a mystery eventually presents itself.
Miss Marple comes off as a particularly nosy parker and eavesdropper in this one. Much of what she contributes to solving the mystery comes from overhearing conversations. She does walk a fine line between irksome and admirable, does that Miss Jane Marple.
This BBC Radio dramatization of "At Bertram's Hotel" is a nice, sort of old-fashioned way to tune out the world for a while. I'll be looking out for more audio productions like it.
Miss Marple comes off as a particularly nosy parker and eavesdropper in this one. Much of what she contributes to solving the mystery comes from overhearing conversations. She does walk a fine line between irksome and admirable, does that Miss Jane Marple.
This BBC Radio dramatization of "At Bertram's Hotel" is a nice, sort of old-fashioned way to tune out the world for a while. I'll be looking out for more audio productions like it.
April 13, 2017
I can totally agree that if we are to talk about crime and mystery plots it's not one of the best Agatha Christie's (but still decent). The charm of this one lays in the descriptions of people and places and the witty comments made by Miss Marple about life, it's passing and human nature. But what's even better is June Whitfield's interpretation of Miss Marple. It may not please some of the fans, but in my humble opinion she's just perfect. I started listening to it late in the evening, and finished some hours later, well past my usual bedtime and knowing I have to get up early to get to work on time. And I do not regret it.
August 27, 2010
I've seen a few tv adaptations but never read a Miss Marple. This BBC radio dramatisation in 5 half-hour episodes was good fun, a great ensemble cast all familiar from various places, and June Whitfield as the diminutive detective. Although, in this one at least, she doesn't do much detecting, rather serving as a human bug for the detective on the case. Refreshing change from detective stories which never stop ramming the star's amazingness down your throat.
August 30, 2019
An interesting tale, with lots of interconnected parts - more mystery (thefts, missing persons, etc) than mere murder. In the end, the hard-hearted individuals (esp Bess and Elvira) show the heartache of putting Social Airs over true human connection and relationships based on love. Miss Marple is not too annoying with her prying ways, at least not in the BBC production.
January 23, 2021
June Whitfield's narration of Miss Marple centres this story focused on the seemingly elite visitors to Bertram's. De rigeur, Marple becomes involved in plots dealing with an absent minded vicar, a train robbery and hidden identities. Well wrapped up!
April 24, 2011
The best of the Miss Marple books, which I much prefer to the Poirot series. I totally missed all the clues and followed the red herrings. The ending was genius.
June 8, 2020
BBC production was wonderful. The story, meh.
January 26, 2021
An enjoyable afternoon was had!
February 11, 2022
Listening to these old Miss Marple stories as radio dramas just gives them that little bit of extra charm. A great mystery as a bonus!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews