From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Body in the Library (Miss Marple, #2)

Agatha Christie

Start date: April 1, 2025

Finish date: April 30, 2025

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The second Miss Marple novel
[close] The second Miss Marple novel

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Showing 2 of 168 topics — 7,795 comments total

Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 16 posts · 18 views

last updated Sep 12, 2025 08:12PM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 11 posts · 19 views

last updated 6 hours, 8 min ago

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What Members Thought

Mar 16, 2009 Susan in NC rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 25detectiveschallenge, want-to-reread, christie, my-library, tbr-with-gr-groups, favorites, audiobook, currently-re-reading, detectives-23challenge

2025: Always a pleasure to reread, this time for the Reading the Detectives group 2025 challenge. Even though I know whodunnit, I always appreciate Miss Marple making her observations about human nature, thanks to her Victorian “mind like a sink”!

2022: one of my favorite books- I remembered whodunnit, because I’ve read it a few times and watched the Joan Hickson TV version, but I always enjoy this one, as it feels like Miss Marple came into her own as an amateur sleuth. I love this description o ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2008 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction-uk, crime-fiction, classic-mystery-fiction

Once again, Miss Marple is back on the case in this the second novel of the Miss Marple series. This time she is called by her friend Dolly Bantry, who lives in Gossington Hall, because Dolly's maid woke her up in the morning screaming that there was a body in the library. It turns out to be the body of a young girl, dressed in evening finery, and a quick search of missing persons turns up the name of Ruby Keene, who fits the description of the dead girl. Ruby was a dancer at a local resort, and ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2017 Nanosynergy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017read, fiction, fiction-1940s, reviewed, series, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, british

Agatha Christie takes on the classic Body in the Library mystery in this third book in her Miss Marple series. The dead body of an unknown, beautiful blonde is found in the library of Gossington Hall, resulting in the community quietly starting to shun Colonel Bantry. Agatha Christie and Mrs. Bantry investigate. While still a good read, some parts of the plot just did not seem credible.

3 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2018 Bronwyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-a-i, by-women, do-not-own, series, mystery-detective-suspense, audiobook, novels, european, title-a-i, 2018-reads

Oh that was a good one. No spoilers, but I really like the way things were done.

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2009 Laura Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: british-isles, mystery

2024 Series Re-read: This may have been my first Marple (pre-Goodreads days). The crime is cruel but the writing, characters, and humour sparkle. I adore Dolly and Jane as a duo. And the opening chapter is one of Christie’s best.

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