Reading the Detectives discussion

First published in 1979, “Miss Marple’s Final Cases” contains some stories featuring Miss Marple and some bonus, stand-alone stories. The stories included are:

Sanctuary (featuring the wonderful Bunch Harmon, well known from other Miss Marple books)
Strange Jest (in which Miss Marple helps a young couple find an inheritance)
The Tape-Measure Murder (set in Miss Marple’s own St Mary Mead)
The Case of the Caretaker (where the wonderful Dr Haydock brings a frail Miss Marple a mystery to solve to help revitalise her)
The Case of the Perfect Maid (bringing together Miss Marple and her attempts to clear the name of a local girl in service)
Miss Marple Tells a Story (in which she is asked to help solve a tricky murder and clear someone’s name)
The Dressmaker’s Doll (one of the two stories in this collection which does not feature Miss Marple, but involves a dress maker’s establishment and a rather creepy doll)
In a Glass Darkly (another stand-alone story involving a slightly other worldly event) and
Greenshaw’s Folly (featuring Miss Marple’s loving nephew, the author Raymond West, and a tricky will)

This collection includes lots of familiar characters and is an enjoyable read. We will split the stories and discuss two each week, with three at the end (the two non-Miss Marple stories and “Greenshaw’s Folly).

Feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

I was delighted to see the return of Bunch Harmon in the first story, "Sanctuary." I thought this was a good start to the collection, as the story had quite a bit of depth.

Susan wrote: "I was delighted to see the return of Bunch Harmon in the first story, "Sanctuary." I thought this was a good start to the collection, as the story had quite a bit of depth."

Now this is interesting, as this was the last story in my collection & I wondered why the book finished with such a weak story.

I thought it was a great beginning but I just don't like it as much when Miss M takes an active (rather than problem solving) role.

Yes, it is certainly a better start, than a finale. I like the name change, Carol :) Very festive!

I enjoyed Sanctuary but was very surprised to find Miss Marple so active - all that running around London with switched suitcases isn't at all what I expect from her!

Btw, does anyone know what glass-clothes are? Tea towels made specially for glasses?

Bunch: 'There's a special white sale at Burrows & Portman. You know, sheets, tablecloths, and towels and glass-cloths. I don't know what we do with our glass-cloths, the way they wear through.'

Wasn't Miss Marple equally excited about glass-cloths on sale in Bertram's Hotel?

Strange Jest was fun - wasn't there a Peter Wimsey short story on the same premise of a treasure hunt related to a will/inheritance? I seem to vaguely remember something about tiles or a swimming pool...

Roman Clodia wrote: "I enjoyed Sanctuary but was very surprised to find Miss Marple so active - all that running around London with switched suitcases isn't at all what I expect from her!

Btw, does anyone know what g..."

Glass-clothes and tea towels were (and still are I believe) lint free cotton/linen cloths used for drying and polishing glass and china. My grandmother had a cloth that was used just for polishing the finer glassware before it went back in the cabinet, and woe betide you if you used it for anything else.

I think they are still used in the fine hotels, tea rooms etc.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Strange Jest was fun - wasn't there a Peter Wimsey short story on the same premise of a treasure hunt related to a will/inheritance? I seem to vaguely remember something about tiles or a swimming p..."

Yes, I remember that too, RC. Very similar and HOW Miss Marple could have worked those clues out was beyond me...

I assumed a glass-cloth was a posh tea-towel :)

Roman Clodia wrote: "
Btw, does anyone know what glass..."

Hope this comes up for everyone.

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=gla...

Susan wrote: "Yes, it is certainly a better start, than a finale. I like the name change, Carol :) Very festive!"

Thank you!

Glass-clothes: how funny that Bunch and Miss M should get so excited about fancy tea towels!

Roman Clodia wrote: "I enjoyed Sanctuary but was very surprised to find Miss Marple so active - all that running around London with switched suitcases isn't at all what I expect from her!

Btw, does anyone know what g..."

Yes, Miss Marple's activity was rather different, in fact more like that of Bobby and friend in 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans' in which a couple appear who are clearly not the relatives of the victim. In the novel, the couple were less obviously incongruous, then in the overdrawn portraits of the Eccles. On the other hand, I agree that Bunch is a very likable character and her musings are an integral part of the story. This gives her an important role, contrary to the way in which she views herself which is quite apologetic.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Glass-clothes: how funny that Bunch and Miss M should get so excited about fancy tea towels!"

These things creep upon you with age, I think, Roman Clodia!

Roman Clodia wrote: "Strange Jest was fun - wasn't there a Peter Wimsey short story on the same premise of a treasure hunt related to a will/inheritance? I seem to vaguely remember something about tiles or a swimming p..."

I liked this one a bit better - I was nearly as impatient as the Bright Young Things by the time Miss M unravelled this one though

While I enjoyed the collection as a whole, it does seem a bit of a stretch to imagine that Miss Marple would have much insight into a criminal gang versus someone committing a murder for personal reasons. I cannot imagine that St. Mary Mead had many equivalents for this case running around. 'Strange Jest' seemed much more up her alley, where her age and experience was very helpful in deciphering the clues that the young couple would never have figured out on their own.

Anyone seems to remind Miss Marple of somebody from St Mary Mead, don't they, Tara? I agree, it is a bit of a stretch, especially when you read the books one after the other. Perhaps that is why she wrote fewer Marple books, as it was a conceit she felt she could not keep getting away with?

There also seems to be quite a lot of nefarious goings-on in St Mary Mead itself during these stories - it might have been a good setting for a Midsomer Murders type series!

My favourites in this collection are the doll one and Through A Glass Darkly. Along with the stories in The Hound Of Death (my favourite Christie short stories collection), they show that she had a really underrated talent for ghost stories.

The Red Signal might be my favourite of all - a deceptively simple storyline which combines her classic whodunit ability with a dash of spookiness (plus her trademark ability to sketch out a character in a sentence).

Christmas☆ Carol!☆ wrote: "I liked this one a bit better - I was nearly as impatient as the Bright Young Things by the time Miss M unravelled this one though "

Yes, this was fun, BUT the clue was so old-fashioned that it's impossible to solve oneself - and I do like to compete with the detectives!

I've read the first two stories: Sanctuary and Strange Jest in my copy (audio version). Like others I was very happy to renew my acquaintance with Bunch. I enjoyed both and thought Sanctuary quite well-developed for a short story.
In Strange Jest it was interesting watching Miss M lead the two young people to the money. She so wanted them to work it out for themselves. I think the uncle took a terrible chance with his money. Or did he tell them to get help?

I thought the uncle who liked a jest, frankly needed a good telling off! What if Miss Marple hadn't come along - who would have worked that out?! Those letters could have been easily thrown out...

Next we have:

The Tape-Measure Murder, which sees us back in St Mary Mead and a Mrs Spenlow strangled by a tape measure. Will her unemotional, and therefore suspicious, husband, Arthur, go to the gallows?

The Case of the Caretaker also sees a familiar character, in Dr Haydock, who brings a mystery as some 'medicine,' for a Miss Marple feeling very sorry for herself. Harry Laxton and a rich and beautiful bridge - the bad boy returning home to everyone's surprise and a recipe for murder...

The sequence of the stories is different in my audio version. Not particularly important, but one wonders why. And it makes it confusing for group reads!

After Jest I have: Miss M Tells a Story, Tape Measure, Perfect Maid, then Caretaker.

I ordered the audio as well. There is not a physical copy anywhere near me but I'm excited because Joan Hickson does the audio.

Isn't the tape measure comment a spoiler? But then, the title is a giveaway and I wonder why it was used for a mystery.

The title is a bit of a spoiler, isn't it, Robin? I thought about it, but I couldn't see how else to word it!

If stories are in different order, in different editions, then feel free to mention whichever story you are currently reading.

In a Glass Darkly I quite enjoyed- loved the "supernatural" element of it.

My other favourite was Perfect Maid- I thought it great fun.

Judy wrote: "There also seems to be quite a lot of nefarious goings-on in St Mary Mead itself during these stories - it might have been a good setting for a Midsomer Murders type series!"

My thoughts exactly :)

I agree that The Tape-Measure Murder gives it all away in the title!

The Case of the Caretaker had loads of potential - I'd like to have seen it expanded beyond just a short story. Sad to see Miss Marple so depressed at the start - though she's obviously picked up by the murder story!

The pity of the title with tape measure in it was that the pin in the police officers jacket was a smart clue. But of course unnecessary as the answer was already there in the title. One interesting feature of this story was the device which was used of person outside door after the event. This is used in The Sittaford Mystery too, I think. Several of the stories employ features used in the novels.

Miss Marple Tells a Story was very sweet, I thought. I also liked the Perfect Maid story - it seems a constant refrain in stories/books from that era. The difficulty of finding domestic help. I personally never had a nanny/au pair, but it reminds me of friends of mine refrains over the years about how difficult it is to get a good childminder or au pair and where to find them, etc. etc. It is the only modern equivalent I can think of.

Susan wrote: "Miss Marple Tells a Story was very sweet, I thought. I also liked the Perfect Maid story - it seems a constant refrain in stories/books from that era. The difficulty of finding domestic help. I per..."

I enjoyed that- and the Perfect Maid was really good fun. I really wouldn't have caught onto what was going on if I remembered from a previous read.

Miss Marple sounded so proud in Miss Marple Tells a Story. It showed a nice side to her, I thought.

Ooh yes, I thought The Perfect Maid was very clever - I think there was a plot similarity to one of the novels, but I still didn't spot it. I find this disguise a bit unlikely, can't quite think how you would get away with it in real life, but fun.

I spotted the disguise/deception as AC has used the 'middle-aged women look the same/no-one notices the maid' thing before - but loved the idea of them being criminals! (view spoiler)[A bit like respectable Miss Dove in A Pocket Full of Rye (hide spoiler)].

I feel a bit dim as I didn't pick up on the tape measure as a clue! I enjoyed this one.

Christmas☆ Carol!☆ wrote: "I feel a bit dim as I didn't pick up on the tape measure as a clue! I enjoyed this one."

And I double-thought myself out of the solution. I decided that the dressmaker's tape measure was a red herring and someone was setting her up.

& I loved "Perfect Maid" but found the Caretaker one a bit obvious.

My book doesn't have the 2 non Miss Marple books.

Christmas☆ Carol!☆ wrote: "& I loved "Perfect Maid" but found the Caretaker one a bit obvious.

My book doesn't have the 2 non Miss Marple books."

Carol, you and I would make a good team as we seem to solve different mysteries. I didn't anticipate the ending to The Caretaker what so ever. The rearing horse on the book cover was finally explained.

Roman Clodia wrote: "I agree that The Tape-Measure Murder gives it all away in the title! ..."

I have just noticed that this story originally had a different title. When it was published in the Strand magazine in 1942, it was called "The Case of the Retired Jeweller". I wonder why on earth Christie's publishers decided to change it and give the game away?!

Probably nothing to do with her, as the collection was published after her death - unless it had been reprinted anywhere else in the meantime.

I got this from the Wikipedia page about Miss Marple's Final Cases, which has details of where they were all originally published over a number of years:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Ma...

Thank you for this information. It is really interesting.

What did everyone think of the two non-Miss Marple stories in the book? The Dressmaker's Doll and In a Glass Darkly? The second story seemed to remind me of an old film that lurked somewhere in my memory!

Were these just padding, or did anyone enjoy them?

Susan wrote: "What did everyone think of the two non-Miss Marple stories in the book? The Dressmaker's Doll and In a Glass Darkly? The second story seemed to remind me of an old film that lurked somewhere in my ..."

I liked The Dressmaker's Doll - it has really stuck in my mind for some reason. A very quirky plot.

It was almost Victorian in feel, wasn't it?

I love The Dressmaker's Doll. The line at the end, which gives you a completely different insight into the doll's motivations, is very effective.

I do like In A Glass Darkly, especially the title, but the mirror twist never quite works for me. (AC often uses mirrors but it never really convinces me.) In this case, it feels like she's trying for an EF Benson/MR James feel - I used to read both of these authors' ghost story anthologies as a child and as a result, get them horribly mixed up. But didn't one of them write a short story about a man looking out of his hotel window and seeing a funeral hearse? In the same way, this was about an apparent generic vision of death/danger which turned out to have a personal and chilling relevance.

I loved the Dressmaker's Doll too. AC is always known for the crime mystery, but I thought she really did this well. The build up of the horror of the doll was really convincing , and as Annabel said, the end completely surprised and made you feel relaxed about the whole situation. A great story!

Personally, I tend to find short stories a little disappointing and these are no different. I don't think they showcase Christie's skills. The Dressmaker's Doll feels like too many B movies to me, though I agree that that was a nice twist at the end.

As Annabel said, the twist in In a Glass Darkly is quite transparent - Chrstie's trained us to be close readers in her novels so that left-side/right-side thing was never going to work!

I liked some of the other 'puzzle' stories better.

We've now read short stories by Sayers and Christie. Which do you prefer? Both were accomplished, wonderful authors, but I think I prefer Christie's short stories. Saying that, I am not mad about short stories generally, although I did read a collection by Scottish crime writers a few weeks ago, which I enjoyed.

I wonder if Final Cases was a compilation by the publisher rather than Christie herself? It felt quite uneven which makes me wonder. I far prefer Christie's collections of stories that hang together with a theme, like The Thirteen Problems or the ingenious The Labours Of Hercules.

I think you are probably right, R.C., as it was a posthumous publication.

I agree. I don't think she would have been happy about it as a compilation.