Four of Agatha Christieâe(tm)s twelve, celebrated Miss Marple novels in a single volume, bound in the stylish livery of the new series. The Body in the Library Itâe(tm)s seven in the morning, and the body of a young woman is found in the Bantryâe(tm)s library. And whatâe(tm)s the connection with another dead girl, found in a deserted quarry? Miss Marple is invited to investigate the mystery before tongues start to wagâe¦ and another innocent victim is murdered in cold blood. The Moving Finger The quiet inhabitants of Lymstock are unsettled by a sudden outbreak of hate-mail. But when one of the recipients commits suicide, only Miss Marple questions the coronerâe(tm)s verdict. Is this the work of a poison penâe¦or a poisoner? A Murder is Announced An advertisement in the Chipping Cleghorn Gazette announces the time and place of a forthcoming murder. Many think itâe(tm)s a hoax âe" but the owner of the house named as the murder site is less than impressed. Especially when half the village turn up at the allotted time and then the lights go outâe¦ and the screaming starts. 4.50 from Paddington As two trains run together, side by side, Mrs McGillicuddy watches a murder. Then the other train draws away. With no other witnesses, and not even a body, who will take her story seriously. The she remembers her old friend Miss Marpleâe¦

Stonygates had been built originally as a kind of Temple to Victorian Plutocracy - Philanthropy had made of it a home for Juvenile Deliquents. Over the entrance were inscribed the words "Recover Hope All Ye Who Enter Here". But Miss Jane Marple came to Stonygates in fulfilment of a promise to an old school friend to find out what was wrong at this most unusual college, now being run by the friend's third husband and housing, besides two hundred juvenile deliquents, the stepchildren of her previous marriages. As soon as she arrived Jane Marple knew thet her friend was right: something was wrong at Stonygates. What she saw around her was illusion, not reality. In the words of the conjuror "They do it with mirrors" But who? And why?

Realizing that she is too old to travel, Miss Jane Marple decides she is through with crime detection, but a murder that happens almost on her doorstep changes her mind.

Madness, murder and obsession: a stylishly original and fantastical collection of stories from an iconic Japanese writer A collection of the 7 essential Akutagawa short stories, in a vivid and elegant translation – the perfect introduction to this master of prose “A born short-story writer. . . one never tires of reading and re-reading his best works” – Haruki Murukami From a nobleman's court, to the garden of paradise, to a lantern festival in Tokyo, these 7 shrot stories offer dazzling glimpses into moments of madness, murder and obsession. A talented yet spiteful painter is given over to depravity in pursuit of artistic brilliance. In the depth of hell, a robber spies a single spider's thread being lowered towards him. When a body is found in an isolated bamboo grove, a kaleidoscopic account of violence and desire begins to unfold. These are short stories from an unparalleled master of the form. Sublimely crafted and stylishly original, Akutagawa's writing is shot through with a fantastical sensibility. This collection, in a vivid translation by Bryan Karetnyk, brings together the most essential works from this iconic Japanese writer. Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: outstanding classic storytelling from around the world, in a stylishly original series design. From newly rediscovered gems to fresh translations of the world’s greatest authors, this series includes such authors as Stefan Zweig, Hermann Hesse, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and Gaito Gazdanov.

"DeLuca keeps readers guessing. Minette Walters fans will be pleased." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) Perfect for fans of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace and Hannah Kent's Burial Rites, this taut psychological thriller offers a delicious take on deviant and defiant Victorian women in a time when marriage itself was its own prison. England, 1873. Clara Blackstone has just been released after one year in a private asylum for the insane. Clara has two goals: to reunite with her husband, Henry, and to never—ever—return to the asylum. As she enters Durham, Clara finds her carriage surrounded by a mob gathered to witness the imprisonment of Mary Ann Cotton—England’s first female serial killer—accused of poisoning nearly twenty people, including her husbands and children. Clara soon finds the oppressive confinement of her marriage no less terrifying than the white-tiled walls of Hoxton. And as she grows increasingly suspicious of Henry’s intentions, her fascination with Cotton grows. Soon, Cotton is not just a notorious figure from the headlines, but an unlikely confidante, mentor—and perhaps accomplice—in Clara’s struggle to protect her money, her freedom, and her life.

Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernize the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs. In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a “perfect” crime committed many years before.

First published in 1925, 'The Witness for the Prosecution' is a short story and play by Agatha Christie, an English writer best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, specifically those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. When affluent spinster, Emily French is found murdered, skepticism falls on Leonard Vole, the man to whom she impatiently bequeathed her riches before she died. Leonard assures the investigators that his wife, Romaine Heiliger, can provide them with an alibi. However, when questioned, Romaine notifies the police that Vole returned home late that night covered in blood. During the trial, Ms. French's housekeeper, Janet, gives damning proof against Vole, and, as Romaine's cross-examination begins, her motives come under scrutiny from the courtroom. The packed courtroom waited as Romaine mounted the stand to deliver the testimony that has made this the masterpiece of suspense and shock. The ultimate question is whether justice will prevail or not.

In Utter Disbelief Miss Marple Read The Letter Addressed To Her From The Recently Deceased Mr Rafiel An Acquaintance She Had Met Briefly On Her Travels. Recognising In Miss Marple A Natural Flair For Justice, Mr Rafiel Had Left Instructions For Her To Investigate A Crime After His Death. The Only Problem Was, He Had Failed To Tell Her Who Was Involved Or Where And When The Crime Had Been Committed. It Was Most Intriguing.

Lymstock was a town with more that its share of shameful secrets – a town where even a sudden outbreak of anonymous hate-mail caused only a minor stir. But all of that changed when one of the recipients, Mrs Symmington, committed suicide. Her final note said 'I can't go on'. Only Miss Marple questioned the coroner's verdict of suicide. Was this the work of a poison-pen? Or of a poisoner? Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. She wrote 79 crime mysteries and collections, and saw her work translated into more languages than Shakespeare. Her enduring success, enhanced by many film and TV adaptations, is a tribute to the timeless appeal of her characters and the unequalled ingenuity of her plots. "Beyond all doubt the puzzle in 'The Moving Finger' is fit for experts."THE TIMES

On a jaunt to visit her friend Miss Marple, Elspeth McGillicuddy sees a man strangling a woman on a passing train. The police dismiss her observation as imagination, but Miss Marple knows better and decides to search for the corpse on her own.