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The Body in the Library (Marple Facsimile Edition)
 
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The Body in the Library (Marple Facsimile Edition) (Hardcover)

by Agatha Christie (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.00
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The Body in the Library (Marple Facsimile Edition) + A Pocket Full of Rye (BBC Radio Collection: Crimes and Thrillers)
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; Marple Facsimile Ed edition (7 Nov 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007208448
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007208449
  • Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 12.4 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 172,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Synopsis
A facsmile first edition hardback of the Miss Marple books, published to mark the 75th anniversary of her first appearance and to celebrate her new-found success on television. When The Murder at the Vicarage was published in October 1930, little did the literary world realise that Agatha Christie, already famous for her early Poirot titles, was introducing a character who would become the best-loved female sleuth of all time. The 14 Marple books would appear at intervals over the next 49 years, with Miss Marple's Final Cases published in 1979, three years after Agatha's death. To mark the 75th anniversary of Miss Marple's first appearance, and to celebrate her renewed fortunes as a primetime television star, this collection of facsimile first editions will be the perfect way to enjoy these books in their original form - 12 novels and two short story collections. Reproducing the original typesetting and formats from the first editions from the Christie family's own archive copies, these books sport the original covers which have been painstakingly restored from the best available copies, reflecting five decades of iconic cover design.

About the Author
Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She has sold over 2 billion novels worldwide and has been translated into more languages than any other single writer.

Born on 15 September 1890 in Devon, England, her career spanned six decades in which time she published 80 novels and short story collections and 19 plays. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles published in 1920, was written as a result of a challenge from her sister. In it she would introduce to the world Hercule Poirot, one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. Poirot would appear in over 80 novels and short stories. Nine years later Agatha created Miss Marple - a spinster sleuth who would become so popular she would rival Poirot in the nation's affections.

Her writing won her many fans including the royal family. When Queen Mary was approaching her 80th birthday, the BBC asked how she would want them to celebrate it. She requested a new Christie play! Three Blind Mice was duly written for the radio; it would later be adapted into The Mousetrap and become the longest continuously running play in history.

Although best known for her detective fiction, Christie also wrote a number of books that give us insight into her world. Her autobiography, published the year after her death provides a full, and often humorous, account of her life and Come, Tell Me How You Live chronicles her travels as the wife of a world famous archaeologist, on digs in the Middle East.

Agatha Christie had a truly remarkable life; she was a very private lady though her love of travel and archaeology shines through in her work. Her most famous novel Murder on the Orient Express celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2009 and was inspired by her own travels on the train, when she too became stranded due to weather.

After a hugely successful career and a very happy life Agatha died peacefully on 12 January 1976.


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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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 (5)
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3 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A body in the first chapter., 10 Aug 2004
By John Austin "austinjr@bigpond.net.au" (Kangaroo Ground, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Agatha Christie dedicated her 1941 crime novel, "The Body In the Library", with affection to her brother-in-law who had expressed a wish to find a body in the first chapter of her next book. Agatha Christie so contrived a response that the body could be found in the library at Gossington Hall, home of Colonel and Mrs Bantry, neighbours of her famous spinster sleuth Miss Marple.

Accordingly, readers can expect to be entertained by mystery and mayhem, fortified by tea and sympathy, culminating in a well-explained denouement. Many of this writer's former conjuring tricks as well as one or two new one are provided, framed in a setting that has similarities to that of Dorothy L Sayers' "Have His Carcase", and re-working a formula used previously in her own "Death On the Nile". You might, like me, consider that the writer withholds too much information that might facilitate identifying the guilty, but a check will show that she provides clues (although well hidden) during the entertainment.

As cozy as they come, and with less thrills and action than most, this is one of Agatha Christie's better middle order crime novels.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great mystery, one of the best ones ever written!, 15 Dec 2005
By Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
When the body of a murdered young woman is found in their library, the Bantry's bring in their old friend, Jane Marple. There's a mystery within a mystery here: who is the murdered girl, and how did she get from where she was last seen to the Bantry's library? There are suspects galore, but only one person can possible get to the truth - Miss Marple!

Jane Marple was the literary creation of that most famous of English mystery writers, Agatha Christie (1890-1976). For those of you unfamiliar with Miss Marple, she was your stereotypical elderly spinster-lady, who loves to gossip and grow her flowers. But, even more, she has a razor-sharp mind that she uses to solve mysteries, using her own brand of lateral thinking that allows her see clearer than anyone else around her.

This is actually Agatha Christie's third Miss Marple novel, written in 1942. (The first one was The Murder at the Vicarage (1930), and the second one was Sleeping Murder, which was written in 1940 but locked away to be published after Ms. Christie's death in 1976.) Overall, I found this to be a fascinating read. If you love a good mystery, then get this book - it is a great mystery, one of the best ones ever written. I give this book my highest recommendations!

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Christie's classic, 28 Oct 2002
By A Customer
One of Agatha Christie's classic novels, 'The body in the library' is again a story on a murder. Unlike other novels by the same author (but again very much like some other ones by Christie) the dead body is there to be found already in the first chapter. A girl's dead body is found unexpectedly in a private library. It's certainly a case for Miss Marple to solve. Christie employs here all the characteristics of her writing: a deadalic plot, lost of details and a very good sense of humour before the murderer is revealed. A stunning detective novel and (for many people) one of Christie's best ones. I enjoyed it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, shame this reading is abridged
Ian Masters reads competently, but you really need the full text to appreciate the setting and the characters. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ms. L. R. Fisher

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read
This is a highly enjoyable book and I think it was a great read. Unfortunately, I read a review on amazon.com ( not .co.uk ) that spoilt the ending for me. Read more
Published 23 months ago by I AM ME

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Murder Mystery
A classic murder mystery from 'the acknowledged queen of detective fiction'.

The body of a dead girl with blonde hair and wearing a 'tawdry satin' dress is found in the library... Read more

Published on 4 May 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!!!!
I was just casually looking over some books when i saw that this had been rated only 4 stars. This had to change!!! Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Most unexpected end
As in all of Agatha Christies book, you do not know who is the murdrer until the end. I thought that the whole book was interesting, not only the end. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2001

3.0 out of 5 stars From a reader and fan from Bath. Good but a bit boring.
This book was very good but I was not very impressed by most of the book until the end. It is about a body that is found in a wealthy couple's library, but it is a body they have... Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars A great first Agatha Christie book.
A missing girl guide, a missing hotel dancer, a missing car, an ulteria motive and a wedge of good hard cash can this be any harder to solve for Miss Marple ? Read more
Published on 11 Dec 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars This is really good.
The Bantry's go into their library and find a young girl dead on their rug. Who is she? Where did she come from? Who killed her? Read the book and find out!
Published on 23 Jun 1999

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