The Body in the Library

A Miss Marple Mystery

By: Agatha Christie

Narrated by: Stephanie Cole

Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

The iconic Miss Marple must investigate the case of a girl found dead in Agatha Christie’s classic mystery, The Body in the Library.

It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing an evening dress and heavy makeup, which is now smeared across her cheeks. But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry?

The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple into their home to investigate. Amid rumors of scandal, she baits a clever trap to catch a ruthless killer.

©1942 Agatha Christie Limited (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

A classic Christie

Narrator - Stephanie Cole

Narration - I was ok with Stephanie Cole's narration. I was not loving it, but I did not hate it. I found it to be suitable for the book, there was just something about it which I did not love but I cannot quite put my finger on what it was.

Characters - This was Christie's second installment in the Miss Marple series and picks up some time after the first. The characters were interesting on the whole for this book. Miss Marple was developed a bit more, but the primary focus was on the characteristics of the Jefferson family and the Bantry's. None of the characters were unbelievable, but somehow the Jefferson's seem to fall a little flat for me.

Plot - I would recommend reading this series in order as characters from one often pop up in later novels. If you do read them out of order it does not really inhibit your understanding of the current book but some of the references may not make much sense in bits. Overall this plot was fun and kept the reader engaged. I felt as though there were some elements which were a bit far fetched or ridiculous, but overall it was enjoyable. If you enjoy cozy mysteries from this era, you will likely enjoy this book.

Another classic

I’ve listened to several Christie novels now and Stephanie is my favorite lady of 3 I’ve heard to bring Miss Marple and her surroundings to life!! Yet again I was trumped by the murderer’s identity!! Off to enjoy the next Christie tale!! I’ve listened to about 12 of her works so far. I can’t believe it took me so long to listen to these books. Christie has become one of my favorite authors of all time!!

Top Notch

Love reading anything by Agatha Christie. Her work is superbly crafted, the characters are believable. Any mysteries done today owe her much. She is able to accomplish!ish more with less blood, gore, cursing, violence than writers today can do with all the shock value available to them.

The narrator was superb. Just the right touch of British upper class voice. Thank you so much for this very pleasurable experience.

My First Agatha Christie

Being an avid lover of Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Amelia Peabody and Her Royal Spyness Mysteries (just to name a few favs), I knew it sacrilegious to not experience an Agatha Christie book. Though this is book 3, it was the first I listened to because I scored it in a BOGO sale almost a year ago. From reviews based on the series as a whole, I gathered that this book is unlike others based on how the story was told. There wasn't much of Miss Marple at all, but more of the other investigators solving the crime. I didn't mind because the mystery was really good!. To be honest, Im not sure if Im loving Miss Marple's character in general, but Im going to listen to book 1 before deciding. Even if I end up not liking her character, I'll still listen to the series because the twists, turns and then finally the 'who done it' really slaps you in the face at the end! This one hit me so hard I actually got confused and had to re-listen to the last 15 min to fully understand what had actually happened.
The book itself isn't cheeky like one can enjoy from Amelia Peabody or Her Royal Spyness, but it is as engaging if not more than a Sherlock Holmes. I suppose it nice to just have a good old fashioned mystery without the silliness once in a while. Regarding the narration - it was hit and miss in my opinion. The characters voices were so similar, I had trouble figuring out who was talking half of the time. Aside from that, Stephanie Cole did a really good job performing the story. Every character had life and it didn't feel like I was being read to, but more like I was watching from the wings. All in all, I'd say this is a good listen, but I might recommend listening to book 1 first to get the full Miss Marple experience - as stated by other readers of the series.

More Stephanie Cole!

I love the Miss Marple books, but so many of them are read by Emilia Fox, who did such an awful job with A Murder is Announced that I'm scarred for life. Stephanie Cole really has a voice and range well suited to narrating, making this book a delightful experience.

Wonderful!!

I loved the story for years and this version was superb! Ms Cole's reading was brilliant ! Agatha Christie is the queen of plot twists and was a genius!!! Loved it !

Well read Agatha Christie mystery

Stephanie Cole does a great job at creating different voices/characters. Miss Marple is an intriguing character as she solves mysteries using a unique approach.

Very Good Christie Reading

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Miss Marple, so I guess she was my favorite.

Any additional comments?

Very decent example of an Agatha Christie audiobook.

Good enough story

Wnjoyable book though not all that complex. The whole book was written like a set of interviews without much meat to the book as a whole. Also im not sure why this seires is supposedly based on 'miss Marple' when shes hardly even in it. I like the mystery though and it had a good enough ending.

Too Clever by Half

That’s not so much a critique of the book (see below), as of the criminals in the book. Of course, from the comfortable perspective of a deep armchair with something soothing in a glass at one’s elbow – and the knowledge that Miss Marple waits in the wings, ready to make everything clear – it’s easier to scorn wrongdoers.

And yet, for all my enjoyment of the story, I have to admit that I had to think about the ending before I “got it”, and even now I’m not quite sure I do. Leave it at this: if committed in a more straightforward fashion, I can see how the crime would have been far easier to solve. In my hit parade of Agatha Christie readers, Stephanie Cole is right up there with Hugh Fraser.