Although the Miss Marple books do not need to be read in order,[1-17] readers will get more context and continuity by reading them in publication order as follows:[18-37]
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original series | ||||
| 1 |  |
The Murder at the Vicarage | 1930[18] | Establishes Miss Marple’s village circle and her approach to a local investigation. |
| 2 |  |
The Thirteen Problems | 1932[19] | Develops her circle of acquaintances through separately presented mysteries. |
| 3 |  |
The Body in the Library | 1942[20] | Establishes the Bantrys’ Gossington Hall setting before the house returns later in the series. |
| 4 |  |
The Moving Finger | 1942[21] | Presents a separate village case centered on anonymous accusations. |
| 5 |  |
A Murder Is Announced | 1950[22] | Introduces an investigation with Dermot Craddock, who returns in later cases. |
| 6 |  |
They Do It with Mirrors | 1952[23] | Expands Marple’s personal circle through a self-contained visit to an old schoolfriend. |
| 7 |  |
A Pocket Full of Rye | 1953[24] | Gives Marple a personal connection to an otherwise separate household mystery. |
| 8 |  |
4.50 from Paddington | 1957[25] | Reunites Marple with Craddock and gives Lucy Eyelesbarrow an investigative role. |
| 9 |  |
The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side | 1962[26] | Returns to a changed St. Mary Mead and Gossington Hall. |
| 10 |  |
A Caribbean Mystery | 1964[27] | Establishes the Jason Rafiel connection that becomes important in Nemesis. |
| 11 |  |
At Bertram’s Hotel | 1965[28] | Offers a separate London investigation. |
| 12 |  |
Nemesis | 1971[29] | Builds on Marple’s relationship with Rafiel while introducing a new mystery. |
| 13 |  |
Sleeping Murder | 1976[30] | Presents an independent investigation into the past. |
| 14 |  |
Miss Marple’s Final Cases | 1979[31] | Contains seven Miss Marple stories, plus two non-marple stories. |
| 15 |  |
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories | 2011[32] | Collects stories found in earlier books. |
| Authorized continuations | ||||
| 1 |  |
Marple: Twelve New Stories | 2022[33-34] | Adds authorized stories that revisit familiar characters and introduce other settings. |
| 2 |  |
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel | 2026[35-37] | Adds an authorized continuation centered on a snowbound Swiss hotel. |
Original series
1. The Murder at the Vicarage
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)[18] begins when a disliked local figure is found murdered in the vicar’s study. Miss Marple’s observations challenge the investigation’s assumptions about movements, testimony, and the time of the crime.[1]
It establishes the village circle around Marple and shows how her knowledge of neighbors becomes part of an investigation.[1]
2. The Thirteen Problems
The Thirteen Problems (1932)[19] gathers mysteries presented to Miss Marple and a circle of acquaintances. The Tuesday Night Club and later dinner gatherings give participants opportunities to compare explanations of puzzling events.[2]
This book develops her social and investigative connections with figures including Sir Henry Clithering and the Bantrys, rather than advancing one continuous case.[2]
3. The Body in the Library
The Body in the Library (1942)[20] begins with a young woman found dead in the Bantrys’ home. Miss Marple’s inquiries lead from Gossington Hall to a seaside hotel and its guests.[3]
The case establishes Gossington Hall’s place in her friends’ lives, giving context to its changed circumstances in The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side.[3]
4. The Moving Finger
The Moving Finger (1942)[21] follows Jerry Burton and his sister Joanna as they settle in a village troubled by anonymous accusations. Miss Marple becomes involved when the poison-pen campaign is linked to suspicious deaths.[4]
This self-contained Lymstock case gives the series a viewpoint centered on newcomers rather than Marple’s established village circle.[4]
5. A Murder Is Announced
A Murder Is Announced (1950)[22] opens with a newspaper notice inviting villagers to witness a murder at Little Paddocks. When the apparent game turns violent, Miss Marple and Inspector Dermot Craddock examine the household’s conflicting accounts.[5]
The investigation establishes Craddock as one of Marple’s police collaborators while presenting a mystery independent of her previous cases.[5]
6. They Do It with Mirrors
They Do It with Mirrors (1952)[23] takes Miss Marple to Stonygates after an old schoolfriend expresses concern for her own sister. The estate combines an extended family household with a rehabilitation center for young offenders.[6]
This separate investigation expands Marple’s personal history through old friendships without requiring knowledge of an earlier case.[6]
7. A Pocket Full of Rye
A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)[24] begins when a businessman dies with grains of rye in his pocket. Miss Marple enters an investigation in which crimes within a household appear to follow a nursery rhyme.[7]
Her connection to a former servant gives this independent family mystery a personal reason for her involvement.[7]
8. 4.50 from Paddington
4.50 from Paddington (1957)[25] begins when Marple’s friend witnesses a strangling aboard a passing train, but no body is found. Lucy Eyelesbarrow takes a job at an estate to search the place where Marple suspects the victim was concealed.[8]
The case reunites Marple with Craddock while giving Lucy the fieldwork that Marple cannot undertake because of her limited mobility.[8]
9. The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side
The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side (1962)[26] returns to St. Mary Mead after a film star buys Gossington Hall. A death during a reception draws Miss Marple and Craddock into the actress’s household.[9]
The changed village and familiar house reward readers who know the Bantrys, while the murder remains a separate case.[9]
10. A Caribbean Mystery
A Caribbean Mystery (1964)[27] sends Miss Marple to an island hotel, where a guest’s story about a killer takes an unsettling turn. She finds an ally in the wealthy Jason Rafiel as she examines the resort’s guests.[10]
Their collaboration establishes the relationship that later leads to her assignment in Nemesis.[10]
11. At Bertram’s Hotel
At Bertram’s Hotel (1965)[28] follows Miss Marple during a London stay at a hotel preserving an Edwardian atmosphere. A missing clergyman and unusual incidents disturb its appearance of respectability.[11]
This independent London case combines her observations of hotel life with a wider police inquiry into robberies.[11]
12. Nemesis
Nemesis (1971)[29] gives Miss Marple an unusual commission from Jason Rafiel, with a reward attached but little explanation of the crime. A prearranged tour of houses and gardens becomes the setting for her inquiries.[12]
The new investigation builds on their Caribbean partnership, making A Caribbean Mystery the most useful earlier book to read.[12]
13. Sleeping Murder
Sleeping Murder (1976)[30] follows Gwenda Reed as a newly purchased house awakens disturbing childhood memories. She and her husband seek Marple’s help with a possible long-buried crime.[13]
This independent reconstruction of the past has internal dates that place the investigation before 4.50 from Paddington.[13]
Authorized continuations
1. Marple: Twelve New Stories
Marple: Twelve New Stories (2022)[33-34] collects new Miss Marple cases by twelve different writers. The stories revisit her village circle and take her to settings including New York, Oxford, and a ship traveling to Hong Kong.[16]
This authorized collection expands her investigations while returning to the vicarage and the Bantrys, making familiarity with the original books useful.[16]
2. Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel (2026)[35-37] places Miss Marple at a Swiss hotel reached by a single railway. When a body is discovered, a blizzard leaves the guests cut off.[17]
This book extends her investigations into an Alpine setting as an authorized continuation of the original series.[17]
References
- The Murder at the Vicarage. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073600.
- Thirteen Problems. Harper Collins Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780008196523.
- The Body in the Library. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780063214019.
- The Moving Finger. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073624.
- A Murder Is Announced. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073631.
- They Do It with Mirrors. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073648.
- A Pocket Full of Rye. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073655.
- 4:50 From Paddington. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073662.
- The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073679.
- A Caribbean Mystery. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780063214149.
- At Bertram’s Hotel. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780063221628.
- Nemesis. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073709.
- Sleeping Murder. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073723.
- Miss Marple’s Final Cases. HarperCollins. ISBN: 9780008196646.
- Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN: 9780062073716.
- Marple: Twelve New Mysteries. William Morrow. ISBN: 9780063136052.
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel. William Morrow. ISBN: 9780063376694.
- The Murder at the Vicarage. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611910.
- Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories. HarperCollins Publishers.
- The Body in the Library. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008589110.
- The Moving Finger. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611927.
- A Murder Is Announced. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611941.
- They Do It with Mirrors. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611958.
- A Pocket Full of Rye. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611965.
- 4:50 from Paddington. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611972.
- The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611989.
- A Caribbean Mystery. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008611996.
- At Bertram’s Hotel. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008612009.
- Nemesis. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008612016.
- Sleeping Murder. HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780008589127.
- Miss Marple’s Final Cases by Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie.
- Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie.
- Marple: Twelve New Mysteries. HarperCollins Publishers.
- Marple: Twelve New Mysteries. HarperCollins Publishers Canada.
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel. HarperCollins Publishers.
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley. HarperCollins Publishers UK.
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel: The New Miss Marple Novel. HarperCollins Publishers Australia.