The Murder at the Vicarage by
Agatha Christie
pbk out March 02
(HarperCollins)
at £5.99
The ingenuity of Agatha Christie's publishers almost matches that of the Queen of
Crime herself. They keep finding new ways to repackage her work and their latest
wheeze is to reproduce the Miss Marple books in facsimile versions of their original
dust jackets. It is a clever idea, because the earlier first editions in decent jackets are
more than mere period pieces – they are now extremely expensive collectors' items,
out of the reach of most readers' pockets. So fans now have a chance to own
reproductions, in jacketed hardback editions, at a very modest price indeed. The first
Marple book has a cover depicting a police interview at the scene of Colonel
Protheroe's murder – not much forensic awareness is evident! This is a classic
detective novel and remains a splendid read.
(
Martin Edwards
- author of the highly acclaimed Harry Devlin Mysteries)