The Thirteen Problems

Joan Hickson reads these short stories with the same accomplishment with which she acted the role of Miss Marple. A really charming first look at Miss Marple in her early incarnation (laced and starched before Christie made her 'tweedy'.

If you've read Christie before - and if you haven't, shame on you - you know what to expect. A complex riddle surrounded by red-herrings, archetypal characterisation, and loads of posh people. Joan Hickson, as expected, reads this as if she had written it herself. Simply brilliant.

Highly entertaining Miss Marple book with a whole range of diverse problems being presented for Miss Marple (and the listener) to attempt to solve...although however diverse the problems might be they obviously have their solution in village life!

Loved listening to the late Joan Hickson's melodious tones again. I enjoy Agatha Christie's shorter stories perhaps more than the longer ones, no need for character development, which I don't think was her forte, just a well crafted yarn.

A treat indeed to have the great Joan Hickson (surely the definitive Miss Marple) read some of Christie's greatest stories. Her quietly authoritative voice lends itself beautifully to the prose text and the clarity of her tones makes listening a pure joy. What a pity she passed on before the whole gamut of Miss Marple mysteries could have been recorded. That would be an archive worth having.