4.50 from Paddington cover art

4.50 from Paddington

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

 Two trains Side by side for a brief moment In that moment, a murder

Elspeth McGillicuddy is positive she witnessed a man strangling a woman to death.

But it was only the merest glimpse through a carriage window as the trains drew parallel.

She is the only witness, there are no suspects, and, most importantly, there is no corpse.

Who, apart from her friend Jane Marple, would take her seriously?

Never underestimate Miss Marple

‘All crime writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt.’
Peter James

‘Never a dull moment.’
The Times

©1957 Agatha Christie (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Amateur Sleuths Classics Crime Fiction Detective Mystery Traditional Detectives Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Fiction

Critic reviews

‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson

‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor

‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis

‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci

‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James

‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French
All stars
Most relevant
Why did someone decide that Miss Marple stories must be narrated by a woman?

That is sexism, isn't it?

(There is the odd exception of Richard E Grant voicing Miss Marple, but what about the brilliant Hugh Fraser?)

I like Emilia Fox OK, except her voicing of male characters is silly and unconvincing.
You do get used to it and she is easily understood and her female characters, including Miss Marple, are pleasing to the ear.

I did enjoy the story, although it ended abruptly (as many of her novels do) - but this one even more so.

Great story - but why a woman?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I found the plot of this particular novel very slow and underwhelming. I still love the character though. A swift move on till the next Miss Marple.
Looking at the publication dates, it was 7 years or so between Miss Marple stories. I wonder if AC felt the same way about her own character in this novel as I do...

Couldn't Finish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Agatha Christie does it again. Her Miss Marple stories are spot on with her characters mentality and mannerisms. Emilia Fox also brings the characters to life with her narration. 5 stars for everything. I will now look for more stories narrated by Emilia Fox, especially Miss Marple ones.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Gotta love a Miss Marple mystery. This one kept me guessing right until the last few chapters! Something about a murder mystery on an old train that's just so cosy!

Very good Marple!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Love this story , Emilia Fox ok but much prefer Joan Hickson, she was and still is the best Miss Marple. Always will be.

Agatha Christie great storyteller

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews