This edition published 9th November 2023 by Harper Collins.
Originally published 1932.
From the cover of the book:
A weekly dinner partyTen amateur sleuths
The Tuesday Club murders
On a quiet Tuesday in St Mary Mead, a group of friends gather for dinner.
A policeman, a clergyman, a solicitor, an author, an artist, and an unassuming lady with a shrewd gaze – Miss Jane Marple. Conversation naturally turns to crime.
Each recounts a seemingly unsolvable mystery. Each thinks they know the answer.
But it’s the one they least expect who understands the true nature of each wicked act…
Never underestimate Miss Marple...
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This intriguing collection of linked short stories marks the earliest appearance of Christie's Miss Marple. I had not read them before, despite having consumed almost all of the Miss Marple novels, and was really struck by how much this collection makes for a wonderful showcase for her ability to apply her knowledge of human nature to the business of solving crime.
The first six stories take place at Miss Marple's home in St Mary Mead when a small gathering of friends and relations, including her nephew Raymond and the former head of Scotland Yard Sir Henry Clithering, fall into a discussion about crime. Each person goes on to tell about their own experience with a case which seemed to have no easy explanation, but which they later received enlightening information about, challenging the others to see if they can come up with the solution. Miss Marple's role in the proceedings is taken in a comic light, at first, given her position as an elderly lady with little experience of the world beyond St Mary Mead - however, as the evening progresses and she is able to identify the hows, whys, and wherefores about every single case, her guests are forced to reassess their opinion about her. The group dub themselves the Tuesday Night Club, and plan to meet again to delve into more knotty cases of dark deeds.
The next six stories are set during a dinner party at the home of Dolly and Arthur Bantry. Dolly is persuaded to invite Miss Marple by Sir Henry Clithering, which bemuses her somewhat, but when the conversation later turns to crime it becomes clear why he was keen to see a repeat performance of this deceptively fluffy old lady exercising her razor sharp intellect. Once again, each guest is called upon to relate a personal encounter with a tricky case, and the others are challenged to come up with the correct solution. In every one Miss Marple has the right answer, and she even heads off a potential crime in the process.
The final story foreshadows Miss Marple's future career as a sleuth extraorindaire, as it involves Sir Henry Clithering consulting her about the live case of a local girl who has been murdered. Miss Marple is reluctant to get involved, but she agrees to provide Sir Henry with details of who she believes the murderer to be... and yet again, she is proved right.
I absolutely loved this collection, The stories introduce not just Miss Marple, but other characters who appear in the books which later feature her talents, and they are all packed to the gills with Christie's favourite themes, complex motives, and devious methods of execution. If you have yet to read a Christie book in which Miss Marple stars, they are a fabulous introduction to her modus operandi too.
The Thirteen Problems (published in the USA as The Tuesday Club Murders) was my February choice for Read Christie 2025's theme of characters and careers - in this case the role of authors in her work (hello, Raymond West, Miss Marple's crime author nephew). I was delighted to discover that I already had this excellent collection in my Audible library, narrated by my favourite Miss Marple, Joan Hickson. This made listening to the book an absolute treat!
The Thirteen Problems is available to buy now in multiple formats.
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Great review!
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