The Body in the Library

"Jane Marple is called upon by her old friend Dolly Bantry to investigate the seemingly random appearance of a corpse in the library of Mrs Bantry’s home, Gossington Hall. The body is of a young woman wearing evening dress and heavy make-up. When a second body is found in an abandoned quarry, Miss Marple must fathom the connection and restore the Bantry family to their former respectability. “This flavour of crime speaks to our need for resolution and neat endings during difficult and uncertain times” This is a great example of classic Golden Age detective fiction . It’s a finely calibrated puzzle, and without giving any spoilers, Miss Marple prevails — she is not the only detective in this book but certainly runs rings around the others. Bringing violent crime into the heart of a genteel English village raises questions about what goes on under the veneer of respectability. There is something wonderful about a character who, on the surface, is unassuming and fairly powerless, even irrelevant in society, having a steel-trap mind and cutting observational intelligence. I think Miss Marple’s popularity and longevity come from this interesting exploration about surface appearance and what lies beneath, which ultimately is central to every crime novel. The pairing of a harmless, gentle character with a shrewd eye and open mind when it comes to the darker side of human behaviour is inspired. The real magic lies in her ability to pay attention and notice, as much as the fact that she draws on a lifetime of experience and fascination with other people."