Sleuthing Miss Marple - (Liverpool English Texts and Studies) by Desirée Prideaux (Paperback)

About the Book

Sleuthing Miss Marple follows the intellectual trajectory of a classic detective story. This book uses textual evidence drawn from the Marple short stories and novels, in tandem with original methods of literary criticism, to reveal the narrative strategies and literary devices that Agatha Christie used to grant agency to her spinster-sleuth.

Book Synopsis

Sleuthing Miss Marple mirrors the structure and playful analytic style of a detective novel. Beginning at the 'scene of the crime', this investigation places Agatha Christie and the clue-puzzle in historical context, casting light on the methods, the motives, and, in a sense, the alibis that underpin Christie's crime fiction. In keeping with the clue-puzzle analytical method devised for this book, each chapter builds towards a conclusion that delivers a surprising intellectual payoff.

This enquiry is unapologetically textual in approach. It constructs a rigorous evidence base drawn from the Marple short stories and novels, and presents a useful interpretation of crime fiction scholarship. This provides a foundation for original literary analyses that reveal Christie's engagements with gender roles and genre rules, and the sleights of hand that they conceal. Christie's modus operandi is uncovered, as are the narrative strategies and literary devices that she deployed to ambush unwary readers. Crucially, this investigation shows how Christie's ingenious methods made it possible for an elderly spinster to get away with solving murder. Sleuthing Miss Marple will be invaluable for students and researchers of crime fiction, twentieth-century literature, and creative writing.

Review Quotes

'Desirée Prideaux's Sleuthing Miss Marple is a phenomenally rich and original addition to Agatha Christie studies... Prideaux breaks new ground and sheds new light on a familiar and much-loved character who, as Prideaux demonstrates, contains depths never before explored to such an extent. The end result is an enlightening and enjoyable lesson in never underestimating a woman--or the writer who created her.' Rachel Schaffer, Clues

'Showcase[s] some interesting and thought-provoking ideas, which encourage you to return to the original stories for a re-read with a different way of looking at them.' Kate Jackson, Crossing Examining Crime

'With Agatha Christie studies on the rise, it is high time attention turned to Miss Marple. Desirée Prideaux's fresh look at the archetypal spinster sleuth sheds much-needed light on one of the twentieth century's most popular and misunderstood fictional characters.' J.C. Bernthal, author of Queering Agatha Christie

About the Author

Desirée Prideaux has taught and lectured in English, cultural studies and crime fiction at Flinders University, South Australia.