“It should be no surprise to anyone that Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple has always been a reassuring presence.” —Marple: Expert on Wickedness by Mark Aldridge

Miss Jane Marple to be more accurate, and indeed there is a calming presence when we see her at the scene to solve a crime. It’s not a matter of if, but what she will learn along the way to figuring it all out with dependable accuracy.

While Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot were created by the same talented Agatha Christie, fellow mystery writer Christianna Brand surmises that “Miss Marple was surely created to be the antithesis to Hercule Poirot, who Brand considered to be ‘all shine and show-off’. Brand described Miss Marple as ‘the very pink modest self-deprecation’ with her ‘quiet confidence in her own powers’, which is ‘robustly bolstered up, should it ever fail her, by the adulation of her somewhat unremarkable friends.”

Whether you were introduced to Miss Marple first through reading one of the many short stories or novels written by Christie or met her while watching one of the three more modern actresses reprise the role of Miss Marple in the many episodes created by the BBC and other British stations, if you’re reading today’s post, something about her resonated with you.

And while unlike Poirot, we have many strong actresses who embodied Miss Marple exquisitely – Joan Hickson, Geraldine McEwan and Julia MacKenzie, being the more recent and well-known (view the entire list of actresses here). So it becomes a matter of not taste, but often who we were first introduced to, at least that is the case for me.

Joan Hickson was my first Miss Marple, and after reading about her dedication to the role in Mark Aldridge’s book – she starred in all 12 of the novels Agatha Christie wrote with Miss Marple as the sleuth, as well as how Christie herself not only selected her (long before Hickson would appear which would be after Christie’s death), and commented as to how she felt Hickson embodied her vision of Miss Marple (we cannot know her opinion about McEwan and Mackenzie as they sadly were cast after Christie died), to my mind she is Miss Marple personified.

Hickson was humble and often intimidated in accepting the role for fear of not presenting the character accurately. However, with Hickson’s performance reportedly praised by Queen Elizabeth II when she received an OBE in 1987 and winning back-to-back BAFTA nods in 1987 and 1988 for Best Actress as Miss Marple as well as the 1987 UK Royal Television Award for Best Performance in the Marple series, it is safe to say, she nailed the part.

Marple: Expert on Wickedness by Mark Aldridge

A wonderful biography to explore, as Mark Aldridge, just as he did for the character of Hercule Poirot, dives into every piece of work that included the character of Miss Marple, shares interviews with Agatha Christie about the character and everything in between.

Miss Marple: The Life and Times of Miss Jane Marple by Anne Hall

While a much shorter book, it is just as dense in specifics about Miss Marple’s character, mannerisms, life journey and also shares quotes throughout that support each of the findings about her character.

As we conclude TSLL’s 7th Annual British Week, and to bookend what we began with exploring Hercule Poirot, I’d like to share with you to 26 characteristics, that perhaps you share with Miss Marple. And if so, even if just one, you may be more of a kindred soul with Miss Marple than you realized.

Of course there are MANY more characteristics than what you will find below, so if after reading the list, there is more you’d like to share that speak to you and why you relate to her, please do share in the comments section.

Let’s take a look at the list!

1) . . . you prefer living a quiet life in the countryside.

“I live very quietly in the country, you see.“—Miss Marple, Nemesis

2) . . . you have an excellent memory, and crisp details never slip your mind.

3) . . . you are a gardener and enjoy time out in the garden whether pottering or enjoying a cuppa tea and cake with friends.

4) . . . you don’t take people as they present themselves, but rather let them show you who they are.

5) . . . your interest in observing people comes from your curiosity to figure them out.

“It’s so nice to get people sorted out.” —Miss Marple

6) . . . sitting upright with nice posture and presenting yourself well, including one’s manners, are second nature.

7) . . . you embody a quiet confidence knowing with age and life experience you know much and appreciate your wisdom, not wishing it away to be younger.

8) . . . although making your home in the quiet countryside, a trip to the city or abroad is welcomed and savored with delight.

9) . . . you make lifelong friends from all walks of life.

10) . . . having not married, your life is wonderful and you don’t feel as though you’re lacking.

“Still, taking it by and large, I haven’t done badly out of marriage.” —Miss Marple, At Bertram’s Hotel

11) . . . you have known love and had a number of beaux in your younger days.

12) . . . you find most ‘suitable’ men dull, although are willing to meet and get to know them.

13) . . . your most amazing career doesn’t begin until your 60s.

14) . . . you are modest but don’t dismiss what you have done.

“It’s true, of course, that I have lived what is called a very uneventful life, but I have had a lot of experiences in solving different little problems that have arisen.” —Miss Marple, The Thumbmark of St. Peter

15) . . . you own and live in your own home, perhaps a cottage if you too live in the countryside.

16) . . . you are calm, steady and don’t get flustered even when it may be warranted.

17) . . . your neighborhood and thus neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and your observant, yet genuinely friendly connections play a role in your everyday life.

18) . . . you value and care for your items of quality, using them for many years (because you can – they are made well). However, eventually, you will give something new a try if needed.

19) . . . you are a keen observer of people, often knowing them better than they know themselves, but you don’t make mention of it to them, nor to others in a disparaging way.

20) . . . you are trusted, and rightly so, by those who know you.

21) . . . your nieces and nephews trust and respect you.

22) . . . knowledgeable and appreciative of fine art, you may not visit museums or galleries as much as others might think, but you can recognize such pieces and note the details of craftsmanship.

23) . . . you stay apprised of culture and the news.

24) . . . critical thinking, not accepting anything without evidence or full examination, is your super power and enables you to make wise decisions for life and helping others should they ask for your help.

“The trouble in this case is that everybody has been much too credulous and believing. You simply cannot afford to believe everything that people tell you. When there’s anything fish about, I never believe anyone at all.” —Miss Marple, Nemesis

25) . . . your intelligence is underestimated, and just like Miss Marple, it isn’t luck or ‘feminine intuition’ that enables you to reach the right answer or achieve unexpected outcomes of success; it is because you have an excellent mind.

26) . . . you tend to intimidate people once they discover how amazing you are at what you do. But what you are able to do or achieve comes because of your diligence and hard work.

Now if you, like me, would love to see more attention given to Miss Marple, to the extent that Hercule Poirot has received in the recent years, the good news is that Christie’s great grandson James Prichard feels she needs more prominence as well. He acknowledged to Aldridge that “Miss Marple has always been a little in the shadow of Poirot, but [he] has a desire to see a new prestigious screen production that would give her a new prominence. ‘Whether that ‘s in TV or film, that’s a debate, but I think Marple deserves that kind of treatment. She needs her moment.” And seeing as he is the chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, I am cautiously confident we will see it happen in the future.

Now this post concludes the posts for this year’s British Week! Explore all 15 of them here in the Archives and be sure to enter all of the giveaways (if you are a TOP Tier Member) by noon today (Pacific time!).

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Explore all of the posts shared during TSLL’s 7th Annual British Week