In no particular order:
The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side (1992)
When Hollywood star Marina Greg returns to England and takes up residence in Gossington Hall, bodies begin to fall.
Favorite character: Dolly Bantry performed by Gwen Watford. Miss Marple’s best friend and her perfect foil. She is kind, socially adept, observant, sometimes misses the big picture, and Miss Marple’s biggest fan.
Favorite line (from Dolly): “His wife was dressed in turquoise from head to foot including gloves. Very odd.”
Favorite scene: Dolly leads a gaggle of village ladies as they prowl through Gossington Hall, checking out the new bathrooms.
At Bertram’s Hotel (1987)
Miss Marple spends a holiday at a posh London hotel where bodies begin to fall.
Favorite character: Bess, Lady Sedgwick played by Caroline Blakiston. She strolls through the airport, retrieves her roadster, throws her high heels in the back seat and drives like a bat out of hell through London.
Favorite line: When Miss Marple’s friend tells her a story about ordering a muffin for breakfast in the US only to be served a tea cake with raisins, Miss Marple sneers and says, “Oh, Americans have a lot to answer for.”
Favorite scene: Afternoon tea. The linen. The gloved waiters. The silver. The pouring. The little cakes.
A Pocketful of Rye (1985)
When Rex Montague is poisoned, he is inexplicably found to have a pocketful of rye.
Favorite character: Poor Gladys played by Annette Badland. I just want to fix everything for her. Did you notice that Annette Badland is the same actress who currently plays the medical examiner, Dr. Perkins, on Midsomer Murders?
Favorite line (DI Neele): “I was brought up in a lodge. If that’s a lodge, ours was a shoebox.”
Favorite scene: Miss Marple teaches her new domestic how to make a tee-pee out of firewood.
Murder at the Vicarage (1986)
When the local squire’s daughter has her portrait painted by a itinerate artist, scandal erupts.
Favorite character: Grisdelda Clement played by Cheryl Campbell. No one does flighty like Cheryl Campbell.
Favorite line: At tea and scandal, Miss Marple announced “Col. Potheroe has always struck me as being a rather stupid man.”
Favorite scene: Tea and scandal.
A Murder is Announced (1985)
After the local paper announces a murder game party at Little Paddocks, the attendees get more than they bargained for.
Favorite character: Miss Hinchcliffe played by Paola Dionisotti. (She was great in Halloween Party, too.)
Favorite line (Miss Hinchcliffe): “You mean where was I when the shooting started? Leaning up against the mantle piece hoping to God someone would offer me a drink.”
Favorite scene: The murder party. The heating was on. It felt clammy.
Keenan Powell
Author
While still in high school, she was one of the illustrators of the original Dungeons and Dragons. Art seemed an impractical pursuit – not an heiress, wouldn’t marry well, hated teaching – so she went to law school instead. When not writing or practicing law, Keenan can be found oil painting, studying the Irish language, or hanging out with her friends at mystery conventions.
6. Sales: Is the Publisher Selling Books?