And you don’t seem to care.”, See all 9 questions about The Body in the Library…, Wine of the Mystic: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: A Spiritual Interpretation. Hugo McClean: Long time friend of Adelaide who wanted to marry her. "[6], Robert Barnard had a positive view of this novel, writing in 1990. It was a "Bravura performance on a classic situation." Dustjacket illustration of the UK first edition; the book was first published in the U.S. I think it is, because our beloved Miss Jane Marple is in fact missing from quite a lot of this novel. It's a classic Christie, foolproof and sturdy plot with a cast of both memorable and useless characters. It's a classic Christie, f. There's a small note to the reader at the very beginning of this novel in which Agatha Christie basically writes, "the trope of the body in the library is very common throughout detective fiction so I wrote this novel to fuck shit up". The police on the scene are soon asking about her, "Where have we seen that woman sitting in the corner before?" This is the third instalment in the amateur detective encounters of Miss Marple and makes use of the great cliche of crime fiction - the “body in the library”. She soon fears a second murder and it isn't too long before we hear that a naïve young girl has also disappeared. He has a car parked at the hotel’s open lot, which is stolen and reported missing the morning after Ruby’s murder. The police investigators include Colonel Melchett and Inspector Slack. Conway Jefferson: Wealthy man staying at the Majestic Hotel with his son-in-law and daughter-in-law and step grandson. Conway calls Sir Henry Clithering to join the investigation; Sir Henry sees Miss Marple at the hotel and in turn invites her to investigate. [Why was it necessary to kill the school girl ? In 2004, ITV produced a second adaptation as part of their ongoing Marple series. Why did they need to lure Pamela (I think that was her name) to a film test and then murder her and pose her as Ruby? It has since been rebroadcast 15 times on BBC Radio 7 and its successor, BBC Radio 4 Extra. Miss Marple then goes to Basil Blake's house and informs Dina Lee that she has discovered that she and Basil are married and that Basil will be arrested for killing Ruby. When a peroxide blonde is found dead in the library at Gossington Hall, Colonel and Mrs Bantry are perplexed. She is a good mother and a reliable woman. When this year's classic bingo board in the group catching up on classics featured a classic mystery square, I used this as an opportunity to once again catch up with the Queen of Crime and the village of St Mary Mead's resident detective. The novel was first serialised in the US in The Saturday Evening Post in seven parts from 10 May (Volume 213, Number 45) to 21 June 1941 (Volume 213, Number 51) with illustrations by Hy Rubin. Sometimes I'm just really in the mood for an Agatha Christie novel! I love her writing style, love her characterisation and the mystery she weaves. The novel was first adapted as a television film by the BBC for the television series Miss Marple with Joan Hickson making the first of her acclaimed appearances in the role of Jane Marple. Category:The Body in the Library characters | Agatha Christie Wiki | Fandom. Conway Jefferson - widower of Margaret Jefferson 2. Back at the hotel, Miss Marple asks the Bantrys to find a marriage record at Somerset House. The adaptation was transmitted in three parts between 26–28 December 1984, and only had a few changes made to it: A second adaptation of the novel was made in 2004 by ITV, as part of their ongoing Agatha Christie's Marple series. Original title He finds the dead body of a young woman on the hearth rug in the library, dressed up and with platinum blonde hair. It was transmitted in three parts from 26-28 December 1984. Despite his last name, he is thorough in his work. It starred Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple, James Fox as Colonel Bantry. She asks Sir Henry to approach Conway; he agrees to tell Mark and Adelaide that he will change his will the next day, leaving his money to a hostel in London. Detective fiction Maurice Willson Disher of The Times Literary Supplement was impressed in his review of 16 May 1942 when he said, "Some devoted souls may sigh for Hercule Poirot, but there are bound to be others who will be glad to find his place taken in the ‘new Agatha Christie’ by Miss Marple. Was Ruby in it for the money? N or M?Marple: Miss Marple Tells a Story But the previous night, Ruby went missing, and Josie was forced to do the dance. Pamela was last seen going to Wallworths. I'm not actually sure if I ever read this one. In addition, a second "amateur detective", the retired head of Scotland Yard, Sir Henry Clithering, gets involved at the request of Conway Jefferson. Add new page. In the early hours of the morning, Josie dressed Ruby in Pamela's Girl Guide uniform, stole Bartlett's car, drove to Venn's Quarry, and incinerated the lot. This adaptation starred Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple, James Fox as Colonel Bantry, Joanna Lumley as Dolly Bantry, Ian Richardson as Conway Jefferson, and Jamie Theakston as Mark Gaskell. Hotel guest Conway Jefferson reports Ruby Keene, an 18-year-old dancer at the Majestic Hotel in Danemouth as missing. During the bridge play, Mark took a break, taking Pamela’s body to Blake's hearth rug, where he strangled her with her belt. I’m always amazed at her writing but also her understanding of psychology and how good her books continue to be after all these years! Miss Marple is absent for major part of the story and several loose ends were never explained. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I am trying to read new authors but Agatha Christie keeps calling me back. She has son Peter Carmody, 9 year old son; Peter was born after her first husband died. I thought it was so that they could make sure that they had alibis showing that they were in plain sight for the tight window in between when Ruby was. When Dinah mentioned Somerset House-marriage, Miss Marple found out that Mark was married to Josie. He did not kill the girl. Josie told Ruby to go and lie down in Josie's room. She states that when writing her own variation on this theme, she decided that the library should be a completely conventional one while the body would be a highly improbable and sensational one. In Chapter 8 the author gives herself a namecheck from the mouth of the young boy, Peter Carmody. The victim, Ruby Keene, was 18 and in the process of being adopted by Conway Jefferson, an invalid with a terminal diagnosis, who doted on her as a substitute for his deceased children. [I am confused about why Mark and Josie needed to use the village girl in this whole thing. Miss Marple did not believe the identification by Josie (“people are far too trusting for this wicked world”) and sensed a plan gone awry. And then there is Edwards, Conway's valet. During the police interrogation, Mark breaks down and confesses all the details. Thankfully the crime is exciting enough for us to overlook that minor setback. All characters in The Body In The Library are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. They were playing bridge watching Ruby dancing. Mark then slipped away to write letters, and drove down to the sea-front. It's a dilemma. Conway, now tired, orders Edwards to call Sir Henry Clithering. He agrees to speak with Clithering, who will share only the needed information with police. Peter Carmody - son of Adelaide Jefferson and Mike Carmody 5. There she sees the body. Another great Christie read. Miss Marple then reveals all to the Bantrys, the Blakes, Melchett, Harper, Clithering, and the Jeffersons. Adelaide says she has agreed to marry her long-time suitor, Hugo, which pleases Conway. Games Movies TV Video. He lives with Frank's widow, Adelaide, Rosamund's widower, Mark Gaskell, and Peter Carmody, Adelaide's son from her first marriage. But it's a quick read (probably Christie's shortest book). While this adaptation was largely faithful to the original novel, there were several changes: A radio adaptation was produced for BBC Radio 4 in 1999.[8]. When Miss Marple says, 'The dress was all wrong,' she is plainly observing facts hidden from the masculine eye – facts which are of a very lively interest. In Christie's Cards on the Table, published six years earlier, Anne Meredith knows Ariadne Oliver as the writer of a book called The Body in the Library.