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The Body in the Library

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The Body in the Library

By: Agatha Christie
Narrated by: Stephanie Cole
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About this listen

A young woman found murderedA scandal in the making

When Mrs Bantry wakes to find a body in her library, there’s only one woman to call: her good friend Jane Marple.

But she hasn’t called her old friend for comfort.

The body in her library has been murdered and Miss Marple is so very good at solving murders.

Her investigations uncover a scandal far darker than either of them could have imagined, and this time she may be out of her depth.

Never underestimate Miss Marple

‘Christie always defied expectations, not only in her legendary twists and reveals, but also in the underestimated detectives she created as her heroes. The villains never see these sleuths coming – and that’s half the fun.’
Leigh Bardugo

‘One of the most ingeniously contrived of all her murder stories.’
Birmingham Post

©1942 Agatha Christie Mallowan (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London UK
Detective Fiction Mystery Traditional Detectives Women Sleuths Women's Fiction
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Critic reviews

‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson

‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor

‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis

‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci

‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James

‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

What listeners say about The Body in the Library

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Loved it.

Have always loved this story. Loved the adaption although not having Joan Hicks read it lost a little bit for me but once I got used to the change, really enjoyed it.

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Brilliant performance

Would you consider the audio edition of The Body in the Library to be better than the print version?

This book is beautifully performed, like being in a theatre.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Body in the Library?

The twists and turns

What does Stephanie Cole bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Brilliant characterisations, great pace, I was hooked! She has a lovely non-irritating voice that does not detract from the story.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and smiled throughout the journey, but it has very sad points, very raw too, which Miss Marple acknowledges during the story.

Any additional comments?

One of the most exciting yet sad stories, takes us back to a different part of history that is difficult to understand at times, with modern eyes.

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3 people found this helpful

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Highly recommend

This is one of my favourite Agatha Christie stories & I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. The narration by Stephanie Cole was superb, her speech very clear & no silly accents for the different characters. I wish she had narrated more of the audiobooks I have in my collection.

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Outstanding story

A favourite amongst the greatest of Agatha Christie's novels.
Wish Audible would offer another audio version.
This one by Stephanie Cole is OK, but it's not a performance.

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The Body in the Library

I found this book quite complicated - in a good way - with a mass of characters whom I sometimes got mixed up. SC narrates brilliantly and she does At Bertram’s Hotel as well.

Miss Marple isn’t really the main focus it’s Inspector Slack for me and Christie interjects some humour into this book.

On the whole it’s a well deserved 5 twinkling stars…

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Superb twist and narration

My first audio book from Agatha Christie and I loved it. The narration was awesome.

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An excellent mystery

This is one of my all time favourite Agatha Christie stories. It has a few twists and a clever plot. Stephanie Cole does an excellent job with the narration.

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Finally !

After struggling to find Marple books where the narration works (Joan hickson, whilst great on screen, is not as good at just narration), I got the mark with this. I was hopeful having listened to Stephanie Cole in other productions and was not disappointed. She gives a subtle performance with out giving hammy accents. I suppose there's an argument for perhaps not having enough difference between some characters voices, but it does just enough for me to work. If you hunt around online you can find rosemary leach reading a couple and she is the best, but not available anymore. 🙁

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A Christie classic in all its glory

Agatha Christie audiobooks can be hit and miss. Some are read by inferior narrators who ruin the experience. Others are voiced by actors who seem effortless in bringing Christie's stories to life – Richard E. Grant, for example, and Stephanie Cole here. The Body in the Library is bewildering and brilliant, with that little tang of nastiness that season's Christie's work. Compelling and beautifully read; highly recommended.

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The very best of Christie

I have a number of Agatha Christie audiobooks and have read a great number of her books. This is definitely a standout. I have listened to it over and over again and I am still enjoying it greatly.

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