BookBingeMiss Marple Books in Order
How many Miss Marple books are there?
There are 12 books in the Miss Marple series, published 1930–1976. The series is complete; it ends with Sleeping Murder (1976).
The short answer
Agatha Christie · 12 books
- How many books?
- There are 12 books in the Miss Marple series, published 1930–1976.
- Is it finished?
- Yes — the series is complete; it ends with Sleeping Murder (1976).
- Where to start
- Start with The Murder at the Vicarage (1930).
About 2,800 pages — roughly 50 hours of reading
A sharp-eyed elderly spinster in the quiet village of St. Mary Mead unravels murders with uncanny insight into human nature.
Here is the complete Miss Marple reading order — all 12 books by Agatha Christie, in the order you should read them:
Reading order
- The Murder at the VicarageWhen the unpleasant Colonel Protheroe is found shot dead in the vicar's study, sharp-eyed spinster Jane Marple applies her knowledge of village gossip and human nature to unravel a case with more suspects than the police realize.1930256 pages
- The Body in the LibraryThe discovery of a young woman's body in the library of a respectable country house draws Miss Marple into a puzzle of mistaken identity and calculated deception.1942207 pages
- The Moving FingerA spate of poison-pen letters throws the quiet village of Lymstock into turmoil, and after a suspicious death, Miss Marple is called in to see past the town's secrets to the culprit.1943224 pages
- A Murder Is AnnouncedWhen a newspaper advertisement announces a murder game at a village home, the guests arrive to find the game turns fatally real, sending Miss Marple in search of a killer hiding in plain sight.1950256 pages
- They Do It with MirrorsVisiting a former schoolfriend who runs a reformatory for troubled boys, Miss Marple senses danger beneath the household's charitable facade just before violence erupts.1952207 pages
- A Pocket Full of RyeA wealthy businessman's death by poisoning, followed by further eerie killings echoing a nursery rhyme, leads Miss Marple to expose the dark motives within his family.1953203 pages
- 4.50 from PaddingtonAfter a friend witnesses a strangling on a passing train with no body ever found, Miss Marple investigates the estate where she believes the victim was hidden.1957253 pages
- The Mirror Crack'd from Side to SideWhen a fan is fatally poisoned at a party for a visiting film star in Miss Marple's village, old scandals and present-day jealousies collide.1962240 pages
- A Caribbean MysteryWhile recuperating on a Caribbean island, Miss Marple grows suspicious of a fellow guest's fatal heart attack and a rambling story cut short by another death.1964224 pages
- At Bertram's HotelA stay at a seemingly old-fashioned London hotel draws Miss Marple into a case involving a runaway heiress and a meticulously staged criminal enterprise.1965248 pages
- NemesisA posthumous request from a wealthy acquaintance sends Miss Marple on a coach tour of England's gardens to uncover the truth behind an old, unresolved death.1971230 pages
- Sleeping MurderA young woman's unsettling sense that she witnessed a murder in her new house years earlier leads Miss Marple to dig up a long-buried crime.1976236 pages
Good news: for this series, reading order and publication order are the same — just read straight down the list.
On our lists: Long-running mystery series
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Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many Miss Marple books are there?
There are 12 books in the Miss Marple series, published 1930–1976. The series is complete; it ends with Sleeping Murder (1976).
Is the Miss Marple series finished?
Yes. Agatha Christie completed the series with Sleeping Murder in 1976; all 12 books are out now.
What is the first Miss Marple book?
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) is book one, at 256 pages. When the unpleasant Colonel Protheroe is found shot dead in the vicar's study, sharp-eyed spinster Jane Marple applies her knowledge of village gossip and human nature to unravel a case with more suspects than the police realize.
Should I read the Miss Marple series in publication order?
Yes. For the Miss Marple series, reading order and publication order are the same — The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) through Sleeping Murder (1976).
How long does it take to read all Miss Marple books?
About 2,800 pages across 12 books — roughly 50 hours at a page a minute. The longest is The Murder at the Vicarage (256 pages); the shortest is A Pocket Full of Rye (203 pages).