Miss Marple's methods are different from the typical male detective. She doesn't rely on brute force or high - tech gadgets. Instead, she uses her intuition and understanding of people. In the 'Miss Marple and Mystery: The Complete Short Stories', her character is fully developed through a series of engaging short stories that show her at work solving various mysteries.
She is also an elderly lady, which makes her seem less threatening to the suspects. This allows her to gather information more easily as people tend to let their guard down around her. In many of the short stories, her knowledge of human nature, gained from her years of living in a small village, is crucial in cracking the cases.
Miss Marple is a very shrewd and observant character. She often notices the smallest details that others overlook, which helps her solve the mysteries. For example, in some stories, she can tell a person's character from their choice of clothing or how they behave in a social setting.
There are often the local police officers who interact with Miss Marple. For example, Inspector Slack who is sometimes skeptical of Miss Marple's methods but eventually comes to respect her insights. Another character could be the vicar in some of the stories, who provides a different perspective on the village life and the events that occur.
One important character is the local police inspector. He often interacts with Miss Marple and sometimes underestimates her but later comes to rely on her insights. There are also various villagers. Some are suspects, some are witnesses, and their relationships and secrets are important parts of the stories.
One common theme is deception. Many of the stories involve characters who are not what they seem at first. Miss Marple has to peel back the layers of false appearances to get to the truth.
One interesting character is Mr. Stringer. He often provides Miss Marple with some useful information in a rather clumsy but endearing way. Another could be Mrs. Bantry, her friend. Mrs. Bantry has a big personality and her interactions with Miss Marple are quite engaging. She also sometimes gets involved in the cases in an indirect way.
The police officers who initially underestimate Miss Marple but later come to rely on her insights are also main characters in a sense. For example, Inspector Craddock in some stories. He is often skeptical at first but learns to respect Miss Marple's methods.
Perhaps the settings. The new stories might be set in more contemporary times, while the original ones were in a more traditional, old - fashioned setting.
One main feature is the character of Miss Marple herself. She is an elderly, shrewd detective. Her insights are often based on her knowledge of human nature in a small - town setting. Another feature is the complex and engaging plots. Each story has a mystery that keeps the readers guessing until the end.
The main themes include deception and the truth. Miss Marple has to cut through the lies that the suspects tell to get to the real facts. Also, there is a theme of justice. She is determined to see that the guilty are punished and the innocent are exonerated. In these short stories, the contrast between appearance and reality is also a significant theme, as things are not always as they seem at first glance.
Well, I'm not sure exactly which ones are the best among the '12 new miss marple stories' without reading them all. But generally, Miss Marple stories often involve her unravelling complex puzzles in seemingly ordinary settings. So any of these new stories would probably have that element of her deducing the truth from the tiniest of details.
In 'Miss Marple Complete Short Stories', 'A Christmas Tragedy' stands out. It has a great plot with a Christmas setting that adds an interesting backdrop to the mystery. Miss Marple's ability to notice the small details that others miss makes this story engaging. Also, 'The Herb of Death' is fascinating as it involves a complex web of relationships and motives that Miss Marple unravels with ease.