There's Inspector Craddock. He's an important character as he respects Miss Marple's insights even though she is an amateur detective. His professional approach to the cases contrasts with Miss Marple's more intuitive methods, and this makes their interactions interesting. Also, the various suspects in the stories can be very interesting. For example, some of them are very good at hiding their true motives and personalities, which adds to the mystery.
Well, Raymond West is quite an interesting character. He is Miss Marple's nephew and he has a modern - day view of the world which is different from Miss Marple's more traditional outlook. His presence in some of the stories brings in a different perspective. Then there are the village gossips. They may not seem like main characters, but they often hold little pieces of information that are crucial to solving the mysteries. Their chatter and nosiness are part of what makes the village setting so rich in these stories.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Miss Marple is the central character. In addition, there will likely be characters like the local police officers who might be initially skeptical of Miss Marple's abilities but come to rely on her insights. There could also be various villagers, some of whom might be suspects, and others who are friends or acquaintances of Miss Marple.
Miss Marple herself is the main character. She is an elderly spinster with a great intellect for solving mysteries.
The main character is of course Miss Marple herself. She is an elderly spinster with a sharp mind for solving mysteries.