While the novel may not be one of the great Miss Marple mysteries written by Christie herself Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley is still worth reading.
by Lucey Foley
Book cover
| Title | Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel |
| Writer | Lucy Foley |
| Character created by | Agatha Christie |
| Series | Marple |
| Publisher | HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction |
| Publication date | 22nd September |
| MBR star rating /5 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Genre | Cozy Mystery Crime Cozy Mystery Historical Fiction Mystery |
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I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Synopsis: Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single winding railway, the Grand Alpine Hotel is an exclusive winter retreat overlooking pristine ski slopes and snow-covered peaks.
Among its guests are a celebrated actress, an ambitious politician, a prominent society wife, a reckless friend, and a respected doctor. Each arrives with private motives, and each carries a past that is not as carefully buried as it seems.
Also staying at the hotel is Miss Marple, whose quiet, observant nature allows her to notice what others overlook.
When a guest is found dead and a blizzard cuts off the hotel from the outside world, suspicion falls on everyone trapped inside. As old rivalries and hidden connections come to light, Miss Marple must unravel the truth before the killer has an opportunity to strike again.
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Review: Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel is the first full length official novel featuring Agatha Christies Miss Marple by mystery thriller writer Lucy Foley.
Lucy Foley was one of 12 writers who wrote a short story for a collection of Miss Marple stories in 2022.
The novel is set shortly after World War 2 high in an Isolated hotel in the Swiss Alps near the French border.
While this is a miss Marple story the novel is not told through her eyes, but through the perspective of 5 characters staying at the hotel in addition to the policeman who happens to be staying at the hotel.
Is it Christie’s style?
While Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel is a Miss Marple mystery based on the character created by, Agatha Christie, this is not fully a carbon copy of the original, but for any writer this would be an almost impossible task.
Yes we have all the key ingredients of one of the queen of crime novels, the remote location, a list of people who while are all seemingly on their own are all connected in some way. Along with a number of clues and read herrings sprinkled for good measure.
What we have in this novel is all this with a bit of the writers Lucy Foley’s writing added to the mix, making, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, a nice mixture of the two writing styles. If this is a good or a bad that is up to the individual reader.
As a reader this style felt more natural, because, when writers try to copy another’s style it very rarely works, especially when the original writer is a master of the genre Like Agatha Christie.
Does Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel work as a Mystery?
Even though one of the key aspects of the novel is it being a new Miss Marple novel, so it will all ways be judged as that, while it does not reach the hights of some of the original novels it does at least work as a cozy mystery in the Christie style just not one of the best.
Should Your Read? Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
This depends on your current relationship with the character Miss Marple and the original creator Agatha Christie and the author Lucy foley.
| Current situation | Read Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel |
| Read all Agatha Christe/ Miss Marple Books | Yes |
| Read Some Agatha Christe/ Miss Marple Books | Yes |
| Read none of the Agatha Christe/ Miss Marple Books | No, it is better to read one of the other Agatha Christie/ Miss Marple Books |
| Read all Lucy Foley books | Yes |
| Read Some Lucy Foley Book | Only if you like cozy mysteries, but you will mass some of the references to the original Agatha Criste books. |
| Cozy Mystery fan | You can but as a cozy mystery fan you should have read some Agatha Christie novels as she is the Queen of the genre. |
Conclusion
While the novel may not be one of the great Miss Marple mysteries written by Christie herself Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley is still worth reading.
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Mark.