Fifty years ago this month, the last Agatha Christie novel, Sleeping Murder , was published. To mark the half centenary, the Christie estate authorised the publication of a new Miss Marple novel , the first ‘official’ outing of the resurrected elderly detective. In time for Halloween, here’s a review of Lucy Foley’s Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel , so you can decide if you should read this book as a Christie nostalgia trip, as just another murder mystery — or at all.

For Marple and Christie fans, the book begins promisingly enough. It is 1950, and Miss Marple is on a Swiss vacation with the recently widowed Dolly Bantry, accompanied by Mrs. Bantry’s help, Diana Glass. There are enough references to The Body in the Library and other Miss Marple trivia to evoke fond smiles.

The (first) murder is announced in the very first page. The story then begins from two days ago, so as new characters are introduced, there is the suspense of guessing who among them is soon to be killed.…