Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery

Miss Marple is on holiday in the Caribbean. One of her fellow hotel guests, Major Palgrave, suddenly dies, seemingly from natural causes. When a maid with information related to the Major's death is murdered, it appears that the Major's death might have been less natural than it appeared.

A good Miss Marple mystery though not one of the best. The setting makes for a refreshing change and the plot is reasonably intriguing. However, what usually makes a Marple episode great for me is how engaging the secondary characters are and here they're mediocre, and in some cases, quite irritating. Jason Rafiel (played by Donald Pleasance) is particularly loathsome as is Mr Dyson. Interestingly, this is the same Jason Rafiel who died in Nemesis, meaning the two episodes are out of order, timeline-wise.

The local police detective, Inspector Weston, is interesting but doesn't get enough screentime.

Add in a very slow start to the episode - it takes forever for something significant to happen - and it's far from great.

Miss Marple takes a well-earned break to the Caribbean, but her relaxation is cut short when an old Major dies in suspicious circumstances. Just before his death, the Major showed Miss Marple a photograph of a killer; could that snapshot hold the key?

I cannot believe the lack of positive comments on this glorious adaptation. Everything is on point: the acting, the locations, the music, the subtle changes to the book, etc. They made what is, in my humble opinion, a wonderful piece of drama. It is superior in every way to the inferior Helen Hayes version and later ITV adaptation.

Joan Hickson is, as always sublime in the role, she's terrific. Adrian Lukis and the gorgeous Sophie Ward are superb, and that closing scene between them is superbly acted and gripping.

Visually this one is a real treat, they picked the perfect location for filming its, plus the period detail is spot on. I just love that scene where Miss Marple goes to visit Victoria's Aunt.

I could watch this adaptation over and over, the book was beautifully brought to life here, I think seeing Miss Marple getting to work in such a 'different' setting is what makes this one stand out.

10/10.

This is worth sitting down to watch. Not your typical Miss Marple, as it takes place in Barbados. However, all the usual ingredients are there to make this a worthwhile diversion. I agree that there are some changes from the book, but on the whole these are positive. Give it a go.

Joan Hickson plays Miss Marple - she is the best to have done so.

If you like Agatha Christie's Marple stories that is all you need to know,

Unfortunately at the time of writing we seem to get on TV repeats the later made series with Geraldine Mcewan in the role.

The difference between the two is chasmic.

This is not my favourite Marple story but enjoyable nevertheless.

Good to see the great Donald Pleasance in the cast.

But oh so good to see Joan HIckson once again.

Let's have more of her on TV please pretty please.

Miss Marple is enjoying a holiday in Barbados recovering from a recent illness. However, an ex colonial police officer called Major Palgrave (Frank Middlemass), boasts to Miss Marple about a murder story and takes a photograph out of his wallet which apparently has a murderer's face on it. However, he suddenly sees that person and quickly puts the photograph back into his wallet. Miss Marple didn't take it very seriously at the time but when Major Palgrave is found dead the next morning, she wishes she had when more murders follow.

By far and a way the best version of Christie's whodunit. It was filmed in Hollywood in 1983 as a lacklustre TV movie starring Helen Hayes as Miss Marple and was saddled with an indifferent script. This BBC production is lengthly, but there is more attention to detail and a first rate cast including Donald Pleasance, Frank Middlemass and not forgetting Hickson's Miss Marple. All do fine work in their roles.