Miss Marple: A Carribbean Mystery (2013)

There are fewer things more comforting than settling down to a good Agatha Christie mystery at the end of a long day so it was to my great delight when ITV finally started doling out new episodes of both Miss Marple and Poirot last month. And since I just bought a fancy new TV, it has been an even greater treat to see the wonderful costumes and interior sets in their full hi-def glory. So far, only two episodes of the new Miss Marple series have aired - Greenshaw's Folly and A Caribbean Mystery, the latter which has previously twice been adapted for the screen. I'm also choosing to do a recap of it here because the new production is absolutely gorgeous in the visual sense and it would be remiss of me not to share the beautiful images with y'all!  (*for those unable to view iTV player, the above titles are linked to the corresponding youtube videos)



This time around, we accompany Miss Marple (Julie McKenzie) on a long deserved holiday in a far-off tropical paradise. But no matter where she goes, interesting events are bound to follow and once again we find ourselves embroiled in a murder mystery involving the guests of the small island B&B at which Miss Marple is lodging. An old garrulous Major is killed, the young resort owner is plagued with ghastly visions, and whispers of voodoo and intrigue waft in and out like a cool breeze in the night.

Contrary to what the title suggests, A Caribbean Mystery was actually filmed in Cape Town, South Africa and the beach scenes at Boulders Beach. Veteran of the Agatha Christie productions, Sheena Napia was once again at the helm of costume design (she also worked on 20+ Poirot episodes), Kerry Skelton was responsible for hair, and Amanda Ross-McDonald for make-up.

blue + orange colour combination


Miss Marple looks adorable here in her little hat and white blouse; a nice cameo brooch

Hermione Norris plays the emotionally detached and aloof wife of a colonel. I recognize her from the BBC spy series Spooks, which we Americans know as MI-5. It was also nice to see her looking beautiful and feminine for a change.

beautiful emerald green dress with a blinding diamond necklace


lounging on the beach 


Black crocheted  coverlet; cat-eye sunglasses; pink head scarf to match her pink bikini


lounging again, but by the pool this time.

large wide-brimmed hat; light yellow dress with ties at the shoulders

MyAnna Buring plays Lucky, a bubbly American former actress on holiday with her photographer husband (Charles Mesure).

the iconic blonde Marilyn Monroe-esque coiffure


more cat-eye shaped sunglasses


lipstick is worn 24/7. forget the rule of cleansing one's face thoroughly before going to bed. my grandmother was of the generation that lived by 24/7 makeup in case one was roused from sleep in the middle of the night and had to "be seen."


figure hugging off-shoulder dress 


what an interesting knot! (front of her pink dress)


dressed up for dinner; lovely diamond necklace and dark red halter dress.


scalloped hair accessory (it kind of looked like a hat that was clipped in but might have been a band, not sure)


The small resort was run by the young and newly married Molly (Charity Wakefield) who inherited the property from her parents.

adorable hair & dainty heart-shaped locket necklace


sleeveless white blouse with bow




dressed up for dinner in a glittery yellow strapless gown; love her up-do


Some other characters include a grumpy old businessman, his male nurse and young assistant.



despite the hot weather, he is wearing a shirt and a blazer and an ascot. how did these people breathe back then? love the flip-up shades.


adorable yellow swimming cap; very large buttons on her green terry-cloth robe


love her hair

the boys sitting around at the bar


a toast, a toast! love the vintage camera.


And one concluding shot of the dining terrace at night. What lovely hanging lights!


So there you have it! Hope y'all are having a great Fourth of July weekend. Here's a recipe for a great watermelon margarita that I've been indulging in all day. And I'll be back with a recap of the latest Poirot episode very soon!


(*Note: The images are linked to a new Flickr account because my old one was hacked and I can no longer access it. The images on that old account are still viewable but I just can't log in to add new ones. Sorry for the mess!)

Posted in: Agatha Christie,beach,miss marple,murder mystery,sunglasses,vintage hair