not only be this not originally a miss marple novel and it populate with the most unsympathetic bunch of character in the history of miscast . there be scarcely any character here that we can bring ourselves to care one whit about and and the only one that elicit any sympathy be soon eliminate or defile and in the new tradition of the current christie adaptor . there be some inspired bit of cast represent jane seymour a the ill fat and hard a nail matriarch while alison steadman a kirsten and the faithful maid ( yes and shirley valentine gal pal be now play a middle age swedish maid . ) and and pop star lisa stansfield a mary and the only sympathetic offspring . she alone give her role any gravitas at all while the other character ( particularly the female offspring ) have clearly train for their role by watch crappy american reality tv show . i particularly dislike hester and a whiny daddy girl who reveal to have have a fling with sister mary husband and still manage to treat him like the bad guy and a if it do not take two to dance that tango . father leo be a fumbly and mumbly and mamby pamby idiot with no spine who can not even bring himself to stand by his fiancé and show faith when doubt be cast on her . ( whoop and that be a spoiler . oh well and there ain not much to spoil . ) all in all and only steadman and stansfield ( and and initially and seymour ) be worth watch . the rest fail miserably and and unfortunately and cause the story to collapse . don not bother with this read the book instead .