Which Body in the Library recording should you buy?
The novel read once in full, a BBC radio play with a word missing from its title, and a Collins retelling for English learners at the easiest level — read by a narrator who is not otherwise a sign of anything.
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Agatha Christie · 3 Audible UK recordings compared
Short answer
Stephanie Cole, the only complete reading. The BBC edition with June Whitfield is a radio play, and its listing title has lost a word: "The Body In Library". Gabrielle Glaister's listing is a Collins graded reader for people learning English at B1, a fraction of the novel; the title is plain and the only label is a bare "B1" on the line beneath it. The reader's name tells you nothing here, which is the general rule with these.
The recordings, compared
| Narrator | Length | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Cole Our pick | 5 hrs 41 mins | Complete novel | The complete novel, solo. |
| Full cast with Jack Watling, June Whitfield, Pauline Jameson | 1 hr 26 mins | BBC full-cast dramatisation | A BBC radio play with June Whitfield as Miss Marple, listed as "The Body In Library". |
| Gabrielle Glaister | 2 hrs 32 mins | Collins graded reader (B1) | NOT the novel: a Collins graded reader for people learning English at B1, 45% of the complete reading. Plain title; a bare "B1" beneath it. |