I plead temporary insanity for actually finishing this book instead of putting it down after the first story.

I had the idea that this would be a sarcastic and hilarious tell-all about the fashion/beauty magazine industry. It wasn’t, although the author seemed to jump back and forth from ponting out the ridiculousness of her job and defending it. A couple of the anecdots are funny, but not funny enough to overlook the poor writing (and when I notice and comment on that it’s got to be pretty bad) and lack of plot. I’ve read my share of fashion mags and attended Clinique Bonus Days, but reading Free Gift with Purchase made the whole business look especially shallow.

• The Regatta Mystery
• The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest
• How Does Your Garden Grow?
• Problem at Pollensa Bay
• Yellow Iris
• Miss Marple Tells a Story
• The Dream
• In a Glass Darkly
• Problem at Sea

• The Witness for the Prosecution
• Accident
• The Fourth Man
• The Mystery of the Blue Jar
• The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl
• Philomel Cottage
• The Red Signal
• The Second Gong
• Sing a Song of Sixpence
• S.O.S
• Where There’s a Will aka Wireless

• The Hound of Death
• The Gipsy
• The Lamp
• The Strange Case of Andrew (Arthur) Carmichael
• The Call of Wings
• The Girl in the Train
• Jane in Search of a Job
• The Manhood of Edward Robinson
• The Listerdale Mystery
• A Fruitful Sunday
• The Rajah’s Emerald
• Swan Song
• Magnolia Blossom
• The Golden Ball
• Next to a Dog

Marking this as read since this is a collection of Miss Marple stories that are included in other books.

• Tape Measure Murder
• Case of the Perfect Maid
• Case of the Caretaker
• Miss Marple Tells a Story
• Greenshaw’s Folly
• Sanctuary
• Strange Jest
• The Dressmaker’s Doll
• In a Glass Darkly

• Double Clue
• Theft of the Royal Ruby aka The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
• Double Sin
• Wasps’ Nest
• The Last Seance
• The Dressmaker’s Doll
• Greenshaw’s Folly
• Sanctuary

Enjoyed Emilia Fox’s reading.

The plot got more and more ridiculous with every page.

• The Affair at the Victory Ball
• The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
• The Cornish Mystery
• The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
• The Souble Clu
• The King of Clubs
• The Lemesurier Inheritance
• The Lost Mine
• The Plymouth Express
• The Chocolate Box
• The Submarine Plans
• The Third-Floor Flat
• Double Sin
• The Market Basing Mystery
• Wasps’ Nest
• The Veiled Lady
• Problem at Sea
• How Does Your Garden Grow?