Whether readers today are "sharper" or not, with these new Marples it's not a matter of reading "between the lines," because in all too many cases the lines have been totally rewritten! Dame Agatha would not have approved of having her work trashed by modern-day scriptwriters. Rewriting her stories (and solutions!), changing the characters, etc.: it's abomination. This new Miss Marple was in her own way as absurd a creation as Margaret Rutherford's version (which at least was not meant to be taken seriously). No one who respects Christie's work would approve of these films. I won't comment on her grandson, except to say that unfortunately not all descendants live up to their forebears.