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BBC Radio 4 Marple
They Do It With Mirrors
Miss Marple is told that her old friend, Carrie, is in danger and she goes to stay with her at Stoneygates, a home for maladjusted adolescents. While she is there, tragedy strikes as Carrie's stepson is shot dead. There are at least seven suspects and two more murders follow. But the man with the obvious motive has a cast-iron alibi, as he could hardly be in two places at once -- or could he? June Whitfield stars as Miss Marple, the indomitable amateur detective.
This adaptation was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 -23 July 2001.
This adaptation was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 -23 July 2001.
3 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1952
22 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bakewell
72 books6 followersMichael Bakewell (7 June 1931 – 11 July 2023) was a British radio and television producer and radio playwright.
His work included adapting The Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley) into a 1981 radio series for the BBC and a series of 27 adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories broadcast between 1985 and 2007 by BBC Radio 4.
He was born in Birmingham, England. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC's Third Programme. He became the first Head of Plays at the BBC in the 1960s.
His work included adapting The Lord of the Rings (with Brian Sibley) into a 1981 radio series for the BBC and a series of 27 adaptations of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories broadcast between 1985 and 2007 by BBC Radio 4.
He was born in Birmingham, England. After graduating from Cambridge in 1954, he was recruited by the BBC's Third Programme. He became the first Head of Plays at the BBC in the 1960s.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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January 10, 2023Another classic mystery. Miss Marple is in the middle of things when a murder takes place. It is a closed scene mystery with a limited number of suspects.
Things are not necessarily as they seem!
I had a pretty good idea of how the murder was done from the start, and by whom, but I missed a couple of clues!
Things are not necessarily as they seem!
I had a pretty good idea of how the murder was done from the start, and by whom, but I missed a couple of clues!
March 8, 2024
Love me some Agatha Christie. This was a lovely adaptation by the BBC.
August 18, 2013
I've only ever seen movies of Agatha Christie's work so I thought I'd try one of her books, but I was a bit disappointed to be honest. Not with the characters, I hasten to add, they are all interesting and quirky, but with the fact that I worked out early on the 'whodunit'.
I will try more of her books in the future when I get the opportunity, to see what I think.
I will try more of her books in the future when I get the opportunity, to see what I think.
December 15, 2020
Quite boring plot. I loved the ending though otherwise there wasnt much!
June 27, 2021
Enjoyed the paperback a few years ago, and the BBC Audio version is also really good.
October 22, 2021
So far one of my favorites!
February 7, 2024
This was a most enjoyable audiobook as it was a BBC audio play with sound effects. You felt like you were listening/watching a play. Miss Marple visits an old friend, who is thought to be in danger by her sister. And the sister was correct! Teh story unfolds and once again Miss Marple solves the murder !
January 7, 2026
Reread
Audiobook
BBC Radio Dramatisation with June Whitfield, et al.
The BBC is always reliable. I like to listen to these while doing chores. It's Dame Agatha so it gets an automatic 5 stars because of nostalgia.
Audiobook
BBC Radio Dramatisation with June Whitfield, et al.
The BBC is always reliable. I like to listen to these while doing chores. It's Dame Agatha so it gets an automatic 5 stars because of nostalgia.
September 5, 2022
Oooo . . . This one was really good- never knew who did it until the very end . . . so many suspects to choose from.
October 1, 2017
Ruth Van Rydock and her younger sister Carrie Louise were old school friends of Miss Marple’s. Ruth has a feeling that her sister is in trouble but no one listens to her. She asks Jane to investigate. So it’s a trip off to Stonygates.
Carrie Louise has been married several times and has a family made up from all sorts of sources, including children of her husband’s previous marriages, and the daughter of an adopted child. Only one, her own daughter Mildred, is a blood relative.
Carrie Louise’s current husband, Lewis Serrocold, uses her money to fund a home for delinquent young men. Her step son Christian Gilbrandsen, is one of the financial controllers of the estate. He comes to see them, but Lewis is away. After saying he really needed to talk to Lewis, he goes to his room to type a letter.
Meanwhile, Lewis returns and one of the boys, a fantasist named Edgar Lawson, threatens him with a gun and locks them both in the study.
When the shouting is over, Gilbrandsen is found shot. The typewriter is empty.
***
It doesn’t take the detective long to check with colleagues and find Miss Marple is not what she seems. To give him credit, he just asks her for her advice.
She tells him that the victim was very concerned about Carrie Louise’s health and Lewis says the victim suspected someone in her close family of poisoning her.
Everyone has a financial motive and the death is presumed to be an attempt to stop him exposing the poisoner.
There are the usual long time servant companions - a staple of these stories. This one, Juliet Bellever, is nicknamed Jolly.
Mildred is horrid. More concerned by the fact that the Inspector speaks to her last, than in any kind of upset over the death of her stepbrother.
The inspector LIES to her and tells her they always leave the most important witness to last. Bwahaha.
Gwen, the granddaughter is also a bit horrid. She’s married to an American war hero, Walter Hudd. It’s his gun that was the murder weapon. But she’s totally carrying on with both Stephen and Alex Restarick - the other stepsons - and half the young men are in love with her too. She helps with their theatre productions. Her husband despairs of ever going home to the US. He’s a real fish out of water here. He can’t understand why they are so rich, but wear worn out clothes and don’t fix up the house. Given it’s his gun and he was out of the room fixing a blown fuse, he’s suspect number one.
***
I really enjoy these full cast productions. The BBC do them so well.
4 stars
Carrie Louise has been married several times and has a family made up from all sorts of sources, including children of her husband’s previous marriages, and the daughter of an adopted child. Only one, her own daughter Mildred, is a blood relative.
Carrie Louise’s current husband, Lewis Serrocold, uses her money to fund a home for delinquent young men. Her step son Christian Gilbrandsen, is one of the financial controllers of the estate. He comes to see them, but Lewis is away. After saying he really needed to talk to Lewis, he goes to his room to type a letter.
Meanwhile, Lewis returns and one of the boys, a fantasist named Edgar Lawson, threatens him with a gun and locks them both in the study.
When the shouting is over, Gilbrandsen is found shot. The typewriter is empty.
***
It doesn’t take the detective long to check with colleagues and find Miss Marple is not what she seems. To give him credit, he just asks her for her advice.
She tells him that the victim was very concerned about Carrie Louise’s health and Lewis says the victim suspected someone in her close family of poisoning her.
Everyone has a financial motive and the death is presumed to be an attempt to stop him exposing the poisoner.
There are the usual long time servant companions - a staple of these stories. This one, Juliet Bellever, is nicknamed Jolly.
Mildred is horrid. More concerned by the fact that the Inspector speaks to her last, than in any kind of upset over the death of her stepbrother.
The inspector LIES to her and tells her they always leave the most important witness to last. Bwahaha.
Gwen, the granddaughter is also a bit horrid. She’s married to an American war hero, Walter Hudd. It’s his gun that was the murder weapon. But she’s totally carrying on with both Stephen and Alex Restarick - the other stepsons - and half the young men are in love with her too. She helps with their theatre productions. Her husband despairs of ever going home to the US. He’s a real fish out of water here. He can’t understand why they are so rich, but wear worn out clothes and don’t fix up the house. Given it’s his gun and he was out of the room fixing a blown fuse, he’s suspect number one.
***
I really enjoy these full cast productions. The BBC do them so well.
4 stars
January 21, 2013
Als Jane Marple ihre alte Schulfreundin Ruth Van Rydock besucht und in Erinnerungen schwelgt, kommt die Sprache auf Ruths Schwester Carrie Louise. Ruth, Jane und Carrie waren im Internat in Italien beste Freundinnen, und daher bittet Ruth Jane, Carrie einen Besuch abzustatten. Ruth fürchtet um Carries Leben und vermutet, jemand aus ihrer weitläufigen, teils adoptierten Familie, will sie ermorden.
Jane willigt ein und reist nach Stonygates. Dort haben Carrie und ihr Mann in einem alten viktorianischen Herrenhaus eine Schule für straffällige und schwer erziehbare Jugendliche eröffnet. Bald kommt noch ein Besuch, Carries Stiefsohn aus erster Ehe und stellt seltsame Fragen. Diese Fragen erscheinen in einem ganz anderen Licht, als er kurz darauf in seinem Zimmer erschossen wird.
In diesem Fall ermittelt tatsächlich wieder mal Jane Marple. Die Hauptschwierigkeit dieses Hörspiels sind die unglaublich vielen Sprecher. Carrie hat eine sehr verzweigte Familie, teils aus diversen Ehen adoptiert, dann noch deren Kinder und Ehepartner, das macht es teilweise ein wenig unübersichtlich. Die Sprecher sind aber so gut besetzt, dass man den Überblick behält und sogar im Laufe der Geschichte versteht, wer mit wem wie warum irgendwie verwandt oder verschwägert ist. Dieses Verwirrspiel der Personen wird dafür verwendet, einen eigentlich sehr vorhersehbaren Plot aufzupeppen. Mir war der Täter gleich klar, er war zu offensichtlich (vielleicht denke ich schon zu sehr in Agatha Christies Art, ihre Plots aufzubauen), für mich ging es eigentlich nur noch um das Motiv. Die Auflösung ist doch gegen Ende sehr schnell und abrupt. Die Protagonisten stecken die diversen Morde und Todesfälle zu gut, zu unterkühlt weg, da trauert keiner, das ist irgendwie extrem irritierend und unecht wirkend. Hallo, hier sterben 5 Leute im Laufe kurzer Zeit und was machen sie, sie plauschen und trinken Tee und sprechen das Ergebnis des Falls durch.
Insgesamt jedoch ein Hörspiel mit Top Sprechern mit Stimmen und Akzenten, die sie gut unterscheidbar machen, so dass man auch bei dieser ausgedehnten Besetzerrunde nicht, oder eher nur selten, den Überblick verliert. Erneut mit June Whitfield als Miss Marple.
Da der Fall in sich abgeschlossen ist und keinerlei Bezüge zu älteren Fällen aufweist, kann man ihn problemlos außer der Reihe hören.
Jane willigt ein und reist nach Stonygates. Dort haben Carrie und ihr Mann in einem alten viktorianischen Herrenhaus eine Schule für straffällige und schwer erziehbare Jugendliche eröffnet. Bald kommt noch ein Besuch, Carries Stiefsohn aus erster Ehe und stellt seltsame Fragen. Diese Fragen erscheinen in einem ganz anderen Licht, als er kurz darauf in seinem Zimmer erschossen wird.
In diesem Fall ermittelt tatsächlich wieder mal Jane Marple. Die Hauptschwierigkeit dieses Hörspiels sind die unglaublich vielen Sprecher. Carrie hat eine sehr verzweigte Familie, teils aus diversen Ehen adoptiert, dann noch deren Kinder und Ehepartner, das macht es teilweise ein wenig unübersichtlich. Die Sprecher sind aber so gut besetzt, dass man den Überblick behält und sogar im Laufe der Geschichte versteht, wer mit wem wie warum irgendwie verwandt oder verschwägert ist. Dieses Verwirrspiel der Personen wird dafür verwendet, einen eigentlich sehr vorhersehbaren Plot aufzupeppen. Mir war der Täter gleich klar, er war zu offensichtlich (vielleicht denke ich schon zu sehr in Agatha Christies Art, ihre Plots aufzubauen), für mich ging es eigentlich nur noch um das Motiv. Die Auflösung ist doch gegen Ende sehr schnell und abrupt. Die Protagonisten stecken die diversen Morde und Todesfälle zu gut, zu unterkühlt weg, da trauert keiner, das ist irgendwie extrem irritierend und unecht wirkend. Hallo, hier sterben 5 Leute im Laufe kurzer Zeit und was machen sie, sie plauschen und trinken Tee und sprechen das Ergebnis des Falls durch.
Insgesamt jedoch ein Hörspiel mit Top Sprechern mit Stimmen und Akzenten, die sie gut unterscheidbar machen, so dass man auch bei dieser ausgedehnten Besetzerrunde nicht, oder eher nur selten, den Überblick verliert. Erneut mit June Whitfield als Miss Marple.
Da der Fall in sich abgeschlossen ist und keinerlei Bezüge zu älteren Fällen aufweist, kann man ihn problemlos außer der Reihe hören.
December 5, 2013
I love reading and now I can listen to wonderful stories on my way to work. These audio CD's by the BBC are fantastic entertainment to brighten a journey to work. They are just the right length and have wonderful casting. I am now enjoying my journeys to work. On these dull, dark, windy mornings I am now transported to a different time period. Definitely worth a listen.
March 8, 2021
June Whitfield's Miss Marple is benevolent, benign and compassionate. This little "closed circle" intrigue involves a complicated - but followable - jumble of characters including two sisters, long time friends of Marple. Very nice to hear Jill Balcon doing an American accent. Kept my interest - just animated enough!
April 23, 2015
This was interesting. I haven't done the Miss Marple books in order, but so far I have enjoyed all of them. I am afraid I did not figure out the mystery before it was revealed, though it seemed obvious afterward.
July 29, 2016
Not as good as the other radio dramatizations. The actor reading the part of an American had an atrocious accent.
April 22, 2017
Not a great Miss Marple story or radio adaptation. It just didn't draw me in unlike many others.
August 18, 2018
This was a dramatisation rather than a true audiobook, but very, very good--very enjoyable and true to the novel.
June 12, 2020
BBC edition. Good rendition.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews