They Do It with Mirrors

by Agatha Christie

There's a dangerous climate in Stoneygates, a center for young offenders. When Miss Marple visits her friend there, she can sense danger too. One night during her stay, someone shoots center administrator. He was not hurt but a family member who is visiting the center is killed by a shot in another part of the building. Miss Marple must solve the mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Classics, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2012

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Catherine Vamianaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her books in general. This one is not one of my favourites. it was difficult to guess the murderer...it is worth reading

[Jen CE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh, how clever! Smoke and mirrors, indeed! So many potential red herrings in this one. Bravo!

[Ponts · Rating 1 out of 5]

After just having read “And Then There Were None”, I went into the last Agatha Christie novel I own with confidence and the best hopes.
It soon turned out that this murder mystery just was not enjoyable for me. I still finished it though, although I nearly quit on the last pages, because the solution of the murder was so not at all satisfying to me.
To be honest, if you ask me, do not read this book. Read a summary, if you want to know what happens, but especially if stereotypes trigger you in a similar way to me, spare yourself this book. The stereotypical portrayal of the characters and their misogynist behaviour is in my eyes not at all worth the little enjoyment the solving of this murder brought me.

They do it with Mirrors is settled at Stonygates, a rehabilitation centre for young mislead man that turned themselves to a life of crime, which should help them find their place in society. Miss Marple is sent there by Ruth, an old friend. She has the uneasy feeling that something might be wrong with Carrie Louise, her sister whose husband is the leader of the project. As Carrie Louise is also an old friend of Miss Marple’s she agrees without hesitation to spend a few weeks at Stonygates to investigate this uneasy feeling. Soon after Miss Marple arrived at the rehabilitation centre, another guest visits them. Christian Gullbrandsen, a stepson out of Carrie Louise’s first marriage, is concerned about Carrie Louise’s health and urgently wants to talk to her husband. Shortly after this talk, Christian is found dead and it is revealed that he was concerned that somebody might try to poison Carrie Louise.
My main problem in this novel was the heavy use of stereotypes and stereotypical depictions.
So, let me first tell you about Carrie Louise, my favourite character. She is an old school friend of Miss Marple and a lady so idealistic that she has lost touch with reality. She is the most likeable character in this story and treated for 99% of the story more like a little child or cute animal than a grown woman. This goes to an extent where her husband and Miss Marple team up in her protection but decide against telling her that someone is probably trying to kill her, because she is to fragile and naïve to coop with this knowledge. At that point I even cursed loudly for I really do not want to see such a level of stupid misogynist, sexist behaviour, especially from a female author, that is not criticized. At least she gets the triumph of having been correct in her assumptions and feelings throughout the whole novel.
But Carrie Louise is not the only victim of stereotypes. A lot of behaviour of characters in this book is related to and “explained” by stereotypes. There is the hot-tempered, unknowingly cruel half-Italian Gina, who happens to be the youngest woman so she “just happens” to be beautiful and loved by all relatively young man around her – whose affection she secretly enjoys. The absentminded, artistic brothers – stepsons from Carrie Louise’s second marriage whose mother happened to be Russian, so for one this explains why Inspector Curry (Like Really? His physical appearance or ethnicity is never explicitly mentioned, but don’t you also get the slight feeling that he might be Indian?) dislikes them, and second this is a valid justification for their mother to wander around and randomly shoot with a gun, when she was mad. The American husband of Gina who hates the charity project his wife’s family built up because every American must believe that only someone who worked for their success is of worth. The young criminals never had a chance in the eyes of any of the inhabitants of Stonygates and of course, all their problems were caused by their bad family situation. That there are criminals with a rather fancy background is never mentioned. The only supposedly mentally ill character is completely overboard and heavily damaged because of being raised by a single mother without knowledge of his biological father.
I understand, that all of this character traits can happen to be paired like this in reality, but in such a condensed space as a novel with around 200 pages and about 10 characters it is a lot and triggered me throughout the whole novel. It made the characters unbelievable walking depictions of the author’s stereotypes to me, which was annoying to read and just so, so frustrating.
The second most annoying part of this novel was how much page time was spent on the different views of the characters on why the purpose of Stonygates is bad. These views vary from “Criminals are criminals and not worth our time” to “Are these people even worth the try?” and it is absolutely annoying. We got it at latest after the third time, that you do not believe in redemption, Miss Christie, it was not necessary to tell it ten times more. I swear, if you remove all passages about, why or how Stonygates is a bad idea, the novel would at least be twenty pages shorter.
Another thing that really bothered me was the unsatisfying ending. At first we spend more than 150 pages exploring the stories of all these characters, their possible motives and setting up the poisoning of Carrie Louise and then we take a complete U-turn and end the story with a stage completely set up by Lewis, Carrie Louise’s husband, the person, no one ever believed to be a possible suspect. And although something like this can be done well, it is not here. It only takes around 5 pages to explain how it was possible to commit this murder. The motive is he did something with money that was fool. While reading this, it felt to me like an extension of the critic about the purpose of Stonygates. This turn does not fit Lewis’ character how he was portrayed formerly in the novel where his only concerns where the well-being of his wife and the young men he had taken on him to try and help them to escape a life of crime.

All in all, I was disappointed how this promising story turned into a display of stereotypes of the author and used every slight possibility to talk bad about people who believe in the redemption of young criminals that maybe just need a little bit of help to find their place in life.

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abridged and adapted version for studing English as a second language. Very thrilling book with Miss Marple.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another clever Miss Marple mystery. Something of a type of closed room mystery as there’s a defined set of subject on an English country manor when a murder takes place. A mistaken surety from the beginning lends credence to the puzzle. Miss Marple seems a bit ditzier here than usual which is a disappointment. I like it when she’s clearly on her game and trying to drag everyone else along with her and let them think it’s their ideas when they finally cotton on to what she’s known all along. This book is very clearly dated and some of the language is appalling as we would look at it now. There’s a diverse cast of characters none of whom are particularly likeable so it’s easy to assume any of them might be the murderer. All of them have clear motives also. There’s a big jump at the end in the epilogue when several have suddenly been rehabilitated without much explanation. I wish there was a bit more time distance given and a better wrap up.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the eras in Christie's novels. And Miss Marple is that proverbial doddering senior who sometimes doesn't make sense because her logic is her own. But it always leads to the who-and-why done-its.

[Robert Kvak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. I started read the Miss Marple series in order of appearance and this was the first book where from the beginning to the ending Miss Marple was there. This book started with her and her personal connections.
Actually, I knew that who is the murder at the half of the book😇

[Bukhanka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars.
Compared to the other Cristie books, the conclusion to this one feels anticlimactic. A lot of buildup and kind of a sizzle at the end.
I enjoyed it, but still it felt lacking.

[Georgie]

Compelling. However too much of the book was spent criticising the rehabilitation of the young criminals. The ending felt very packed and was sad.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic Christie! I was uncertain whodunit until the last minute.

[Zlatka Poduška · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice book for ESL students.

[Naman Keshari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

[Kasey Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Christie. Loved it. How she develops the characters so quickly. On to the next!

[Thrillsontheshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

[hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

nothing like a good quick agatha christie when i don’t know what i feel like reading!!

[Cecily]

booooriiingg

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good mystery-was a bit disappointed by the end-you could have never figured out the mystery on your own. But otherwise it was very interesting

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a 2.5. Killer made no sense and, while I know book very dated, it was hard to read all the prejudices heavily written through the book.

[Miliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm probably biased but I do think this is not Agatha's Christie's best book. I read some of them and I think this is the least book that impact me. Technically, this is my first book of Ms Maple's series, so I do really hope that it gimme me something that can made me read her other series.

The main character, Carrie had massive background. To the point I drew the family tree diagram to understand the relationship between all the characters. I don't mind lots of character outside the family because it is easy to know, but the family tree is the other story.

It started with solid plot. But, as the story line goes on, I lost it. And I don't think the trick help the story line. And I think the book had weak ending (please don't attack me on this personal view).

But, you do you. If you like Maple's series, just give it a shot.