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Miss Marple #5
They Do It with Mirrors
Miss Marple senses danger when she visits a friend living in Stoneygates, a rehabilitation center for delinquents. Her fears are confirmed when someone shoots at the administrator. Although he is not injured, a mysterious visitor is less fortunate; shot dead simultaneously in another part of the building.
Pure coincidence? Miss Marple thinks not, and must use all her cunning to solve the riddle of the stranger's visit … and his murder.
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
1337 people are currently reading
17381 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,643 books74k followersAgatha 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)
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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,986 reviews
September 22, 2025
Continuing along with my 2023-Reading Goal of reading all of the full-length novels in the Miss Marple series, in order, is the 6th-book, They Do It with Mirrors.
This is the 5th-installment that I have read. For those unaware, there is a collection of short stories that kicks off the series, which I didn't read. I'm not crazy about mysteries in short story form, therefore, I chose to skip it.
In this one we follow Miss Marple as she travels to Stonygates, a rehabilitation center for young men with, shall we say, emotional and behavioral issues.
Caution: As this novel was penned in 1952, mental health issues are not discussed/handled as they would be in a novel of today. If you think that may be an issue for you, you might want to skip this one.
Anyway, Miss Marple goes there to visit her old school-friend, Carrie Louise, at the recommendation of another old friend, Ruth Van Rydock. Ruth believes something is going on at Stonygates that puts Carrie Louise in danger.
Mrs. Van Rydock knows if anyone is going to be able to get to the bottom of it, it's going to be Miss Marple. And spoiler alert: she's right.
I thought this one was a lot of fun. It is quite short, but I like the way it was laid out. Additionally, I loved that Miss Marple was in this one from the very first chapter. That is a first for the series. She generally has been coming into the narrative a bit further along.
The only reason I rated this slightly lower than the others I've read was mainly related to the length. I feel like just as I was starting to get connected to it, it was over.
I also felt the reveal was a little rushed. It felt sort of like, yep, it was this person. Shame, shame. Moving on. I would have enjoyed some more time at the conclusion.
With this being said, I still had a blast with this. These books have such a nostalgic and comforting feel for me. I absolutely adore them.
I'm looking forward to continuing on with the next book in the series, A Pocket Full of Rye!!!
This is the 5th-installment that I have read. For those unaware, there is a collection of short stories that kicks off the series, which I didn't read. I'm not crazy about mysteries in short story form, therefore, I chose to skip it.
In this one we follow Miss Marple as she travels to Stonygates, a rehabilitation center for young men with, shall we say, emotional and behavioral issues.
Caution: As this novel was penned in 1952, mental health issues are not discussed/handled as they would be in a novel of today. If you think that may be an issue for you, you might want to skip this one.
Anyway, Miss Marple goes there to visit her old school-friend, Carrie Louise, at the recommendation of another old friend, Ruth Van Rydock. Ruth believes something is going on at Stonygates that puts Carrie Louise in danger.
Mrs. Van Rydock knows if anyone is going to be able to get to the bottom of it, it's going to be Miss Marple. And spoiler alert: she's right.
I thought this one was a lot of fun. It is quite short, but I like the way it was laid out. Additionally, I loved that Miss Marple was in this one from the very first chapter. That is a first for the series. She generally has been coming into the narrative a bit further along.
The only reason I rated this slightly lower than the others I've read was mainly related to the length. I feel like just as I was starting to get connected to it, it was over.
I also felt the reveal was a little rushed. It felt sort of like, yep, it was this person. Shame, shame. Moving on. I would have enjoyed some more time at the conclusion.
With this being said, I still had a blast with this. These books have such a nostalgic and comforting feel for me. I absolutely adore them.
I'm looking forward to continuing on with the next book in the series, A Pocket Full of Rye!!!
November 5, 2019
I love Miss Marple!
One of the few of her books, I figured out before the ending, They Do It With Mirrors, is a satisfying mystery, but I couldn't like any of the characters very well. I usually like at least a few, but this set were not so congenial somehow.
One of the few of her books, I figured out before the ending, They Do It With Mirrors, is a satisfying mystery, but I couldn't like any of the characters very well. I usually like at least a few, but this set were not so congenial somehow.
April 22, 2025
Miss Marple and the Magic Trick!
But not really.
The point of this one is that not everything is what it seems. Like an illusionist's trick - they do it with mirrors.
I really did like getting more of a glimpse of Jane as a person, instead of just as the fluffy little old lady who solves mysteries. Unlike some of the other Miss Marple mysteries, though, this one doesn't have any other likable characters in it. Even the friend she goes to check up on (and potentially save) is a weirdo that's all floaty and full of ridiculous love for and trust in everyone.
Yuck. Don't you just want to give people like that a good smack upside the head?
Sorry, Jane.
The gist is that Jane goes to visit a friend that she went to school with at the request of her sister, who has a bad feeling about her sibling's situation. Carrie Louise is one of those trusting souls who see the best in everyone and is now married to some ding-dong who's trying to rehabilitate deranged juvenile delinquents on their estate. Of course, someone dies under odd circumstances, and the chase is on to find out whodunnit.
Not the best, but it's still another really fun Christie mystery.
Recommended for fans of Miss Marple..
But not really.
The point of this one is that not everything is what it seems. Like an illusionist's trick - they do it with mirrors.
I really did like getting more of a glimpse of Jane as a person, instead of just as the fluffy little old lady who solves mysteries. Unlike some of the other Miss Marple mysteries, though, this one doesn't have any other likable characters in it. Even the friend she goes to check up on (and potentially save) is a weirdo that's all floaty and full of ridiculous love for and trust in everyone.
Yuck. Don't you just want to give people like that a good smack upside the head?
Sorry, Jane.
The gist is that Jane goes to visit a friend that she went to school with at the request of her sister, who has a bad feeling about her sibling's situation. Carrie Louise is one of those trusting souls who see the best in everyone and is now married to some ding-dong who's trying to rehabilitate deranged juvenile delinquents on their estate. Of course, someone dies under odd circumstances, and the chase is on to find out whodunnit.
Not the best, but it's still another really fun Christie mystery.
Recommended for fans of Miss Marple..
July 22, 2025
‘The illusion,’ he pointed out, ‘is in the eyes of the audience.’”
“Like conjurers,” Miss Marple murmured vaguely. “They do it with mirrors is, I believe, the slang phrase.”
Miss Marple is invited over to an old friend Carrie's house for a short stay, where she applies her trademarked observational skills and understanding of human nature to the community there - her friend surrounded by her daughter, grand daughter, husband, stepsons, psychologists at a second-chance program for young people in trouble on the other side of the law and other assorted friends.
“A slow poisoner is someone living in the intimacy of family life. Think of the people who are here in this house; her husband, her daughter, her granddaughter, her granddaughter’s husband, her stepson whom she regards as her own son, Miss Bellever, her devoted companion and friend of many years. All very near and dear to her—and yet the suspicion must arise—is it one of them?”
Jane Marple tries to solve the mystery of what exactly smells fishy, and who is responsible for it, before Carrie falls to any danger, and her impartiality in judging the situation comes in handy amidst all the pointing fingers when the murderer strikes their first victim. Christie's character sketches are as good as can be expected, especially in how they interact with each other and the world-building of the rich English / Americans of that era.
The suspense built with the hair-on-edge feeling of not knowing where the danger can come from keeps the plot running, though a bit slowly. More than everything else, the character arcs and the writing could have used a bit more actual psychological discussion, especially with the theme hinted at the beginning with doctors and therapists in that community.
On the whole, a fun read though not the best, recommended for Miss Marple's fans.
🌟🌟🌟3/4🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters and their arcs; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 3/4 stars in total.]
“Like conjurers,” Miss Marple murmured vaguely. “They do it with mirrors is, I believe, the slang phrase.”
Miss Marple is invited over to an old friend Carrie's house for a short stay, where she applies her trademarked observational skills and understanding of human nature to the community there - her friend surrounded by her daughter, grand daughter, husband, stepsons, psychologists at a second-chance program for young people in trouble on the other side of the law and other assorted friends.
“A slow poisoner is someone living in the intimacy of family life. Think of the people who are here in this house; her husband, her daughter, her granddaughter, her granddaughter’s husband, her stepson whom she regards as her own son, Miss Bellever, her devoted companion and friend of many years. All very near and dear to her—and yet the suspicion must arise—is it one of them?”
Jane Marple tries to solve the mystery of what exactly smells fishy, and who is responsible for it, before Carrie falls to any danger, and her impartiality in judging the situation comes in handy amidst all the pointing fingers when the murderer strikes their first victim. Christie's character sketches are as good as can be expected, especially in how they interact with each other and the world-building of the rich English / Americans of that era.
The suspense built with the hair-on-edge feeling of not knowing where the danger can come from keeps the plot running, though a bit slowly. More than everything else, the character arcs and the writing could have used a bit more actual psychological discussion, especially with the theme hinted at the beginning with doctors and therapists in that community.
On the whole, a fun read though not the best, recommended for Miss Marple's fans.
🌟🌟🌟3/4🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters and their arcs; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 3/4 stars in total.]
September 28, 2017
"Probabil că datorită unor probleme legate de institut venise Christian Gulbrandsen la Stonygates. Așa presupuneau domnișoara Bellever și ceilalți ai casei. Și totuși, Miss Marple avea unele îndoieli."
"-Nu trebuie să ne lăsăm induși în eroare de momentul în care s-a auzit împușcătura, spuse inspectorul Curry. Șmecheria asta am mai întâlnit-o și înainte, știți. Stimularea unei împușcături pentru a stabili momentul exact al crimei, pe când ceea ce se urmărea de fapt era inducerea în eroare a anchetatorilor."
"-Nu trebuie să ne lăsăm induși în eroare de momentul în care s-a auzit împușcătura, spuse inspectorul Curry. Șmecheria asta am mai întâlnit-o și înainte, știți. Stimularea unei împușcături pentru a stabili momentul exact al crimei, pe când ceea ce se urmărea de fapt era inducerea în eroare a anchetatorilor."
September 26, 2025
Clever
I really enjoyed this one—finally, Miss Marple takes the stage as a main character right from the beginning, and I loved it. The book is full of layers, with characters that are both complicated and intriguing.
I did figure out the plot fairly early on, but that didn’t lessen the impact. The twist itself was still brilliant, and I admired how cleverly it was executed.
Overall, this book was pure chef’s kiss—fun, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this one—finally, Miss Marple takes the stage as a main character right from the beginning, and I loved it. The book is full of layers, with characters that are both complicated and intriguing.
I did figure out the plot fairly early on, but that didn’t lessen the impact. The twist itself was still brilliant, and I admired how cleverly it was executed.
Overall, this book was pure chef’s kiss—fun, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable.
July 3, 2022
My summer of Dame Agatha Christie continues. I am aiming to read at least one of her cases a month until the end of the year because they allow me to think and still cleanse my palette in between denser reads. This time around I chose a Miss Marple case. While I enjoy Poirot’s utilization of little gray cells, Christie often withholds a key clue until the end. Of course only Poirot knows because well because readers were left clueless. Miss Marple uses her own style of deductive reasoning that reads like a cozy mystery. I decided to go back to St Mary Mead to see what Miss Marple had up her sleeve this time around.
Miss Marple meets her friend from a bygone era Ruth Van Rydock who is visiting from America. She senses something is amiss with her sister Carrie Louise Serrocold and encourages Miss Marple to pay her a visit, knowing about her detecting skills. Miss Marple had not seen Carrie Louise in nearly fifty years but offers to stay at her home Stonygates as a house guest. It is there that readers discover that something is indeed amiss but it is up to Miss Marple to discover the who, why, and how.
Carrie Louise Serrocold is an idealist even late into her life. She has no enemies and thinks the best of every person. Her marriage to Lewis Serrocold is her third, each marriage resulting in money, trust funds, stocks, and savings for her and her heirs. Someone wants her dead and attempts to get rivals for the money out of the way as well. Ruth Van Rydock noticed this a month ago, and Miss Marple could tell that Carrie Louise wasn’t a spring chicken although her spirit was the same. With step children from each marriage, there are no shortage of suspects who would love to get their hands on Mrs Serrocold’s money.
The premise for this case is a little far fetched. Stonygates was set up by the philanthropy of Carrie Louise’s first husband and her third husband operates a school for delinquent boys there. Any of these older adolescents who are not right in the head could be a suspect yet more likely it is someone in the immediate family. Miss Marple has a knack for striking up a conversation with anyone anywhere. She finds parallels between people based on her life experience and notices why certain people would do certain things. Her quiet means for detective give her credibility in the eyes of the police, who often ask her to assist on cases, as they do here. And, of course, it is Miss Marple who solves the crime.
As in many Christie cases there are three murders along the way to set up the motive for the actual crime at hand, in this case the attempt to murder Carrie Louise Serrocold in an attempt to get her money. Miss Marple steps in before it is too late, saving her friend’s life. Christie has cops in their asides write off Miss Marple as old yet admit she has a sharp mind. This is a motif in the entire series as Christie fought ageism in her writing. I find that fascinating because most of the Marple series was written during the 1950s when women in the industrialized world were settling in as housewives, content to take a backseat to their husbands. Yet, Miss Marple did not marry nor did she ever need a male figure to help her solve her cases. She might have been advancing in age but her mind proves that age is just a number.
I don’t have many Miss Marple cases left to read so I will savor them. As much as I enjoy deciphering the whodunit in Poirot mysteries, I am left more refreshed after spending time with Miss Marple. That Christie could create such distinct characters points to her breadth as a writer, proving that she is indeed the Queen of Crime. Until next time, I will wait to see whodunit.
4 stars
Miss Marple meets her friend from a bygone era Ruth Van Rydock who is visiting from America. She senses something is amiss with her sister Carrie Louise Serrocold and encourages Miss Marple to pay her a visit, knowing about her detecting skills. Miss Marple had not seen Carrie Louise in nearly fifty years but offers to stay at her home Stonygates as a house guest. It is there that readers discover that something is indeed amiss but it is up to Miss Marple to discover the who, why, and how.
Carrie Louise Serrocold is an idealist even late into her life. She has no enemies and thinks the best of every person. Her marriage to Lewis Serrocold is her third, each marriage resulting in money, trust funds, stocks, and savings for her and her heirs. Someone wants her dead and attempts to get rivals for the money out of the way as well. Ruth Van Rydock noticed this a month ago, and Miss Marple could tell that Carrie Louise wasn’t a spring chicken although her spirit was the same. With step children from each marriage, there are no shortage of suspects who would love to get their hands on Mrs Serrocold’s money.
The premise for this case is a little far fetched. Stonygates was set up by the philanthropy of Carrie Louise’s first husband and her third husband operates a school for delinquent boys there. Any of these older adolescents who are not right in the head could be a suspect yet more likely it is someone in the immediate family. Miss Marple has a knack for striking up a conversation with anyone anywhere. She finds parallels between people based on her life experience and notices why certain people would do certain things. Her quiet means for detective give her credibility in the eyes of the police, who often ask her to assist on cases, as they do here. And, of course, it is Miss Marple who solves the crime.
As in many Christie cases there are three murders along the way to set up the motive for the actual crime at hand, in this case the attempt to murder Carrie Louise Serrocold in an attempt to get her money. Miss Marple steps in before it is too late, saving her friend’s life. Christie has cops in their asides write off Miss Marple as old yet admit she has a sharp mind. This is a motif in the entire series as Christie fought ageism in her writing. I find that fascinating because most of the Marple series was written during the 1950s when women in the industrialized world were settling in as housewives, content to take a backseat to their husbands. Yet, Miss Marple did not marry nor did she ever need a male figure to help her solve her cases. She might have been advancing in age but her mind proves that age is just a number.
I don’t have many Miss Marple cases left to read so I will savor them. As much as I enjoy deciphering the whodunit in Poirot mysteries, I am left more refreshed after spending time with Miss Marple. That Christie could create such distinct characters points to her breadth as a writer, proving that she is indeed the Queen of Crime. Until next time, I will wait to see whodunit.
4 stars
November 8, 2021
They Do It with Mirrors is one of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple mysteries. I've read most of these books or watched it as a tv series / movie in the past, but since I didn't write reviews as a teenager, I am going back to read them all again... and this time, I'll document my thoughts; it seems I can't ever just read a book without penning a review too. Must be the writer in me! Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorites from the collection. While it was easy to read, clever, and had some interesting elements, it was too simple and lacked any magical elements that I've come to see in Christie's other novels. Not magic in terms of abracadabra fantasy stuff but pop and pizzazz!
Miss Marple's friend asks her to visit another of their friends who lives several train stops away, citing something odd happening at the woman's estate. When Jane Marple arrives, she has a wonderful reunion with her friend but learns someone has been trying to poison the woman. She's been married a few times, has several daughters and step-children, grandchildren, servants, and in-laws staying at the house. All in all, there are probably 12 potential suspects, and on top of that, the home has a separate building where young men who are somewhat mad / not quite right in the head (I'm intentionally using the book's words, not intending to be politically incorrect -- this was written over 75 years ago) reside as part of the woman's philanthropy project. Which of these folks tried to poison the grand matriarch?
But it doesn't stop there... one of the family is secretly shot (on a different floor of the estate) during another intense stand-off when someone with a gun is holding the woman's husband hostage in his locked study. Phew! Got all that? I actually followed the plot, and one thing Christie is good at is repeating the details of relationships so the cast identities really stick in your head. I kept it all straight, liked the various levels of hate or love, and I found myself eager to pin the crime on two people. I ultimately guessed the proper culprit/explanation, but that might've been my memory from experiencing this one in the past. Nonetheless, it was still too light for my taste. I've come to expect intense complexity in these books, so occasionally, I suppose, there will be the unexpected.
I'll still move on to the next one in late July. I think it's about a pocketful of rye, I do believe! :)
Miss Marple's friend asks her to visit another of their friends who lives several train stops away, citing something odd happening at the woman's estate. When Jane Marple arrives, she has a wonderful reunion with her friend but learns someone has been trying to poison the woman. She's been married a few times, has several daughters and step-children, grandchildren, servants, and in-laws staying at the house. All in all, there are probably 12 potential suspects, and on top of that, the home has a separate building where young men who are somewhat mad / not quite right in the head (I'm intentionally using the book's words, not intending to be politically incorrect -- this was written over 75 years ago) reside as part of the woman's philanthropy project. Which of these folks tried to poison the grand matriarch?
But it doesn't stop there... one of the family is secretly shot (on a different floor of the estate) during another intense stand-off when someone with a gun is holding the woman's husband hostage in his locked study. Phew! Got all that? I actually followed the plot, and one thing Christie is good at is repeating the details of relationships so the cast identities really stick in your head. I kept it all straight, liked the various levels of hate or love, and I found myself eager to pin the crime on two people. I ultimately guessed the proper culprit/explanation, but that might've been my memory from experiencing this one in the past. Nonetheless, it was still too light for my taste. I've come to expect intense complexity in these books, so occasionally, I suppose, there will be the unexpected.
I'll still move on to the next one in late July. I think it's about a pocketful of rye, I do believe! :)
December 29, 2023
This is my first disappointment in the Marple series. After enjoying the four preceding books and coming to like the dear old protagonist, I find it rather difficult to stomach this disappointment. It is also exasperating when the story that begins with so much promise becomes tedious and boring, making you unable to enjoy it. But then, I have to expect this kind of ups and downs when reading a series.
They Do It With Mirrors is by far the weakest of this series. It started so well, engaging my attention and arousing my curiosity. Then the story became monotonous with its structure taking the shape of routined questionings by the police and Miss Marple assisting them here and there with her expertise. Also, it was a weak plot, and the criminal and the possible motive were quite obvious from the time of the crime. There were a few surprises thrown towards the end, but not enough to turn back the clock. Miss Marple, though provides valuable assistance to the police, works behind the pages, which didn't quite agree with me. But what really struck me down were the characters and the cold tone of the story. For the first time in the Marple series, none of the characters presented were likable, not a single one of them. And the cold tone with which the murder was presented and talked about was hard to endure. It also gave the story an unrealistic and artificial touch.
Because of all the flaws mentioned, I couldn't enjoy the book as I expected. But this doesn't in any way affect my continuity with the series. I like Miss Marple too much to let one single disappointment stop me.
They Do It With Mirrors is by far the weakest of this series. It started so well, engaging my attention and arousing my curiosity. Then the story became monotonous with its structure taking the shape of routined questionings by the police and Miss Marple assisting them here and there with her expertise. Also, it was a weak plot, and the criminal and the possible motive were quite obvious from the time of the crime. There were a few surprises thrown towards the end, but not enough to turn back the clock. Miss Marple, though provides valuable assistance to the police, works behind the pages, which didn't quite agree with me. But what really struck me down were the characters and the cold tone of the story. For the first time in the Marple series, none of the characters presented were likable, not a single one of them. And the cold tone with which the murder was presented and talked about was hard to endure. It also gave the story an unrealistic and artificial touch.
Because of all the flaws mentioned, I couldn't enjoy the book as I expected. But this doesn't in any way affect my continuity with the series. I like Miss Marple too much to let one single disappointment stop me.
September 20, 2017
Although I was certain that I had read all of the Miss Marple novels, I really cannot recall having read this before. This novel sees Miss Marple meeting up with an old friend. Ruth Van Rydock and her sister, Carrie Louise, knew Jane Marple as a young girl, when they were visiting Florence. Now Ruth is returning to America, but she confesses that she is concerned about her sister. Carrie Louise, like Ruth, has been married several times. Her latest husband is Lewis Serrocold, an idealist who runs an establishment for juvenile criminals. Ruth cannot put her finger on why she is so worried about Carrie Louise, but she asks Miss Marple to go and stay at Stonygates.
Miss Marple visits Carrie Louise as asked, where she meets the various inhabitants of the house – including Carrie Louise’s daughter, Mildred, her granddaughter, Gina, Gina’s American husband, her step sons, Carrie Louise’s companion, Miss Bellever, and various other members of the household. Like Ruth, Miss Marple is unable to quite put her finger on what seems wrong – but it is obvious that something is and, before long, there is a murder in the house.
This is an unusual setting for a Miss Marple novel; although the juvenile delinquents are very much on the edges of the storyline; in many ways leaving this a typical country house murder mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the way that Miss Marple solved the crime. It was wonderful to discover a Miss Marple novel I could not remember and made reading it even more enjoyable.
Miss Marple visits Carrie Louise as asked, where she meets the various inhabitants of the house – including Carrie Louise’s daughter, Mildred, her granddaughter, Gina, Gina’s American husband, her step sons, Carrie Louise’s companion, Miss Bellever, and various other members of the household. Like Ruth, Miss Marple is unable to quite put her finger on what seems wrong – but it is obvious that something is and, before long, there is a murder in the house.
This is an unusual setting for a Miss Marple novel; although the juvenile delinquents are very much on the edges of the storyline; in many ways leaving this a typical country house murder mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the way that Miss Marple solved the crime. It was wonderful to discover a Miss Marple novel I could not remember and made reading it even more enjoyable.
September 6, 2022
I continue my year of progressing through the delicious Miss Marple series, buddy reading with my husband – while we both try to play detective along the way.
Miss Marple visits an old friend, Carrie Louise, who lives in a mansion that also houses charitable projects through a trust fund set up by a previous husband and run by a current husband, whose passion and interest lies in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents. We also meet several members of dear Carrie Louise’s family acquired through her 3 different marriages, living and visiting her in the mansion – and there you go, stage is set, cast introduced, all of whom becomes a suspect when the murder happens about 1/3 into the book.
Who would believe it, I, for the first time made a correct guess at an Agatha Christie murderer! But this is not the reason for the 4 star – this plot, I thought was not as marvellous as the others, as in, there was no one character who I could like, they all had faults and flaws and appeared very flat and one-sided, which made it less appealing to me, than Ms Christie’s usual character rich stories. The twists were only a handful too. The middle of the book became a tad boring too with the police questioning every member of the family. Not the best, but still enjoyable!
The film, however, was much better, and I thought it supplied what was lacking in the book in terms of the characters’ personalities and their relationships, and did a better job at bringing life into each person, making them more likeable!
Miss Marple visits an old friend, Carrie Louise, who lives in a mansion that also houses charitable projects through a trust fund set up by a previous husband and run by a current husband, whose passion and interest lies in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents. We also meet several members of dear Carrie Louise’s family acquired through her 3 different marriages, living and visiting her in the mansion – and there you go, stage is set, cast introduced, all of whom becomes a suspect when the murder happens about 1/3 into the book.
Who would believe it, I, for the first time made a correct guess at an Agatha Christie murderer! But this is not the reason for the 4 star – this plot, I thought was not as marvellous as the others, as in, there was no one character who I could like, they all had faults and flaws and appeared very flat and one-sided, which made it less appealing to me, than Ms Christie’s usual character rich stories. The twists were only a handful too. The middle of the book became a tad boring too with the police questioning every member of the family. Not the best, but still enjoyable!
The film, however, was much better, and I thought it supplied what was lacking in the book in terms of the characters’ personalities and their relationships, and did a better job at bringing life into each person, making them more likeable!
March 29, 2015
Sure, they do it with mirrors. Apparently in 1952, they could even do it by telephone. By which I refer to phoning it in, because this isn’t Christie at her best. It isn’t even Marple at her best. Still, They Do It with Mirrors is a diverting read, a quick Christie satisfier.
We begin with Miss Marple enjoying a few moments with a dear friend from boarding school days. Ruth now lives in America, but her sister lives in England, and after visiting her, Ruth has a suspicion something isn’t right–something besides the 200 criminals living on the property. Ruth’s sister Carrie Louise and her current husband are running a school for juvenile delinquents, hoping to reform the youth through applied psychology. Also in residence are Carrie Louise’s attendant, her two step-sons, her grand-daughter and her American husband, and Carrie’s widowed daughter. Ruth can’t tell Jane any concrete reason why she feels anxious about her sister, but would like Miss Marple to put her gentle investigatory skills to work.
I love the few moments we have Miss Marple’s backstory as she shares reminiscences with Ruth and Carrie Louise. Despite her fondness for the universals of human nature, Miss Marple so rarely draws stories from herself–she finds most parallels in neighbors and acquaintances. Now that I think about it, I suspect that is one of the reasons I was always so fond of Miss Marple: she’s the antithesis of the attention-seeking narcissist, an all-too-familiar figure (ahem, Poirot). Moreover, Miss Marple is self-aware and is at peace with it: “Everyone’s life has a tempo. Ruth’s was presto whereas Miss Marple’s was content to be adagio.”
The setting is a country estate in shabby condition, and revolves more around gossiping conversation than fact-finding. I didn’t note Miss Marple displaying her usual acumen, and thought she appeared to be led astray rather easily. Christie seemed to be telegraphing as well, but that is a tricky call for me–I’ve read most of her works decades ago so I can never tell what I’m remembering from reading, and what I might be deciphering.
Interestingly, I don’t remember noticing Christie’s subtle humor when I was younger, but I’m enjoying her sly asides now. Here it generally plays out in discussions with the police:
“‘I shouldn’t think anybody else,’ said Miss Marple…’I just happened to be looking out of my window–at some birds.’
‘Birds?’
‘Birds.’ Miss Marple added after a moment or two: ‘I thought, perhaps, they might be siskins.’
Inspector Curry was uninterested in siskins.”
Characterization was largely straightforward, following general character stereotypes with one or two developed above the rest. Again, the police provide some amusement. Watch Dame Christie get a jab or two in:
“She looked, Inspector Curry reflected, exactly as the relict of a Canon of the Established Church should look–which was almost odd, because so few people ever did look like what they really were.
Even the tight line of her lips had an ascetic Ecclesiatical flavour. She expressed Christian Endurance, and possibly Christian Fortitude. But not, Curry thought, Christian Charity.”
The rather slow build of the beginning has a nicely murderous payoff, then followed by even more disaster. The culmination, however, seemed hasty and morally simplified and borrowed (or heralded?) another Christie ending. Overall, it was fun, if not particularly suspenseful or logical. Entertaining and quick, perfect for a break between projects.
We begin with Miss Marple enjoying a few moments with a dear friend from boarding school days. Ruth now lives in America, but her sister lives in England, and after visiting her, Ruth has a suspicion something isn’t right–something besides the 200 criminals living on the property. Ruth’s sister Carrie Louise and her current husband are running a school for juvenile delinquents, hoping to reform the youth through applied psychology. Also in residence are Carrie Louise’s attendant, her two step-sons, her grand-daughter and her American husband, and Carrie’s widowed daughter. Ruth can’t tell Jane any concrete reason why she feels anxious about her sister, but would like Miss Marple to put her gentle investigatory skills to work.
I love the few moments we have Miss Marple’s backstory as she shares reminiscences with Ruth and Carrie Louise. Despite her fondness for the universals of human nature, Miss Marple so rarely draws stories from herself–she finds most parallels in neighbors and acquaintances. Now that I think about it, I suspect that is one of the reasons I was always so fond of Miss Marple: she’s the antithesis of the attention-seeking narcissist, an all-too-familiar figure (ahem, Poirot). Moreover, Miss Marple is self-aware and is at peace with it: “Everyone’s life has a tempo. Ruth’s was presto whereas Miss Marple’s was content to be adagio.”
The setting is a country estate in shabby condition, and revolves more around gossiping conversation than fact-finding. I didn’t note Miss Marple displaying her usual acumen, and thought she appeared to be led astray rather easily. Christie seemed to be telegraphing as well, but that is a tricky call for me–I’ve read most of her works decades ago so I can never tell what I’m remembering from reading, and what I might be deciphering.
Interestingly, I don’t remember noticing Christie’s subtle humor when I was younger, but I’m enjoying her sly asides now. Here it generally plays out in discussions with the police:
“‘I shouldn’t think anybody else,’ said Miss Marple…’I just happened to be looking out of my window–at some birds.’
‘Birds?’
‘Birds.’ Miss Marple added after a moment or two: ‘I thought, perhaps, they might be siskins.’
Inspector Curry was uninterested in siskins.”
Characterization was largely straightforward, following general character stereotypes with one or two developed above the rest. Again, the police provide some amusement. Watch Dame Christie get a jab or two in:
“She looked, Inspector Curry reflected, exactly as the relict of a Canon of the Established Church should look–which was almost odd, because so few people ever did look like what they really were.
Even the tight line of her lips had an ascetic Ecclesiatical flavour. She expressed Christian Endurance, and possibly Christian Fortitude. But not, Curry thought, Christian Charity.”
The rather slow build of the beginning has a nicely murderous payoff, then followed by even more disaster. The culmination, however, seemed hasty and morally simplified and borrowed (or heralded?) another Christie ending. Overall, it was fun, if not particularly suspenseful or logical. Entertaining and quick, perfect for a break between projects.
August 10, 2020
Well, you can't say this book is not well done, written by Dame Agatha at the height of her career, about her preferred crime-solver, Jane Marple. Its very tightly constructed and the dialogue is well-written, but it's not particularly memorable. It touches on Christie themes/interests. The crime takes place next to a home for what used to be called "juvenile delinquents," one of whom is the assumed killer, but this gives Christie an opportunity to help us reflect on issues of rehabilitation vs. punishment and nature vs.nurture with respect to Bringing Up Children.
Christie, by this point has had several of her books produced as plays (and written plays, too) and loves the theater, so uses the opportunity (not for the first or last time) to reflect on the relationship between magic, performance, fiction and drama in life and crime. They--criminals, mystery writers, actors, playwrights, people hoping to fool others, people hoping to attract lovers, and so on--they all do it with mirrors, which is to say they use misdirection to create certain illusions.
I like it that the book opens with two elderly friends of more than fifty years are looking at themselves in the mirror as they talk with each other and reflect on who looks younger. Throughout reflections are made on women who look younger or older than they appear, through make-up, dress, other affectations.
This is a solid entry. If you wanted to read a run-of-the-mill entry in the Christie canon, this would be a good one, really well done (compared to 90% of mysteries ever written) and yet average for her. Hey, they can't all be remarkable!
Christie, by this point has had several of her books produced as plays (and written plays, too) and loves the theater, so uses the opportunity (not for the first or last time) to reflect on the relationship between magic, performance, fiction and drama in life and crime. They--criminals, mystery writers, actors, playwrights, people hoping to fool others, people hoping to attract lovers, and so on--they all do it with mirrors, which is to say they use misdirection to create certain illusions.
I like it that the book opens with two elderly friends of more than fifty years are looking at themselves in the mirror as they talk with each other and reflect on who looks younger. Throughout reflections are made on women who look younger or older than they appear, through make-up, dress, other affectations.
This is a solid entry. If you wanted to read a run-of-the-mill entry in the Christie canon, this would be a good one, really well done (compared to 90% of mysteries ever written) and yet average for her. Hey, they can't all be remarkable!
July 19, 2017
This is a very strong 3 stars as I quite enjoyed this Agatha Christie quickie!
Having said that, They Do It with Mirrors reads like a Christie-by-numbers novel, written by rote like a facsimile of previous work with just a few of the words rearranged. The characters, the setting, the plot and the outcome, it's all been done before.
I haven't read too many Miss Marple's. The old dear and the settings/situations she's placed in are quite quaint and not entirely my cup of tea. Having said that, I wouldn't say no to further Miss Marples. Reading this series is like spending time with a clever granny, and who doesn't need some of that in their lives?!
They Do It with Mirros may not be one of Christie's absolute best, but it works and should satisfy most mystery readers.
Having said that, They Do It with Mirrors reads like a Christie-by-numbers novel, written by rote like a facsimile of previous work with just a few of the words rearranged. The characters, the setting, the plot and the outcome, it's all been done before.
I haven't read too many Miss Marple's. The old dear and the settings/situations she's placed in are quite quaint and not entirely my cup of tea. Having said that, I wouldn't say no to further Miss Marples. Reading this series is like spending time with a clever granny, and who doesn't need some of that in their lives?!
They Do It with Mirros may not be one of Christie's absolute best, but it works and should satisfy most mystery readers.
September 7, 2022
Querida Agatha, si no hubieras existido en la vida real, alguien tendría que haberte inventado. Estoy, a efectos prácticos, en un parón lector. Llevo varios días que no tengo muchas ganas de leer, aunque parece que la cosa ya va desapareciendo poco a poco (muy poco a poco).Y durante estos días en los que no me apetecía mucho leer, este libro me ha hecho bastante compañía. Lo he leído más lentamente de lo que es habitual en mí con las novelas de la abuelita Christie, pero al no obligarme a cogerlo cuando no tenia autenticas ganas, y leerlo cuando más me apetecía, creo que lo he disfrutado bastante. Sobre todo teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias. Además, me ha hecho mucha ilusión volver a encontrarme con la encantadora y perspicaz señorita Jane Marple (que en la traducción de maricastaña de la edición que he manejado la han. Traducido como Juana Marple. Me ha resultado raro, no voy a mentir, y eso que estoy bastante acostumbrada a lo de poner los nombre propios de ingles a español en las traducciones antiguas). En los últimos años, todas las novelas que he leído de Christie estaban protagonizadas por su famoso personaje Hércules Poirot, o por otros detectives o personajes. Así que ya tenia muchas ganas de volver a encontrarme con la entrañable vecina de St Mary Mead.
En esta ocasión Miss Marple va a visitar a una amiga de juventud, Carrie-Louise Serrocold, por petición de la hermana de esta, que tiene la corazonada de que algo oscuro se cuece a su alrededor. Y no es mera aprensión. Carrie-Louise vive junto a su tercer marido y varios miembros de su familia en una mansión que hace las veces de reformatorio para jóvenes criminales. El ambiente en el lugar es, cuanto menos, pintoresco, a lo que no ayuda las tensiones entre los miembros de la propia familia. Todo se complica mas con la llegada de un hijastro de Carrie-Louise…
A ver, no voy a mentiros. A estas alturas de la vida, y después de tantos libros, por donde va a ir Agatha me lo huelo desde varios kilometros a la redonda muchas veces (que no siempre). Y eso es lo que ha pasado en “El Truco de los Espejos”. De ahí que esta haya sido una lectura que ha pasado sin pena ni gloria para mi. El libro engancha y está plagado de tensión, es un libro de misterios con todas las de ley, en la que no faltan secretos familiares, giros de guión, tensión y personajes complejos y construidos con sencillez y eficacia. Todo ello forma parte de marca de identidad de Christie como autora.
Y es gracias a ello que, aunque no siempre logre sorprender, cuando coges un libro de la Reina del Crimen no puedes soltarlo hasta que se acaba. Como autora tiene algo que sabe conectar con el lector. Sus misterios están ideados con precisión e inteligencia , y lo oscuros que son contrasta con la aparente simplicidad y placidez de los entornos donde tienen lugar y con lo supuestamente anodino de las vidas de sus protagonistas. Una calma que, a lo largo de las obras, se va demostrando falsa. Y esta novela en esto no es una excepción. A medida que nos vamos adentrando, podemos comprobar que todos los habitantes de la casa son más complejos de lo que pueden parecer a simple vista y que tienen sus propios motivos para haber cometido el crimen sobre el que pivota toda la trama. Mención especial para el personaje sobre el que todo vira, Carrie-Louise, la rica anciana que es el nexo de unión entre todos los habitantes de la casa, una mujer aparentemente sensible e inocente que parece que vive en su propio mundo, pero cuya placidez esconde una gran perspicacia y un profundo y sincero conocimiento de todo lo que hay a su alrededor.
La tensión generada por ello va acompañada de diálogos ágiles y de un ritmo narrativo ameno y vibrante, que cuando recae lo hace solo para coger más impulso. La prosa de Christie es, como siempre, muy ágil y rápida. Es muy fácil leer a esta autora, pero que eso no nos engañe: muchas de sus frases y sus diálogos ocultan, de una forma u otra, más de lo que parece a simple vista. Quizás, mi gran problema con este libro haya sido que la presentación de los personajes y la introducción hacia el ambiente de la casa-correccional me ha parecido un poco lento. Pero creo que también ha sido algo necesario para poder conocer mejor a los personajes. Como siempre, lo mejor es como poco a poco se van descubriendo más y más pistas sobre el crimen y como no se puede dar nada por seguro. El que en un momento parece inocente, al siguiente es muy fácil sospechar de él o de ella.
En definitiva, otra buena novela de Agatha Christie que justifica su fama y que sea una de las autoras más leídas de todos los tiempos. Quizás no sea su mejor obra, pero convence, engancha y se lee bien.
En esta ocasión Miss Marple va a visitar a una amiga de juventud, Carrie-Louise Serrocold, por petición de la hermana de esta, que tiene la corazonada de que algo oscuro se cuece a su alrededor. Y no es mera aprensión. Carrie-Louise vive junto a su tercer marido y varios miembros de su familia en una mansión que hace las veces de reformatorio para jóvenes criminales. El ambiente en el lugar es, cuanto menos, pintoresco, a lo que no ayuda las tensiones entre los miembros de la propia familia. Todo se complica mas con la llegada de un hijastro de Carrie-Louise…
A ver, no voy a mentiros. A estas alturas de la vida, y después de tantos libros, por donde va a ir Agatha me lo huelo desde varios kilometros a la redonda muchas veces (que no siempre). Y eso es lo que ha pasado en “El Truco de los Espejos”. De ahí que esta haya sido una lectura que ha pasado sin pena ni gloria para mi. El libro engancha y está plagado de tensión, es un libro de misterios con todas las de ley, en la que no faltan secretos familiares, giros de guión, tensión y personajes complejos y construidos con sencillez y eficacia. Todo ello forma parte de marca de identidad de Christie como autora.
Y es gracias a ello que, aunque no siempre logre sorprender, cuando coges un libro de la Reina del Crimen no puedes soltarlo hasta que se acaba. Como autora tiene algo que sabe conectar con el lector. Sus misterios están ideados con precisión e inteligencia , y lo oscuros que son contrasta con la aparente simplicidad y placidez de los entornos donde tienen lugar y con lo supuestamente anodino de las vidas de sus protagonistas. Una calma que, a lo largo de las obras, se va demostrando falsa. Y esta novela en esto no es una excepción. A medida que nos vamos adentrando, podemos comprobar que todos los habitantes de la casa son más complejos de lo que pueden parecer a simple vista y que tienen sus propios motivos para haber cometido el crimen sobre el que pivota toda la trama. Mención especial para el personaje sobre el que todo vira, Carrie-Louise, la rica anciana que es el nexo de unión entre todos los habitantes de la casa, una mujer aparentemente sensible e inocente que parece que vive en su propio mundo, pero cuya placidez esconde una gran perspicacia y un profundo y sincero conocimiento de todo lo que hay a su alrededor.
La tensión generada por ello va acompañada de diálogos ágiles y de un ritmo narrativo ameno y vibrante, que cuando recae lo hace solo para coger más impulso. La prosa de Christie es, como siempre, muy ágil y rápida. Es muy fácil leer a esta autora, pero que eso no nos engañe: muchas de sus frases y sus diálogos ocultan, de una forma u otra, más de lo que parece a simple vista. Quizás, mi gran problema con este libro haya sido que la presentación de los personajes y la introducción hacia el ambiente de la casa-correccional me ha parecido un poco lento. Pero creo que también ha sido algo necesario para poder conocer mejor a los personajes. Como siempre, lo mejor es como poco a poco se van descubriendo más y más pistas sobre el crimen y como no se puede dar nada por seguro. El que en un momento parece inocente, al siguiente es muy fácil sospechar de él o de ella.
En definitiva, otra buena novela de Agatha Christie que justifica su fama y que sea una de las autoras más leídas de todos los tiempos. Quizás no sea su mejor obra, pero convence, engancha y se lee bien.
May 28, 2020
قصص اغاثا احسن حاجة تفك بيها فتور القراءة والمود السئ ده
الرواية طبعا مسلية وجيدة لكن وده تقريبا هتكون اول واخر مرة اني اعرف القاتل ومن بدري كمان 😎
الرواية طبعا مسلية وجيدة لكن وده تقريبا هتكون اول واخر مرة اني اعرف القاتل ومن بدري كمان 😎
March 17, 2017
عزيزى القارىء, عندما تقرا عدة روايات او كتب مخيبة للأمال و تصاب بحالة من الاحباط -تماما كما حدث معى-لن ينتشلك من يأسك الا رواية من روايات أجاثا كريستى
مهما كان تقدم سنك و مهما كانت خبراتك فى الحياة, سيتم خداعك امام عينك بحيل بسيطة و ساذجة
الحبكة أكثر من رائعة
مهما كان تقدم سنك و مهما كانت خبراتك فى الحياة, سيتم خداعك امام عينك بحيل بسيطة و ساذجة
الحبكة أكثر من رائعة
August 3, 2017
“We’re all mad, dear lady,” he said as he ushered her in through the door. “That’s the secret of existence. We’re all a little mad.”
Another very good murder mystery. This one was perhaps a little light on the plot but on the other hand focused a lot more on the characters and their motivations. It also felt very much like theatre, which in light of the context made perfect sense. We have our cast of suspects all gathered in one setting, an old English family country home, and more secrets stashed in corners than you could imagine, with our beloved Miss Marple trading all these treacherous waters like a duck to water. The 'conjuring trick' was also brilliantly conceived and executed. I do wonder if this has been used in real life - more than likely :O)
Another very good murder mystery. This one was perhaps a little light on the plot but on the other hand focused a lot more on the characters and their motivations. It also felt very much like theatre, which in light of the context made perfect sense. We have our cast of suspects all gathered in one setting, an old English family country home, and more secrets stashed in corners than you could imagine, with our beloved Miss Marple trading all these treacherous waters like a duck to water. The 'conjuring trick' was also brilliantly conceived and executed. I do wonder if this has been used in real life - more than likely :O)
January 30, 2022
Popsugar reading challenge 2022 categoría 41. Un libro con una imagen reflejada en la portada, o la palabra 'espejo' en el título.
4,5 pero se queda en 5 porque me encanta Miss Marple xd
Se borro lo que llevaba pero en el fondo me gustó la historia, los personajes y que Miss Marple apareciera del inicio (a pesar de que eso le hizo andar más perdida jeje). También me gustó el final aunque me deje engañar con tantas cosas xd
En conclusión megustó del inicio hasta el final 🤭
4,5 pero se queda en 5 porque me encanta Miss Marple xd
Se borro lo que llevaba pero en el fondo me gustó la historia, los personajes y que Miss Marple apareciera del inicio (a pesar de que eso le hizo andar más perdida jeje). También me gustó el final aunque me deje engañar con tantas cosas xd
En conclusión megustó del inicio hasta el final 🤭
October 17, 2017
A book I just don't remember reading and another great example of Miss Marple's expertise.
Again a great story by Agatha Christie, with some wonderful characters and an intricate plot that I certainly never guessed.
Well worth reading if one has never read a Miss Marple before. Lets be honest they have all been good so far, and only 3 to go, (sad face).
Again a great story by Agatha Christie, with some wonderful characters and an intricate plot that I certainly never guessed.
Well worth reading if one has never read a Miss Marple before. Lets be honest they have all been good so far, and only 3 to go, (sad face).
January 8, 2019
Agatha Christie the Queen of mystery! Can't wait to read the next story.
October 1, 2017
Book 11 for the Miss Marple challenge. Miss Marple finds herself in a very different setting, a juvenile delinquents home/college when she is asked by old friend Ruth Van Rydock to look into the situation of her sister Carrie Louise. Carrie Louise, also Miss Marple’s friend from her school days in Italy, lives in an old Victorian mansion and her husband Lewis Serrocold runs a centre for juveniles focusing on rehabilitation. Carrie Louise has been married twice before and her relations, children, stepchildren from her previous marriages also live in the house or are regular visitors. There are a lot of tensions in the house, not everyone agreeing with Lewis and Carrie Lousie’s idealism or at least not wanting that to be practiced so close home. Ruth has sensed something wrong but can’t point her finger at it, and Miss Marple too when she first arrives there can’t quite make it out. But soon, there is a heated scene between one of the juvenile inmates and Lewis and alongside an actual murder, the motive for which no one can guess. Inspector Curry, in charge of the investigation finds Miss Marple sharp and on looking into her learns of her “record” and skills and begins to rely on her help solving things. Once again we find, however “modern” or different the setting, human beings are just the same everywhere.
Agatha Christie yet again showed in this one that she knows people and human nature, and its complexities. Some of the ideas of how people ought to be reminded me of the same in Enid Blyton’s books (a “weak” or “sappy” character being seen as less than ideal), though these were of course the characters’ thoughts and probably prevalent thoughts at the time. This time around Miss Marple seems to have some trouble with finding parallels to some of the people she meets immediately and it is a change in perspective (from one of the characters) that points her in the right direction. While I did remember whodunit some way into the book (or at least caught on to it but because I had read it before), I enjoyed my revisit―how she drew out and treated the characters (likeable or otherwise) in particular.
Agatha Christie yet again showed in this one that she knows people and human nature, and its complexities. Some of the ideas of how people ought to be reminded me of the same in Enid Blyton’s books (a “weak” or “sappy” character being seen as less than ideal), though these were of course the characters’ thoughts and probably prevalent thoughts at the time. This time around Miss Marple seems to have some trouble with finding parallels to some of the people she meets immediately and it is a change in perspective (from one of the characters) that points her in the right direction. While I did remember whodunit some way into the book (or at least caught on to it but because I had read it before), I enjoyed my revisit―how she drew out and treated the characters (likeable or otherwise) in particular.
July 17, 2016
ومع تقديم مشروع تخرجي أمس وانتهاء فترة الحياة الجامعية الى غير رجعة اعتقد ان البدء فى التعرف على اسلوب كاتب جديد سيكون خيار مناسب للغاية ، تاخرت تلك التجربة كثيرا ولكن حسنا لابأس ها قد حان الوقت للتعرف على سيدة الجريمة والالغاز
بسم الله نبدء :)
حسنا انتهيت منها في اقل من يومين .
ربما يكفي اسم الكاتبة وعنوان الرواية بان يجعلا القاري يتوقع طبع ونوعية الرواية التي توجد أمامه ولكن من اراد نبذة مختصرة عنها فأحداثها تدور عن وقوع جريمة قتل في أحد المنازل بمدينة تدعي ستوني جيتس وبالتالى يصبح كل من يقيم في ذلك المنزل داخل دائرة الشك الا ان تكشف الرواية فى نهايتها عن هواية القاتل
يقال ان أجاثا كريستي هي سيدة الجريمة والغموض وان اعمالها لن تجعلك تمل او تشعر بالضجر وان الحيرة لن تفارقك من أول صفحات الرواية وحتى أخر صفحات العمل وكشف اللغز الذي كان بها .. ربما تنجح وتصيب فى توقعك حول هواية القاتل وربما تنجح السيدة اجاثا كريستي فى خداعك ولكن فى النهاية ستجد نفسك امام حبكة قوية وتحكم رائع من جهة المؤلفة فى الشخصيات التي خلقتها والتى كانت على قدر كبير من التنوع والاختلاف فى السلوك والطبائع لدرجة تجعلك تشك في معظمها ان لم يكن كلها ، لذلك اعتقد ان وجود هذا العدد الكبير من الشخصيات مثل اضافة كبيرة للرواية وساهم فى اضافة المزيد من الغموض بها
" لقد أراد أن يلعب دور الإله ونسى أننا نحن البشر لسنا إلا أدوات متواضعة لتحقيق إرادة الله في الأرض ، ولا يجب أن نتجاوز هذا الدور .."
دائما ما أري ان الادب الجيد هو الادب الذي يهتم بتقديم رسالة سامية وليس فقط الاهتمام بان يجعل القاري يقضى وقت ممتع بصحبة العمل ثم بمجرد الانتهاء منه يشعر بانه خرج خالى الوفاض وبان الكتاب لم يقدم له سوى التسلية فقط .. التسلية قضاء الوقت الممتع من السهل الحصول عليه ولكن اعلاء القيم النبيلة وتهذيب النفس وتغيير الفكر مهمة شاقة تقع على عاتق المثقفين والادباء وبالتالى فان الكاتبة تقدم فى تلك الرواية رسالة هامة وهى ان الغاية لا تبرر الوسيلة وانك لو حاولت ان تفعل خيرا ولكن اتخذت طريق غير نبيل من اجل تحقيقه فهذا لا يجعلك انسان برئ امام نفسك وامام الاخرين .. ربما يكون في ذلك حرق للاحداث ولكن كان يجب ان اذكر ذلك لان هذه النقطة من اكثر النقاط التى لفتت انتباهي بالرواية واثارت اعجابى ..
في النهاية اعتقد انها ليست اشهر اعمال الكاتبة وريما لا تكون الافضل الا انها بداية جيدة لتعارف بين كاتبة هى واحدة من اهم كتاب الادب العالمي وبين القاري الذي لم يتعرف عليها من قبل ..
بسم الله نبدء :)
حسنا انتهيت منها في اقل من يومين .
ربما يكفي اسم الكاتبة وعنوان الرواية بان يجعلا القاري يتوقع طبع ونوعية الرواية التي توجد أمامه ولكن من اراد نبذة مختصرة عنها فأحداثها تدور عن وقوع جريمة قتل في أحد المنازل بمدينة تدعي ستوني جيتس وبالتالى يصبح كل من يقيم في ذلك المنزل داخل دائرة الشك الا ان تكشف الرواية فى نهايتها عن هواية القاتل
يقال ان أجاثا كريستي هي سيدة الجريمة والغموض وان اعمالها لن تجعلك تمل او تشعر بالضجر وان الحيرة لن تفارقك من أول صفحات الرواية وحتى أخر صفحات العمل وكشف اللغز الذي كان بها .. ربما تنجح وتصيب فى توقعك حول هواية القاتل وربما تنجح السيدة اجاثا كريستي فى خداعك ولكن فى النهاية ستجد نفسك امام حبكة قوية وتحكم رائع من جهة المؤلفة فى الشخصيات التي خلقتها والتى كانت على قدر كبير من التنوع والاختلاف فى السلوك والطبائع لدرجة تجعلك تشك في معظمها ان لم يكن كلها ، لذلك اعتقد ان وجود هذا العدد الكبير من الشخصيات مثل اضافة كبيرة للرواية وساهم فى اضافة المزيد من الغموض بها
" لقد أراد أن يلعب دور الإله ونسى أننا نحن البشر لسنا إلا أدوات متواضعة لتحقيق إرادة الله في الأرض ، ولا يجب أن نتجاوز هذا الدور .."
دائما ما أري ان الادب الجيد هو الادب الذي يهتم بتقديم رسالة سامية وليس فقط الاهتمام بان يجعل القاري يقضى وقت ممتع بصحبة العمل ثم بمجرد الانتهاء منه يشعر بانه خرج خالى الوفاض وبان الكتاب لم يقدم له سوى التسلية فقط .. التسلية قضاء الوقت الممتع من السهل الحصول عليه ولكن اعلاء القيم النبيلة وتهذيب النفس وتغيير الفكر مهمة شاقة تقع على عاتق المثقفين والادباء وبالتالى فان الكاتبة تقدم فى تلك الرواية رسالة هامة وهى ان الغاية لا تبرر الوسيلة وانك لو حاولت ان تفعل خيرا ولكن اتخذت طريق غير نبيل من اجل تحقيقه فهذا لا يجعلك انسان برئ امام نفسك وامام الاخرين .. ربما يكون في ذلك حرق للاحداث ولكن كان يجب ان اذكر ذلك لان هذه النقطة من اكثر النقاط التى لفتت انتباهي بالرواية واثارت اعجابى ..
في النهاية اعتقد انها ليست اشهر اعمال الكاتبة وريما لا تكون الافضل الا انها بداية جيدة لتعارف بين كاتبة هى واحدة من اهم كتاب الادب العالمي وبين القاري الذي لم يتعرف عليها من قبل ..
January 9, 2022
La verdad es que me ha costado engancharme, no sé creo que como al principio va muy lento y no ocurre gran cosa hasta que aparece el muerto pues no me estaba gustando mucho luego la cosa ya cambia, si es que los muertos lo cambian todo, jajaja.
En este libro nuestra querida más chismosa Miss Marple va por invitación a visitar a una amiga de la infancia-adolescencia Carrie-Louis, cuya otra hermana Ruth van Rydock está preocupada por ella.
Carrie-Louis vive en una casa señorial que a la vez tiene unas alas adicionales que sirven como institución para ayudar a jóvenes con problemas, en dicha institución trabaja su marido.
Además también en la casa hay una serie de parientes que viven muchos a costa de la benevolencia de Carrie-Louis como son hija hijastros... vamos un lio de gente.
La vida transcurre con relativa tranquilidad hasta que matan a
Me ha parecido que en esta ocasión ha estado un poco más perdida la Srta Marple que en otros de los libros y no ha sido hasta casi el final que ha dado con la clave.
6/10
# 41. Un libro con una imagen reflejada en la portada, o la palabra 'espejo' en el título. Reto Popsugar 2022
En este libro nuestra querida más chismosa Miss Marple va por invitación a visitar a una amiga de la infancia-adolescencia Carrie-Louis, cuya otra hermana Ruth van Rydock está preocupada por ella.
Carrie-Louis vive en una casa señorial que a la vez tiene unas alas adicionales que sirven como institución para ayudar a jóvenes con problemas, en dicha institución trabaja su marido.
Además también en la casa hay una serie de parientes que viven muchos a costa de la benevolencia de Carrie-Louis como son hija hijastros... vamos un lio de gente.
La vida transcurre con relativa tranquilidad hasta que matan a
Me ha parecido que en esta ocasión ha estado un poco más perdida la Srta Marple que en otros de los libros y no ha sido hasta casi el final que ha dado con la clave.
6/10
# 41. Un libro con una imagen reflejada en la portada, o la palabra 'espejo' en el título. Reto Popsugar 2022
December 11, 2019
Jane Marple yet again proves why she’s one of the great literary detectives and is sometimes overlooked by Poirot.
Whilst this mystery feels more in keeping with a story featuring the Belgium detective, it works so much better as a Miss Marple adventure.
As the amateur detective is asked to visit a home for delinquent boys by an old school friend, it’s not surprising that the intuition of something a foot leads to murder.
With a whole host of interesting side characters it’s a matter of whodunnit rather than the how as the title and book cover suggests.
It might be because their isn’t as many Marple novels and the fact that she is so front and centre during this mystery, that I found this to be such an enjoyable entry in the Christie cannon.
Whilst this mystery feels more in keeping with a story featuring the Belgium detective, it works so much better as a Miss Marple adventure.
As the amateur detective is asked to visit a home for delinquent boys by an old school friend, it’s not surprising that the intuition of something a foot leads to murder.
With a whole host of interesting side characters it’s a matter of whodunnit rather than the how as the title and book cover suggests.
It might be because their isn’t as many Marple novels and the fact that she is so front and centre during this mystery, that I found this to be such an enjoyable entry in the Christie cannon.
December 29, 2018
Llegó el triste día en el que le vi el plumero a Agatha Christie jajaja. Ha sido la primera vez que me di cuenta del asesino desde el minuto uno. Demasiado obvio todo. Aunque la autora intentó, como siempre, girar la atención hacia muchos lados, fue imposible que me engañara como siempre hace.
Aún así, como siempre es un gustazo leer a Agatha Chrstie. Disfruto tanto, y se lee tan rápido. Y me gusta taaaaaantísimo el personaje de Miss Marple, que igualmente lo disfruté. Aunque no al nivel de los anteriores.
Este es el noveno libro que leo de Agatha y los marcadores van 8 a 1, ganando Agatha jajaja.
Aún así, como siempre es un gustazo leer a Agatha Chrstie. Disfruto tanto, y se lee tan rápido. Y me gusta taaaaaantísimo el personaje de Miss Marple, que igualmente lo disfruté. Aunque no al nivel de los anteriores.
Este es el noveno libro que leo de Agatha y los marcadores van 8 a 1, ganando Agatha jajaja.
April 5, 2017
The title is the only clue to the mystery you need - if you read it correctly, that is.
"They do it with mirrors" is what magicians do, figuratively speaking - misdirection. This is what murderers do, too.
And mystery writers.
"They do it with mirrors" is what magicians do, figuratively speaking - misdirection. This is what murderers do, too.
And mystery writers.
December 30, 2023
Es un libro entretenidísimo, como todos los de esta autora que hace parte sustancial de mis tiempos de procrastinación y a la cual adoro.
Sin embargo, lo sentí demasiado predecible.
Sin embargo, lo sentí demasiado predecible.
May 21, 2020
Rating: Good
Genre:
Classic + Mystery
A new adventure for Miss Marple, upon the request of her friend Ruth she goes to stay with Carrie Louise in her Victorian mansion because Ruth sensed some danger coming. She meets the complex family of Carrie Louise and of course in that mansion a murder is committed. Miss Marple being the sharp old lady she is will be able to solve this mystery.
The title of this book is odd a bit, not sure why it was used. I liked how Agatha introduced all these complex family relationships in the story, all that seemed to be overwhelming even for Miss Marple to keep track of! This was a fast enjoyable read. I won't consider it Christie's best but definitely an enjoyable one.
Don't expect any twists like the modern thrillers getting into this book. This is more like cozy mysteries.
Genre:
Classic + Mystery
A new adventure for Miss Marple, upon the request of her friend Ruth she goes to stay with Carrie Louise in her Victorian mansion because Ruth sensed some danger coming. She meets the complex family of Carrie Louise and of course in that mansion a murder is committed. Miss Marple being the sharp old lady she is will be able to solve this mystery.
The title of this book is odd a bit, not sure why it was used. I liked how Agatha introduced all these complex family relationships in the story, all that seemed to be overwhelming even for Miss Marple to keep track of! This was a fast enjoyable read. I won't consider it Christie's best but definitely an enjoyable one.
Don't expect any twists like the modern thrillers getting into this book. This is more like cozy mysteries.
August 4, 2018
2.5
A thing about Christie's Miss Marple novels that I don't like is that some of them (though not many) give an impression of laziness that I find particularly unpleasant, and I usually end up not knowing what to make of such cases. This is precisely what happened with They Do It With Mirrors: I found it lazy, and I was disappointed. Not one of Christie's best.
A thing about Christie's Miss Marple novels that I don't like is that some of them (though not many) give an impression of laziness that I find particularly unpleasant, and I usually end up not knowing what to make of such cases. This is precisely what happened with They Do It With Mirrors: I found it lazy, and I was disappointed. Not one of Christie's best.
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