They Do It With Mirrors (1952)

I couldn't find this book in bookstores, and interlibrary loan laughed at me when I tried to request it. I was thrilled to find a copy at Goodwill in the $.89 bin and in good condition to boot.

I enjoyed the book. It was amusing, interesting, and featured a lot of Miss Marple. Since she doesn't always get to spend too much time in her books, this is notable.

However, this is also the first Agatha Christie in which I've guessed the whodunnit, the motive, and the method long before our heroine. I thought I'd be thrilled when I finally beat Dame Christie, but instead I'm kind of disappointed. ( )

Miss Marple was a bit more of a constant in this book than in others, which was quite nice -- I think it's best when the detective character is more of a character, like Philip Marlowe or Peter Wimsey, or whatever. In this book Miss Marple, and her childhood friend -- mostly her childhood friend, I think -- are the bigger attractions. The plot was, somehow, predictable -- either predictable to anyone, or just predictable because I'm getting far too used to Agatha Christie's writing and way of constructing a mystery.

Carrie Louise is a sweet character, and probably the best thing about this book. I felt like the background characters were less clearly drawn than in some of these books -- nothing like the background romance that's in The Moving Finger, for example. ( )

Set in the period immediately after World War Two, some families are still incredibly wealthy, but great houses are struggling to survive. The Gulbrandsen Institute built in the grounds of Stonygates, that has been the home of Jane Marple's old friend Carrie Louise through three marriages, has been re-purposed as a sort of secure reformatory for delinquent boys.

There are a number of people living as Carrie Louise's dependents, for she is the one with the wealth, and none of them seem to like each other very much. Ruth Van Rydock spins a tale to her sister that their old friend Jane Marple is a bit hard up and so Jane is invited to Stonygates for an extended stay. As it turns out the murders happen pretty quickly and Jane's presence doesn't do much to stop them. She is "recognised" by the investigating police who learns about her from a colleague. Even so I think there are two murders she may have thwarted had she reported a discovery quickly instead of deciding to do it the next morning.

The title is a bit of a red herring itself because it sends the reader off looking for doubles but that isn't quite its meaning. I thought the final resolution, the identity of the murderer, and how he achieved his ends, was actually a bit far fetched. However, there were clues, particularly in the "parallels" that Miss Marple narrates from her store of St. Mary Mead happenings.

Still, it is a quick and enjoyable read, with a bit of mind stretching as one would expect.
It gives an interesting picture of post-war England. You also learn a bit more about Miss Marple's youth, although she also reveals that she is a bit deaf. ( )

Yet another kookie, silly, fun Miss Marple mystery by Christie.
There becomes a comforting sameness in these after a bit but that
does nothing to destroy the enjoyment of the story.
In this one a family member is shot at a private rehabilitation center and
Miss Marple must get to the bottom of it. Which she does with her
usual aplomb.
Again I recommend it and gave it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. ( )

Could hardly fault this - straightforward good crime novel, with dollops of rather brilliantly observed character. I'd forgotten how spot-on AC could be. Of course it's all done, well, with mirrors, and smoke, and the denouement is the sort of huge surprise that's so surprising you should have guessed who, if not why; but crisply done. A Miss Marple story, btw. ( )