Three Blind Mice and Other Stories

4.5****

This is a collection of short stories, the title story being the basis for The Mousetrap - the longest running play, ever. It’s a suspenseful tale of a group of strangers trapped in an English Manor House during a blizzard, with an obvious “homicidal maniac” among them. I was certain I had it figured out – twice (with two different culprits) – but Christie surprised me once again.

The rest of the stories are not quite as good as the title tale, but still show why Christie was named the Queen of Crime. Some of the them feature Miss Marple, whose keen observation of human nature frequently give her insight which the police overlook (but which they DO follow-up upon once she points these things out to them). A few of the show more stories feature Hercule Poirot, exercising his little grey cells, and astonishing the perpetrators as much as the police. All of the stories challenge the reader to figure out the puzzle before the story ends.

The entire collection can be read in one day (as I did), but would be great to have handy whenever you wanted a short fix of good mystery writing. show less

A woman is murdered in the heart of London. Two days later, in the English countryside, five strangers are brought together for a night at a bed and breakfast, buried under a heavy snowstorm. Each brings a quirky personality, and a mysterious backstory. The proprietors--a young, married couple--are new to hosting guests. Is one of them connected to the crime? The phone line is cut. The pipes are frozen. No one can get in or out. A detective arrives, on snow skis no less. A blend of Murder On the Orient Express and And Then There Were None--set in a lodging house, it's a perfect little story for a snowed-in night next to the fire.

Only after I read The Mousetrap in two short days did I learn that the adaptation of this story is the show more longest-running play in the world--nightly shows since 1950 in London's West End. It makes sense: it's a perfect story for the stage with its quick pace, quirky characters, and plot twist, of course.

I enjoy Christie's jaunty style, though the characters feel a bit archetypal and the dialogue is a tad melodramatic. But we don't read Christie for depth of character, do we? Christie's scenes and dialogue exist to serve the shape and speed of the plot. We read her stories be thrown into a mystery to be solved with urgency, because lives literally depend on it. We read them to be filled with the suspense and surprises that come with it. The Mousetrap delivers. It's a page turner, to be sure.

The Mousetrap is the second book from Agatha Christie that I've read. I'm planning to see a US version of the famous West End play this fall, and wanted to read the story first. It's a quick read at just 80 pages. I read the 1970 paperback copy, which helps transport one closer to the time of its writing. It's fun to experience another of Christie's legendary plots. I'll dive more into her catalogue from here. show less

The title story in this collection is actually a novella, which later became the long-running play, The Mousetrap. I saw the stage production in London two or three times so there wasn't anything about the plot that surprised me. However, I noticed some new things about the characters and setting, such as the importance of post-WW II rationing in the story.

Four of the remaining eight stories feature Miss Marple as the detective, three feature Hercule Poirot, and one features Mr. Satterthwaite and the mysterious Harley Quin. The Poirot story and the Harley Quin story had all been published prior to the first publication of this collection. All of the stories are mysteries, but they're not all murder mysteries. The stories are all typical show more of Christie's country house or village mysteries, and they would make a good introduction for readers who want to sample Christie's work before diving into one of her novels. show less

The Mousetrap, a play by Agatha Christie opened in London’s West End in 1952 and has been running continuously since then. It has the longest first run of any play and has firmly established that Agatha Christie was not only a superb mystery writer but an excellent playwright as well.

The setting is classic Christie, a group of people gather in a large country house cut off by a snow storm. To their horror they discover a murderer is in their midst. One by one their background and identities are established until it become obvious who the murderer is. The twist at the end has long been an open secret but was considered quite shocking when it was originally revealed.

Plays are written as a visual art and so I would really love to see show more this one performed live. As it is I enjoyed The Mousetrap in much the same way as I enjoy Agatha Christie’s short stories, light and tasty but not quite the full meal deal that her novels are. show less

I can see why this play enjoyed such a long run! Great take on the country home mystery, a new guest house (sort of like a bed & breakfast but serving all meals) opens one winter day, coincidentally when a blizzard is occurring. On the radio as the play opens is the news of a murder in London...

I am a Christie fan but for some reason have never read this play before. It is very well done and she manages to make the audience suspect each person in turn and yet the guilty person is still a surprise! Sadly, it might not appeal to today's young people as the plot does depend on the murderer cutting the telephone wire to isolate the house even more -- the prevalence today of cell phones has made this whole subgenre of mysteries obsolete (or show more at least dependent on exotic circumstances).

Note: I read this in the omnibus "The Mousetrap and Other Plays" show less

C+ (Okay).

It's unfortunate that 2 of the 3 Christie books I've read have been short stories. It doesn't seem to be her strength.

- "Three Blind Mice" novella (C+). Maybe this works better as a play. The big twist ending didn't really matter, because I was never particularly drawn into the mystery in the first place. No suspense, despite a suspenseful scenario.

- 4 Miss Marple short stories (C). Marple definitely works better on screen. There is pretty much no character on page in these stories.

- 3 Poirot short stories (B). These are the highlight of the book. I suspect Christie saved most of her good ideas for Poirot.

- 1 Harley Quin short story (C+). Kind of a cute idea.

Average rating: 2.944/5. Average rating weighing the novella as 4 show more stories: 2.958/5.

(Dec. 2025) show less

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories contains one miscellaneous story, the aforementioned Three Blind Mice, four Miss Marple stories, three Hercule Poirot and one Harley Quin. My favourite story was the Harley Quin, The Love Detectives. My least favourite was the Poirot, The Third Floor Flat. The overall collection rating comes in at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Individual ratings and reviews below.

MISC: THREE BLIND MICE: ***
MARPLE: 14.15: STRANGE JEST ***
MARPLE: 14.18: TAPE-MEASURE MURDER ****
MARPLE: 14.16: THE CASE OF THE PERFECT MAID ***
MARPLE: 14.17: THE CASE OF THE CARETAKER ****
POIROT: THE THIRD FLOOR FLAT: **
POIROT: THE ADVENTURE OF JOHNNIE WAVERLY: ****
POIROT: FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS: ***
HARLEY QUIN: THE LOVE DETECTIVES: show more *****

MISC: THREE BLIND MICE: ***

A manor house is turned into a guesthouse by a young married couple but the guests are shocked to become tangled in a cold case murder of a child. I didn't like this one much. It started out good and I was waiting for a decent twist but it never came. Well sort of. I mean the twist regarding the policeman being the murderer was good. I enjoyed that. But the ending for the rest of characters just fell kind of flat and mostly was confusing. 3 stars.

MARPLE 14.15: STRANGE JEST ***

Jane Helier introduces Miss Marple to friends that have just inherited the estate of their Uncle Mathew - which should have solved all their problems - except no one can find the money. Distrusting banks led to him converting it to gold bullion and supposedly burying it in the backyard. But the crater of the yard says otherwise. Jane brings in Miss Marple to find the gold.

I loved Jane's belief in Marple. It's amusing she's like tell her all you woes and bam, problem solved. Having read many similar stories with missing wills and estates and paranoid elderly people, I saw where this was going, for all I didn't quite catch all the details. I figured the papers they found were deeds or something, or a second will listing investments. Not that the stamps on the envelopes were the real treasure. I didn't like the attitudes towards Miss Marple so I enjoyed her proving them wrong and solving the problem. 3 stars.

MARPLE 14.18: TAPE-MEASURE MURDER ****

When Miss Marple's neighbour is murdered, the town is of the belief that it was the husband. But Miss Marple thinks otherwise and makes her own enquiries.

I liked this one well enough although I can't say I guessed the murderer. I think my attention wandered a little and left me missing a few clues. I liked that the Constable suggests Inspector Slack consult Miss Marple on the town gossip. Poor Inspector Slack. Having to turn to civilians for clues. I was amused that Miss Marple hints at her suspicions rather than just outright speaks up. And I was chuckling at her turn to crime. Stealing the tape measure. Very naughty. 3.5 stars.

MARPLE 14.16: THE CASE OF THE PERFECT MAID ***

Miss Marple becomes involved in some local drama when the cousin of her maid Edna, Gladys is dismissed from her maid position after being thought to have tried to steal a broach.

This one was alright. I missed that the Skinners themselves were the crooks. But I did guess what Marple was up to with the peppermint (getting fingerprints). I enjoyed her discussion with Inspector Slack and his surprise that she was right. I don't know why he expected otherwise. 3 stars.

MARPLE 14.17: THE CASE OF THE CARETAKER ****

While on bed rest recovering from the flu, Miss Marple is prescribed a mystery to solve by Dr Haydock about a curious case he had.

I enjoyed the conclusion to this one.



Yes, I think he had some powerful drug handy, that could be administered before you arrived. After all, if a woman is thrown from her horse and has serious injuries and dies without recovering consciousness, well—a doctor wouldn’t normally be suspicious, would he? He’d put it down to shock or something.” Doctor Haydock nodded. “Why did you suspect?” asked Miss Marple. “It wasn’t any particular cleverness on my part,” said Doctor Haydock. “It was just the trite, well-known fact that a murderer is so pleased with his cleverness that he doesn’t take proper precautions. I was just saying a few consolatory words to the bereaved husband—and feeling damned sorry for the fellow, too—when he flung himself down on the settee to do a bit of playacting and a hypodermic syringe fell out of his pocket.

Christie, Agatha. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories (Miss Marple Mysteries) (p. 295). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Although I do enjoy following along with the mysteries and coming up with my own solutions - I was amused that Dr Haydock becomes suspicious on pure bad luck - the syringe falling out at the wrong moment because the criminal is busy being dramatic - classic.



3.5 stars.

POIROT: THE THIRD FLOOR FLAT: **

Four friends come up with a plan to get into their friend's flat via the coal lift. Except when they enter the wrong flat, they find a body. Poirot lives upstairs and gets drawn in when they're talking about calling the police. This was another frankly bizarre story. One of the men is in love with the woman and so kills his estranged wife so he could marry her? Why didn't they just get divorced? It doesn't seem like either one wanted to be together? I didn't really get it. 2 stars.

POIROT: THE ADVENTURE OF JOHNNIE WAVERLY: ****

Poirot investigates the kidnapping of a young boy. I liked the twists in this one. And I think I might actually be starting to like Hastings. The horror.

“So madame has never liked the butler. It is interesting, that, eh, Hastings?” I refused to be drawn. Poirot has deceived me so often that I now go warily. There is always a catch somewhere. (p. 182)

4 stars.

POIROT: FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS: ***

Poirot is out for dinner when he learns from the waitress about a regular customer who's made an irregular order. This one was alright. I guessed that he was being impersonated but it seemed a bit farfetched to have Poirot pick up on it without any prompting. The solution was clever though and it was an easy read. 3 stars.

HARLEY QUIN: THE LOVE DETECTIVES: *****

A man is killed and his wife and her lover confess to the crime - but did they do it? Yes they did! I really enjoyed this one. I loved this bit.

“Quite right, young man,” he said. “Half past six was the time. Perhaps you’ve heard that already? But this is altogether a most peculiar murder!” “Why?” “So many people confess to it,” said Colonel Melrose.

Christie, Agatha. Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (pp. 226-227). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

And this.

“My God!” cried Delangua. “But a woman couldn’t possibly do that—” He stopped, biting his lip. Melrose nodded with the ghost of a smile. “Often read of it,” he volunteered. “Never seen it happen.” “What?” “Couple of young idiots each accusing themselves because they thought the other had done it,” said Melrose.

Christie, Agatha. Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (p. 227). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

I was busy chuckling my way through. The twists and turns were clever and I loved watching it unfold. 5 stars. show less