They Do It With Mirrors (Miss Marple) by Agatha Christie
I am a die-hard fan of Hercule Poirot. But I enjoy Miss Marple too from time to time. Having read a few of her mysteries, I found this one a little different and anticlimactic.
Miss Marple has two close childhood friends. She is in constant touch with one of them, Mrs. Ruth Van Rydock. Her other friend, Ruth’s sister, Carrie Louise Serrocold, is in danger (Ruth’s intuition). She asks Miss Marple to go to her home in Stonygates and help her.
Everything seems as fine as can be in a fort-like house that houses more than 200 unruly boys for rehabilitation, along with a weird mix of family resulting from Carrie’s three marriages. There are stepsons, a widowed daughter, and a married granddaughter through the adopted daughter. The relationships are, obviously, entangled. To top it all, there is a daunting lady named Jolly (too good at her work) to care for Carrie’s deteriorating health.
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And then one fine day, a murder is committed, and another attempt is made in the presence of the entire household at the same precise moment. The police seek help from Miss Marple, and she provides it, culminating in the climax.
As I mentioned, this book differs from other Miss Marple mysteries. It happens outside St. Mary Lead, for one. Miss Marple is present from the very start to the end of the book. A reference to her childhood is refreshing, and seeing her with her married and much-loved friend, one wonders if she feels alone.
She doesn’t. Her brain is too occupied in analyzing the people around her and understanding their motives. Unlike Poirot, she uses her age as a tool. She is always able to identify the character’s thought process by comparing it with the people she already knows. It works like a charm every time.
Speaking of charms, the climax was able to justify the title, but not the rush that led up to it. Miss Marple had more presence throughout the story, but her solution came too suddenly for me. I would have liked to see her more involved in the process.
I would like to rate it as 3 out of 5 stars. It's cozy and can be best enjoyed on a lazy day with a cup of tea. I picked it up after reading a classic and am all set to devour another equally heavy one next.
Happy reading!
