The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, Agatha Christie

 

The Book

Miss Marple, having survived bronchitis, is being driven crazy by the kindly, well meaning paid companion her nephew Raymond has provided for her, Miss King. Her doctor prescribes a bit of unraveling, since her eyesight is making knitting difficult. And by unraveling he means solving a murder. Miss Marple decides he's right. She's bored and goes exploring the new Development near her house. While there, she has a fall and meets Mrs. Heather Badcock, who is very sweet to her, but self absorbed. 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Bantry, that good friend of Miss Marple's we last saw in The Body in the Library, comes to visit. Her old house, the venerable Gossington Hall, has been sold to an actress, Miss Marina Gregg and her husband, the director Jason "Jinks" Rudd. She tells Miss Marple, she's happy to see the house in such good hands. 

Not long afterwards Mrs. Bantry is invited to a charity fete at Gossington Hall. While there, she meets Marina, Jason, and Heather Badcock. Mrs. Bantry is allowed to give a tour of the house, where they all go to look at the bathrooms. They are disappointed to find the bedrooms locked, but they return to the landing where the reception is taking place only to find Mrs. Badcock having an episode. Before a doctor can be brought up the stairs, Mrs. Badcock dies. 

The local inspectors are brought in, but they are at a loss to find a motive to kill Mrs. Badcock. Then they find out the drink, which had been poisoned, was originally Marina Gregg's. They call in Scotland Yard and Inspector Dermot Craddock, a Miss Marple "nephew". Of course he seeks out her advice. Together, through Miss Marple's well placed gossips, and Craddock's broad investigative powers, they find Marina's long lost adoptive children, a long lost ex-husband, and the real reason Marina's drink was poisoned, how, and by whom. 

My Thoughts

This is a very well written book. I just love Miss Marple, and her old age. She's still sharp as a tack, even if her body is failing. She's still able. 

I also love that Agatha Christie writes her books as fair play. She's exceptionally even handed with the readers, especially the readers of the day. Of course, the readers of the day would've know the risks of German measles, measles. flu, chicken pox, etc, more than the modern reader. Vaccines have all but eliminated these, although the decline of vaccination rates, we might find the stuff out all over again. Sigh. But I digress. 

Once you know the major clues, it's not hard to work out whether Heather Badcock or Marina Gregg was the intended target. And from there, guess who had motive to kill whom. I can't say as I was surprised by the outcome, I can say, I found the solution satisfying. 

I can only hope I end up writing mysteries just as well. 

How Much My Library Card Saved Me

This book came to me from Zion Benton Public Library. They don't tell me when this book entered their system. But, it's in really good condition. No marking, dog ears, and the cover looks practically new. The back of the book says it originally cost $18.99. That's the number I will use. 

This Book                                                         $18.99

Library Items Reviewed This Year                 $205.92

Private Books

This Book                                                        $00.00

Total of Private Books                                     $52.75

Total of All Items Reviewed This Year          $279.57

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