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joorizzreadzz's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
whatvictoriaread's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
thaurisil's review against another edition
4.0
While I read through Agatha Christie's novels with the Appointments with Agatha group, I'm putting a templated synopsis of each novel in my review. It has spoilers!
Book: 42 of Christie's novels, 6 of Miss Marple novels
Setting: Stonygates, a mansion with a building for the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents
Detective and Companions: Miss Marple, Inspector Curry, Sergeant Lake
Crime: Edgar Lawson attempts to shoot Lewis Serrocold in a closed room. He misses, but simultaneously, Christian Gulbrandsen is killed in his room.
Suspects:
- Carrie Louise, Miss Marple's kind, trusting and beloved old school friend
- Mildred Strete, Carrie's dull, plain and jealous daughter
- Gina Hudd, Carrie's lively, attractive granddaughter
- Walter Hudd, Gina's husband who dislikes Gina's family
- Stephen Restarick, Carrie's second husband's son, who works in theatre with the delinquents and is attracted to Gina
- Alexis Restarick, Stephen's brother who appears at the house shortly after the shots are fired
- Edgar Lawson, one of the delinquents and supposedly a schizophrenic who tries to shoot Lewis Serrocold
- Lewis Serrocold, Carrie's husband and a philanthropist
- Juliet Bellever, Carrie's secretary and companion who enjoys control over the household
- Dr Maverick, a psychiatrist for the delinquents
Twists and Turns:
- Lewis Serrocold and Edgar Lawson were thought to be having a show down in the library. But behind the closed room of the door, only Edgar Lawson was shouting, while Lewis ran around the house to kill Christian.
- Lewis said that Christian had warned him that someone was poisoning Carrie Louise, and it was supposed that the poisoner had killed Christian to prevent him telling others. However, the poison story was one that Lewis had made up to divert suspicion away from himself.
- Carrie Louise did not believe that anyone would poison her, and did not believe that Edgar would shoot Lewis, despite everyone else believing otherwise. It was actually Carrie Louise's suspicions that were right, not the suspicions of everyone else.
I wonder why Agatha Christie set this in a house where there were two hundred juvenile delinquents, and then featured them so minimally in the story. The setting was an unusual one, and I felt the story would have been better if either the delinquents had not been included, or if the potential they could lend the story had been developed further.
I didn't dislike this as much as everyone else seems to. It wasn't the best Miss Marple, but it was a nice cozy mystery with an ending that surprised me. It did however seem implausible to me that Edgar Lawson would be able to imitate Lewis Serrocold's voice in a way that convinced everyone else, including Lewis' own wife.
Book: 42 of Christie's novels, 6 of Miss Marple novels
Setting: Stonygates, a mansion with a building for the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents
Detective and Companions: Miss Marple, Inspector Curry, Sergeant Lake
Crime: Edgar Lawson attempts to shoot Lewis Serrocold in a closed room. He misses, but simultaneously, Christian Gulbrandsen is killed in his room.
Suspects:
- Carrie Louise, Miss Marple's kind, trusting and beloved old school friend
- Mildred Strete, Carrie's dull, plain and jealous daughter
- Gina Hudd, Carrie's lively, attractive granddaughter
- Walter Hudd, Gina's husband who dislikes Gina's family
- Stephen Restarick, Carrie's second husband's son, who works in theatre with the delinquents and is attracted to Gina
- Alexis Restarick, Stephen's brother who appears at the house shortly after the shots are fired
- Edgar Lawson, one of the delinquents and supposedly a schizophrenic who tries to shoot Lewis Serrocold
- Lewis Serrocold, Carrie's husband and a philanthropist
- Juliet Bellever, Carrie's secretary and companion who enjoys control over the household
- Dr Maverick, a psychiatrist for the delinquents
Twists and Turns:
- Lewis Serrocold and Edgar Lawson were thought to be having a show down in the library. But behind the closed room of the door, only Edgar Lawson was shouting, while Lewis ran around the house to kill Christian.
- Lewis said that Christian had warned him that someone was poisoning Carrie Louise, and it was supposed that the poisoner had killed Christian to prevent him telling others. However, the poison story was one that Lewis had made up to divert suspicion away from himself.
- Carrie Louise did not believe that anyone would poison her, and did not believe that Edgar would shoot Lewis, despite everyone else believing otherwise. It was actually Carrie Louise's suspicions that were right, not the suspicions of everyone else.
I wonder why Agatha Christie set this in a house where there were two hundred juvenile delinquents, and then featured them so minimally in the story. The setting was an unusual one, and I felt the story would have been better if either the delinquents had not been included, or if the potential they could lend the story had been developed further.
I didn't dislike this as much as everyone else seems to. It wasn't the best Miss Marple, but it was a nice cozy mystery with an ending that surprised me. It did however seem implausible to me that Edgar Lawson would be able to imitate Lewis Serrocold's voice in a way that convinced everyone else, including Lewis' own wife.
angrydance's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
readingparalegal4122's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tiffany_k's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
natalia86's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Agatha Christie se está convirtiendo en mi zona de confort y el la mejor opción ante un bloqueo lector.
El truco de los espejos es uno de los mejores libros, con Miss Marple como protagonista. La escritura es fluida y atrapante.
El truco de los espejos es uno de los mejores libros, con Miss Marple como protagonista. La escritura es fluida y atrapante.
whispersofareader's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
vanessa177's review against another edition
4.0
I probably overrated this a smidge, but I really enjoyed getting more from Miss Marple's perspective. I really liked those sections. The ending of this is too abrupt, and the mystery and characters aren't my favorites in this series. Christie can get kind of judge-y in a way that doesn't always age well, and that's definitely the case with this one. Here, I think it helps balance it out that most of these characters aren't quite unlikable, but we're definitely supposed to see them as very flawed and sort of annoying.
rayne709's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Listened to the BBC cast recording. Liked all the theatre references and the locked room mystery. I think I may becoming a fan of Miss Marple, weird.