Book Club

Marple Stories

Christie never intended Miss Marple to rival Poirot in the publics affections, but this spinster sleuth soon proved a hit with the public.  Here's the place to discuss her stories - but beware spoilers!

If you can't find your favourite Miss Marple story, don't worry - more will be added shortly.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

The do it with Mirrors

Moderator1 10 Nov 09 at 11:17 a.m. GMT

A rehabilitation centre for delinquent boys probably isn't the ideal place for Miss Marple to feel relaxed but it's where old friend Carrie Louise lives with her extended family and all is not right there.  When the first murder occurs not long after her arrival Jane Marple begins to delve deeper into the behaviour of not just the boys but also the family.  But will she be able to prevent yet another attempt on Carrie Louise's life?

Was Christie more adventurous in her choice of locations for Miss Marple than she was with Poirot?  By sending Jane Marple to Stoneygates was Christie trying to tackle a sensitive social subject?

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de_misteri 29 Sep 11 at 6:10 p.m. GMT

I liked it, it was really clever with whole movie set thing- I did not expect that. But I always felt like Edgar Lawson was funny. It was annoying to me how Carrie Louise stood by and did nothing when people around her were bing murdered; yet she remained so calm and knew that she was safe...! On the whole, I really liked this book!!

Quin90 15 Jul 11 at 7:04 a.m. GMT

To me it was the oddest location for AC to put Ms.Marple but then again you kind of lose focus on the that idea and turn to which one of the household members wants Carrie Louise dead?

It nagged abit that Carrie Louise was a pushover and her daughter Mildred Strete was another pain in the neck of a character but you couldn't really blame her since their mother-daughter relationship was strained and distant!

But I totally loved Walter Hudd,Gina's indecisive actions were really off putting. Though it was dreadful that Alex Restarick was killed it was in a way an advantage for the newly weds to sort out themselves and get back together!!!?

Tommy_A_Jones 12 Nov 10 at 4:32 p.m. GMT

I totally agree with you Dial_M_For_Marple but I did like The Detective.

Dial_M_for_Marple 12 Nov 10 at 1:36 a.m. GMT

this was a really strange book for me. In an AC there is always at least 1 character that I really like (normally there's a handful) but in this book there was no one I really liked! they were bland characters, I didn't really care when someone was murdered. I only kept reading to see if I was right on who I suspected.

Tommy_A_Jones 23 Aug 10 at 4:49 p.m. GMT

iN The Book Ruth asks Miss Marple to see if Carrie-Louise is O.K. as she is worried about her.

I quite liked the BBC version of 4.50 From Paddington and thought the ITV version was one of trhe least bad ones.

xrysoula 01 Jul 10 at 4:31 p.m. GMT

That 's a fair question, but was it like that between them in the book too?I don 't recall anything of the sort.I just started reading it again.As for the adaptations, God only knows how low their screenwriters can sink.I don 't know if you 've seen how they 've destroyed "4:50 from Paddighton"-the Joan Hickson version.Total distruction!

MissQuin 01 Jul 10 at 3:57 p.m. GMT

I found Gina annoying in the book, the BBC adapt and the recent McKenzie Marple adapt too. No she wasn't actually very pretty in the BBC version. But the adapt wasn't bad, considering the book isn't one of the best Marples anyway.

I  didn't like the McKenzie version, mainly because the "Amercian" accents were terrible. Some of the acting was OTT, Gina in particular. The fact Carrie thought up the young offneders home semed odd. Carrie and Ruth at each others throats was silly, as why did Ruth ask Marple to take care of her?

xrysoula 01 Jul 10 at 9:14 a.m. GMT

I agree.Especially in the BBC adaptation that I watched, Gina was also rather poor-looking, and it seemed ridiculous to watch all young men bewitched by her charms!Sorry they couldn 't afford any better.The rest of the cast was OK, though, and the whole outcome quite satisfactory.

As for the book, personally I enjoyed it, but it 's not in my list of favorites, either.Rarely do we meet such an unconvincing story and so many unrealistic characters in AC 's novels.The whole idea of turning your own house to a juvinile reform center and put up criminals in your guestrooms is going too far-let alone defalcate and murder for their sake!Louis seems compeletely off and Carrie Louise reminds me of the Sphinx.if AC wanted to show her sympathy and support to the rehabilitation of  young outlaws, she could have done better.

Other than that, I find her ideas about heredity, which are very often pointed out in other books too, like Mrs MacGinty 's dead and Ordeal by innocence rather simple and definately annoying.

MissQuin 07 Apr 10 at 4:10 p.m. GMT

Regards the book- I liked Carrie Louise, she was so unworldly yet shrewd. Ruth and Miss Marple at the very start were great, as they were opposites.  The rest aren't appealing. Except Edgar Lawson's quite interesting, but he wasn't in it enough. I just wish Gina had been murdered! She is so annoying.

ampman 20 Mar 10 at 5:20 p.m. GMT

I don't like any of the characters in this book. They are all weird and I never get to care about ehat happens to them. The whole place could have burned to the ground as far as I am concerned, as long as Miss Marple was safe of course.

Tommy_A_Jones 20 Mar 10 at 5:06 p.m. GMT

They Do It With Mirrors is my least favourite Miss Marple I found them all enjoyable, the others had at least 1 Character apart from Miss Marple I liked but after thinking about it I can say that this one along with Pocketful of Rye are books I won't be rushing to read again, It did make me think that Murder She Wrote Might have been influenced by it and as I am a fan of MSW is pretty good but still not good enough for me to like it.

Lone_Wolf 20 Mar 10 at 9:15 a.m. GMT

Rather bland, like your average Marple (I like Miss Marple as a character, but the plots in her books I usually find bland and uninspired). Little about the deliquent boys' reformatory here appears complete. Allow me to sign Barnard's words:

"Unusual (and not entirely convincing) setting of delinquent's home, full of untrustworthy adolescents and untrustworthy do-gooders. Christie not entirely at home, perhaps because she believes (in Miss Marple's words) that 'young people with a good heredity, and brought up wisely in a good home…they are really…the sort of people a country needs.' Otherwise highly traditional, with houseplans, Marsh-y  inquisitions, and second and third murders done most perfunctorily. Definite signs of decline."

Christie's nods to heredity is a thing that I find rather disturbing in her otherwise likeable real-life persona.

Amusingly enough, I enjoyed the McKenize adaption (the only one I've watched). I find out that I usually enjoy adaptions of bland AC books more then these bland books themselves.

"Ruth and Carrie had cat fights, so why did Ruth get Marple to go down there?"

It was remarked that they are best of sisters, but as long as they are miles apart. I found it kinda cute.

MissQuin 23 Feb 10 at 3:40 p.m. GMT

Back to the They Do it With Mirrors subject.. this isnt one of my faves. I like the beguining where Miss M and Ruth are talking about their childhoods. We get to see a bit more about Miss Marple's past. But for some reason I didn't enjoy this one as much. There are quite alot of murders in this one, not that I minded though. I know Miss M doesnt have to be in a village to solve a good murder.

In the book the whole young offenders centre was Louis? idea. I think he could have planned the whole thing as a training ground for finding willing crooks for embezzlement? The TV version it was Carrie's idea, which was odd. No I didn't like the TV version. Ruth and Carrie had cat fights, so why did Ruth get Marple to go down there?

Read more about this story: They Do it with Mirrors

HeiseiHolmes 29 Jan 10 at 3:54 p.m. GMT

Ah, thank you! I found one on the radio for next Wednesday. Which is the same day I have a French speaking exam, too

But I set my TV to record it, so I should be able to catch it.

Tommy_A_Jones 29 Jan 10 at 3:49 p.m. GMT

Kenneth Williams is in one episode on Television when Tony goes on Holiday and the Hotel is double-booked and he has to share with Kenneth and I think someone else.

Puffinjill 29 Jan 10 at 3:38 p.m. GMT

If you have access to BBC Radio 7, they usually feature Hancock's Half Hour on a regular basis. Or they are available to buy in audio format and the TV shows are available on DVD.

HeiseiHolmes 29 Jan 10 at 3:32 p.m. GMT

Is it still possible to see/hear today? I want to do so, it sounds fun like the sort of things I like~

Puffinjill 29 Jan 10 at 7:46 a.m. GMT

Age is no bar, detective conan - good comedy is good comedy, no matter when it was created.

Tommy, I loved Bill Kerr and his innocence in the radio shows and wish he had been part of the TV crew. Kenneth Williams wasn't part of the TV cast either. By then, Hancock was getting very obsessive about getting to the 'truth of comedy' and he considered certain characters were too trivial to include. Also, he clashed terribly with some of the personalities he had worked with and, therefore, didn't wish to continue to work with them. Shame! I love the TV shows but radio is my first love and the Hancock's Half Hours done in this medium remain my favourites.

I do apologise to everyone for our little trip down nostalgia lane!!! Amazing how one small throw-away line in a Poirot adaptation can set us off on another discussion!

Tommy_A_Jones 28 Jan 10 at 3:39 p.m. GMT

When his programme went from Radio to Television, Bill Kerr no longer took part and I think Hattie and Ken only did one Programme each, He kept Sidney Jamesd for a while like in The Missing Page, where the last page of a Murder Mystery is Missing, the Book is mentioned in Third Girl, The Porter compliments Ariadne on it as it is said to be one of her books.

HeiseiHolmes 28 Jan 10 at 3:27 p.m. GMT

Oh, I see. Definitely not old enough to have heard it, then...