From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (Miss Marple, #9)

Agatha Christie

Start date: July 1, 2017

Finish date: July 31, 2017

Discussion: Group Challenges

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Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 17 posts · 20 views

last updated Sep 25, 2025 01:00PM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
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last updated Sep 16, 2025 12:58PM

What Members Thought

Jul 29, 2017 Adrian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: detectives-challenge-mm-2017, det-agatha-christie, zz-paper-books

February 2024 Lunchtime Listen of full audiobook
A wonderful and considering it was 8 and 1/2 hrs, a very quick lunchtime listen, brilliantly read by Emilia Fox, one of the Fox dynasty.
I think this is considerably better than the dramatisation and so fully deserving of the 5 stars I gave the book back in 2017.
Miss Marple is convalescing at her home after an illness and with no live-in maid anymore, she has a live in carer called Miss Knight, paid for by the nephew Raymond. Whilst well meaning, February 2024 Lunchtime Listen of full audiobook
A wonderful and considering it was 8 and 1/2 hrs, a very quick lunchtime listen, brilliantly read by Emilia Fox, one of the Fox dynasty.
I think this is considerably better than the dramatisation and so fully deserving of the 5 stars I gave the book back in 2017.
Miss Marple is convalescing at her home after an illness and with no live-in maid anymore, she has a live in carer called Miss Knight, paid for by the nephew Raymond. Whilst well meaning, Miss Knight is a real fusspot, and is driving Miss Marple mad. Luckily Miss Marple has a happy, friendly daily cleaner called Cherry who lives with her husband in the "development", who keeps her up to date with all the local gossip.
She is still friendly with Dolly Bantry, who sold Gossington Hall after her late husband, the Colonel, died and so gets the low down on the new owner; a famous Hollywood film actress with her latest husband.
When the whole village is invited to a get together in the grounds of the Hall after the renovations had been completed, it is all planned to be a day of celebration, however midway through the afternoon when people are relaxing and cocktails and drinks are being served, Mrs Badcock from the "development" keels over and dies after being presented to the Hollywood actress.
Why kill Mrs Badcock she was a kind if slightly annoying woman who worked for the St John's ambulance ?
Miss Marple aims to find out.

Dramatisation Listened to in 2020
Firstly let's say it's a shame that this does not have a separate entry as it is not the audiobook of the novel, it is an abridged dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple. These BBC dramatisations are excellent to listen to whilst decorating (my wife and I have been re-painting some of the rooms in the house). I think the dramatisation is good, maybe a 4 star listen, however as I marked the book as 5 stars, I will leave it at 5 stars.

MISS MARPLE Group Read 2017
Well, there I was all happy that I had all the Agatha Christie books, courtesy of my mother, so participating in the Miss Marple Challenge was going to be fun. Then we got to July and all of sudden I found my mother didn't actually leave me all the Agatha Christie books, so I had to go hunting for the matching volumes i was missing (4 missing out of 39 I think). Anyway courtesy of Abe books I now DO have all Agatha Christie books.
Ok here we go....

You know its strange, I knew there was a big clue right at the start as I was reading, but for the life of me, I couldn't see how it tied in, until the denouement.
That said, It was to me one of the most enjoyable of the Miss Marples so far. Jane (dare I call her that ?), because of her increasing age, doing virtually all of her investigation from her house, with the odd sortie to the "Development". Its great to see the re-appearance of Mrs Bantry and to know that Miss Marple (I had to revert to her full title, slapped wrists for being too casual) is still going strong.
Bring on the next, which I definitely do have !!! ...more

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Jul 22, 2017 Marcus Vinicius rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, miss-marple, agatha-christie

Be Aware of the Details
The village of St Mary Mead experienced a growth (a development): new inhabitants, new houses, new shops. A famous artist arrived and settled in. In the fete given in her new house a woman is murdered. Miss Jane Marple considered the matter. The work of the Scotland Yard and the wisdom of Miss Marple are required to solve the puzzle. As is always the case, the solution depends in careful consideration of the facts. The novel presents Jane Marple in a colorful way with the ...more

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