From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

They Do It With Mirrors (Miss Marple, #5)

Agatha Christie

Start date: December 1, 2025

Finish date: December 31, 2025

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The last book in our 2025 challenge
[close] The last book in our 2025 challenge

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Showing 2 of 171 topics — 7,874 comments total

Group Challenges

* 2026 Challenge
By Susan · 24 posts · 26 views

last updated Oct 17, 2025 02:23AM

* Oct 25: A Murder Is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 16 posts · 16 views

last updated Oct 16, 2025 07:31AM

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What Members Thought

Sep 27, 2017 Judy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: miss-marple-challenge-2017

I've been really enjoying reading the Miss Marple books with the Reading the Detectives group, but this one struck me as pretty weak. (Originally I gave it 3 stars, but, thinking it over, I've knocked this down to 2.) Once again leaving St Mary Mead, Miss Marple goes to stay with an old friend, Carrie Louise, after vague hints that she may be in danger.

To my mind, the setting is unrealistic, as are many of the characters. Carrie and her husband run a somewhat unbelievable private reformatory, w ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2009 Bronwyn rated it liked it

Shelves: european, 2009-reads, audiobook, mystery-detective-suspense, novels, read-multiple-times, series, by-women, author-a-i, 2018-reads

Yeah, 3 stars is about right. Not a bad story, but not great. No one's very memorable, or they're trying too hard to be. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2017 Jan C rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, mystery, rtd-2017-missmarple-challenge, england

Always an enjoyable read. It is not really one of my favorites but even my less favorite Miss Marples are still pretty good.

An outgoing, much married, sister is worried about her less outgoing, but apparently just as much married, sister. They were friends of Jane's from school (or perhaps just finishing school on the Continent). So Ruth finagles a way for Jane to visit Carrie Louise, only slightly exaggerating her financial position.

At first all seems fine, except a little weird. Carrie Louise ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2016 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 25detectiveschallenge

Such fun - I've seen reviews where readers thought this wasn't Miss Marple's best outing, but I didn't remember reading this one, or if I did it was years ago. I think I've seen the Joan Hickson dramatization of it (by far my favorite Marple), but I wasn't as dazzled by it as the over BBC/Marple/Hickson productions, probably because the setting is not at all as glamorous as the other productions.

In this case Miss Marple is visiting the sprawling, rather run down estate of her oldest friend, Car ...more

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Mar 22, 2021 Lillian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-chirp, mystery-vintage-golden-age, read-in-2021

I enjoyed the murder mystery involved in this Miss Marple but some of the characters and relationships were not as intriguing to me. There were several unlikable characters and I found Carrie Louise a little too helpless at times. I usually enjoy Emilia Fox's narration but this time I found some of the voices grating and her male American accent not the best. I am sure a southern drawl is probably the easiest of the American accents though. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 04, 2009 Laura Anne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, british-isles

3.5 stars 2024 Series Re-read: The mechanics of the mystery are fairly easy to spot and the denouement is clunky. But the country-house/reform school setting and large cast (incl. more than usual Miss M. scenes) are quite nice.

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 30, 2017 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery-cozy

I have to say that I do like this story. No clear villain for some time. I believe Ms. Christie did some mirrors with some of the characters as well - even Carrie Louise turned out to be quite different than portrayed.

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