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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
This 1962 novel, published in the U.S. as simply The Mirror Crack'd, offers a fun little murder mystery that's kept me guessing throughout. No one seems to have had any motive that could account for the neighborhood woman's death at the house party of a glamorous movie star resented by many -- so was the wrong cup poisoned, or is something even stranger afoot? Luckily Miss Marple is on hand to push the police in the right direction and conduct her own discreet inquiries, all the while dodging the ageist attentions of her fussy nurse. The solution to the puzzle doesn't quite play as fairly as I'd like, relying as it does on the heroine's background medical knowledge that isn't actually introduced to us as a proper clue in the plot. (Or perhaps the key piece of information was less obscure in the original time and place of publication?) Yet regardless, the characters are engaging and the setting captures a nice snapshot of how author Agatha Christie's iconic quiet English villages were changing as the twentieth century barreled along. I appreciate the slight ambiguity of the ending, as well.
[Content warning for suicide and racism including slurs.]
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[Content warning for suicide and racism including slurs.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2022: A book with a reflected image on the cover or "mirror" in the title
I'm very familiar with the plot of this one because it has, in my opinion, one of the cleverest motives in Christie-dom.
Sadly, although it bounces along well enough as a read, it just can't compete with the gorgeous 2010 TV version. I've been spoilt by these stories being brought to life on the screen and the original material doesn't quite compare.
Is that a sacrilegious thing to say? Agatha Christie is a genius plotter and without these books, none of my favourite television would exist!
Still, as a reading experience, I don't always enjoy these as much as I'd like.
I'm very familiar with the plot of this one because it has, in my opinion, one of the cleverest motives in Christie-dom.
Sadly, although it bounces along well enough as a read, it just can't compete with the gorgeous 2010 TV version. I've been spoilt by these stories being brought to life on the screen and the original material doesn't quite compare.
Is that a sacrilegious thing to say? Agatha Christie is a genius plotter and without these books, none of my favourite television would exist!
Still, as a reading experience, I don't always enjoy these as much as I'd like.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another great mystery from Agatha Christie. Enjoyed it a lot.
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No