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readingthroughthelists's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Unlike A Murder is Announced or Murder at the Vicarage, They Do It With Mirrors is a Miss Marple I remembered quite well from the beginning--it’s the one of the few we actually owned growing up, and thus one I read at least three or four times on vacations and road trips.
This did not diminish my enjoyment in the least. Not only is the mystery clever, but the character studies are varied and interesting.
Instead of focusing on just one type of person (or place, in the case of Bertram’s Hotel), here we get a variety: the insightful-but-absent elderly grandame, the philanthropist willing to dispense with morality to achieve his ends, the unstable but earnest mental patient, and the young woman who must choose to either remain a spoiled child or step into the role of an adult.
It’s a colorful cast, and Miss Marple is right in the thick of the mystery from the beginning (rare for a Miss Marple story).
This is also a story with a happy ending, which is, of course, the real reason I re-read They Do It With Mirrors so often. Dramas and tragedies have their place, but sometimes it’s nice when it all works out in the end.
This did not diminish my enjoyment in the least. Not only is the mystery clever, but the character studies are varied and interesting.
Instead of focusing on just one type of person (or place, in the case of Bertram’s Hotel), here we get a variety: the insightful-but-absent elderly grandame, the philanthropist willing to dispense with morality to achieve his ends, the unstable but earnest mental patient, and the young woman who must choose to either remain a spoiled child or step into the role of an adult.
It’s a colorful cast, and Miss Marple is right in the thick of the mystery from the beginning (rare for a Miss Marple story).
This is also a story with a happy ending, which is, of course, the real reason I re-read They Do It With Mirrors so often. Dramas and tragedies have their place, but sometimes it’s nice when it all works out in the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
revafisheye's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Note for audiobook readers: The American accents in the edition read by Emilia Fox, especially that of the character Walter Hudd, are so hilariously atrocious that I almost didn't finish the book. There's no mention of his character's region of origin—American is his only identifier—, and the narrator had him traveling from New York to Boston to Atlanta to Dallas, with detours to Glasgow, sometimes within a single sentence. Carrie Louise’s Mid-Atlantic accent was much more stable, with the occasional London R, but that's nitpicking and was only noticable, because Walter had me on alert.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Ableism
thewoodlandbookshelf's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Classism, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs
passionfordeadleaves's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Mental illness, and Ableism
latisha's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Ableism
jetpackdracula's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Mental illness
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Child death, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Racial slurs
hkburke2's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Not my favorite so far by a lot, but definitely a dark atmosphere and gotta love the mention of occupational therapists, even if there's other outdated terminology. It's an old book, and it's got old book problems.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Xenophobia, Racism, and Ableism
poirot's review against another edition
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs and Xenophobia
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