“Mrs. Van Rydock moved a little back from the mirror and sighed.”

From Agatha Christie’s They Do It with Mirrors.

At the nervous insistence of her friend, the elderly woman with a penchant for solving crimes, Miss Jane Marple, has found herself staying at a boys reformatory school (Stonygates) that is run by an old, distant friend Carrie Louise.  The home is run by Carrie Louise and her husband (Lewis) who turned a large mansion estate into a thriving dormitory and school for delinquent young boys.  The house is also home to you Carrie’s daughter, Carrie Louise’s granddaughter and her American husband, a dedicated maid, and occasionally two stepsons from Carrie Louise’s previous marriage.  When Miss Marple arrives, she is greeted warmly and enjoys the chance to reconnect with her friend and meet the various members of the extended family and even some of the boys are doing well in the school.  Things go well enough until the expected arrival of Christian (Carrie’s stepson and financial manager of the charity accounts) who arrives one evening and is shot dead shortly there after.  While it should’ve been easy to hear the shot and find the murderer, it took place while the rest of the house was listening to a dangerously heated argument between Lewis and one of the psychologically-delusional boys of the school.  When the police arrive, there is no shortage of suspects and many secrets that are brought to light, but as each discovery confuses police more, Miss Marple begins to notice peculiarities in the case and she starts to solve the crime and protect her friend.

Christie’s skill as a masterful writer of mysteries shines through from the opening lines; Marple’s observations and thoughts are easily translated into a story that is easy to follow.  The characters are very unique so it is easy to keep track of the happenings mentally while reading.  They Do It With Mirrors is a captivating read that is worth every minute of reading!