The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

by Agatha Christie

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side takes readers of Christie back to the setting in which the dramatic opening of the earlier Christie novel, The Body in the Library plays out. Gossington Hall is now the residence of a glamorous but troubled actress, Marina Gregg, but it is as unlucky a residence as ever. This novel is however decidedly less light-hearted than its predecessor.

The character of Marina Gregg is sadly not enough to support the drama in this novel and though a central character to the story she is frequently discussed only in the background as less central characters come to the fore.

The plot of the novel is decent enough - in fact very good, but the real genius in the story is the intensely personal, yet brilliantly disguised motive of the murderer.

The novel has a particularly slow start, providing much time for Miss Marple to reflect disdainfully on encroaching modernity and the spoilage of traditional rural life - interesting enough material if you like that sort of thing, but perfectly dull reading otherwise.

The first murder is fascinating - a woman accidentally murdered after drinking a glass of wine intended for her host - the same Marina Gregg. The dead woman, Heather Badcock is, or rather was a babbling, insensitive sort - the kind of woman who is kind and decent and well meaning, but who is unlikely to consider the consequences of her actions for other people.

Litrev rating 2 / 5