The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is a Miss Marple novel by Agatha Christie. It was first published in 1962.

When Miss Marple suffers a fall, a neighbor named Heather Braddock takes care of her. She gushes about actress Marina Gregg, who is moving into the neighborhood. Marina and her new husband Jason Rudd throw a party to mark the occasion and celebrate St. John Ambulance. Marina at the party accidentally spills Heather's drink when they meet, offering her own as an apology. A few minutes later, Heather falls down dead. The drink was poisoned, just as Marina was about to have it.

Miss Marple is technically out of commission, but she takes to solving the mystery as friends and acquaintances relate details to her. Who would want to poison Marina? And what skeletons in her closet would motivate the killer?


 * An Aesop: Courtesy of the Reveal at. the end:.
 * All Abusers Are Male: Subverted with Jason and Marina, if you read between the lines. The cops do investigate him to see if he slipped the drugs into her daiquiri but he has an alibi, and Jason is clearly devoted to Marina..
 * Ambiguous Disorder: On-camera, Marina Gregg is professional and charming. Off-camera, her managers and family know that she is prone to mood swings and can be cruel, forcing them to keep an eye on her. It's never confirmed if it was the stress of being an actress, having a sick baby, or any mental illness.
 * Asshole Victim: Zigzagged with Heather. While she could be a bit talkative and insensitive, there is the fact that her Establishing Character Moment is helping Miss Marple recover from a bad fall. Miss Marple herself says that.
 * Bittersweet Ending: Before Miss Marple can bring Heather's killer and Marina's would-be assassin to justice, she finds out.
 * Chekhov's Gun: Heather Braddock told anyone she knew about how Marina was her favorite actor, and went to get an autograph from her while sick in Bermuda..
 * Didn't Think This Through:
 * Ella Zielinsky goes around making anonymous phone calls accusing random people of killing Heather. People realized it was her because the caller was sneezing, and she has hay fever..
 * Miss Marple deduces that
 * Don't Ask, Just Run: Miss Marple sends Gladys away on vacation, ordering her not to tell anyone where she's going. It's because Gladys saw something at the party, and the killer might take the initiative to shut her up.
 * Everyone Has Standards: Margot, revealed to be one of Marina's adopted and abandoned children, was at the party. When questioned, she says that she may hate her adoptive mother for treating her like a discarded toy, but she didn't want to kill Marina. Margot attended and hoped that Marina would recognize her, and that maybe they could talk. Marina didn't even look at her, convincing Margot there was nothing to save.
 * Never Suicide: Discussed; Miss Marple doesn't know for certain if.
 * Nice Character, Mean Actor: Downplayed with Marina. She remains professional when talking with fans who praise her performance, but her adoptive children says that she uses people like things. Marina adopted them but sent them away after becoming pregnant with her own baby..
 * Shout-Out: The novel's title comes from the poem "The Lady of Shallott," which Miss Bantry quotes to Miss Marple after witnessing the murder at the party.