Dead Man's Mirror [Paperback]

Agatha Christie (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: NY (1980)
• ASIN: B000N6KE70
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic example of the "closed room" genre., January 6, 2007

By 

Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dead Man's Mirror (Mystery Masters) (Audio CD)

Also known as _Murder in the Mews_, this unabridged audiobook with Hugh Fraser is light entertainment in classic Agatha Christie style. Originally written in 1931, the book depicts the declining country house society and its ways of life, post World War I, within a clever mystery. Sir Gervase Chevenix-Gore, owner of a sizeable estate, has written to famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, demanding that he come to England to meet with him.

Before Poirot arrives, Sir Gervaise is discovered dead, shot in the head, a gun by his hand, and a letter saying "Sorry" on his desk, an apparent suicide. The study and windows are locked from the inside. Numerous relatives, guests, and employees of Sir Gervase are in attendance throughout the weekend, including his ditsy wife, one of his friends (who has always been openly in love with his wife), his adopted daughter, his nephew (the person who will inherit his title) and his girlfriend, a woman hired to write a biography of the family, the estate manager, a private secretary, etc.

As they relate their whereabouts at the time that the shot or champagne cork or car backfire was heard, the immense size and configuration of the estate become clear, and as Poirot investigates the suicide that he is convinced is murder, the listener is struck by the arrogance of Sir Gervase and the expectations of the guests. None have much conception of the outside world, and several have motives for murder. As always, Christie drops small clues, leading the reader to form conclusions about who did what to whom, then springs a surprise ending.

Hugh Fraser does yeoman's service playing all the voices on this recording without overacting, reflecting subtle class differences and personalities in the process. His French accent for Poirot is controlled, and his diction is superb. The audio moves quickly, making this a fine, light entertainment. n Mary Whipple

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Typical Poirot is lots of fun, April 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead Man's Mirror (Audio Editions Mystery Masters) (Audio Cassette)

This book follows the same old Agatha Christie/Hercule Poirot formula. And, like macaroni & cheese or mashed potatoes, I found this murder mystery comforting and delightful in its familiarity. A collection of relatives and friends gather at a country house, and their dominating and idosyncratic host commits suicide ... or does he? Fortunately, shortly before the fatal shot was fired, the dead man had the foresight to invite Hercule Poirot for a visit. Thank goodness he is there to unravel things, as only he can! If you are looking for a by-the-book fact and/or forensic based mystery, like those by Cornwell or Grafton or Paretsky, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for evocative mood, wit and charm, you'll enjoy yourself.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Available under another title, May 17, 2006

By 

M. Simpson "Fit Lissa" (Peoria, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead Man's Mirror (A Hercule Poirot Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

For those who are unaware, this book is also available under the title 'Murder in the Mews'