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One Poisoning.
The Mirror Crack'd
The quaint village of St. Mary Mead has been glamourized by screen queen Marina Gregg, who's taken up residence in preparation for her comeback. But when a local fan is poisoned, Marina finds herself starring in a real-life mystery - supported with scene-stealing aplomb by Jane Marple, who suspects that the lethal cocktail was intended for someone else. But who? If it was meant for Marina, then why? And before the final fade-out, who else from St. Mary Mead's cast of seemingly innocent characters is going to be eliminated?Year: 1962
Detective: Miss Marple
Location: England
Detective: Miss Marple
Location: England
Cast of characters
Jane Marple, Chief Inspector Craddock. Also: Arthur and Heather Badcock, Mary Bain, Cherry and Jim Baker, Mrs. Dolly Bantry, Margot Bence, Lola Brewster, Gladys Dixon, Ardwyck Fenn, Dr. Gilchrist, Giuseppe, Marina Gregg, Dr. Haydock, Mrs. Jameson, Miss Knight, Hailey Preston, Jason Rudd, Dr. Sanford, Detective-Sergeant William (Tom) Tiddler, Ella ZielenskyPublishing history
Publishing: First published in 1962 by William Collins Sons & Co. in London, and as 'The Mirror Crack'd' by Dodd, Mead & Co. in New York. Films: The novel was adapted by EMI, released in 1980, starring Angela Lansbury as Jane Marple, with Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Novak as the rival actresses in addition to an all-star cast. The plot remained similar to that of the novel, but the casting of Lansbury in the detective's role made Marple nearly thirty years younger than the Marple in the book. TV: The novel was remade for television by the BBC in 1992, and starred Joan Hickson as an older Jane Marple. This production appeared under the title 'The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'.Notes and reviews
The novel bears a strong similarity to an incident in actress Gene Tierney's life, as recounted in her 1979 autobiography, Self-Portrait; During World War II, Tierney gave birth to a mentally retarded, hearing- and sight-impaired daughter, conditions which resulted from the German measles that Tierney had contracted early in the pregnancy. Some years later, the actress met a young woman who was a former marine and had met Tierney during a World War II appearance. She told the actress that she was such a great fan that, even though the women's camp was under strict quarantine for German measles, she had sneaked out of camp to meet and shake hands with Tierney.Murder methods:
One Gunshot.One Poisoning.