Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie

Reviewed by Anna

Imagine you are inside a guest house. You know there’s a murderer in that house, and they're slowly killing everybody there. Yet you can’t escape, because it is cold and snowy outside, too icy to walk, or drive back to your house. You don’t have any skis or snowboards and, you’re stuck here – with a murderer. What would you do?

In Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie, Molly Davis and Giles Davis are a happy couple who just married. They are settling into their new home and getting used to it. They decide to also set their house up as a guest house for business. Four strangers appear at the house in need of a place to stay, each person having their own reason to. Well, that’s what they claim. A detective, Sergeant Trotter, arrives, as well, and claims that there is a murderer in this house. They all try to figure out who is the murderer, but the killer is just too professional to ever get caught.

One reason I loved this book is because of the suspense that it contained. When the detective, Sergeant Trotter, arrives at Giles’ and Molly’s house and says that there is a murderer in the house, everyone becomes a little frightened. After all, it is the police, but they would not believe it. Soon, someone is murdered, and everyone left becomes scared. The detective asks them questions, but no one is willing to reveal anything. They start accusing each other and blaming anyone who seems the slightest bit suspicious. Even Sergeant Trotter cannot keep them calm.

Another reason I loved this book is because of the plot twist that occurs in the end of the book. In the end, the killer is just about to kill his/her third victim, when all of a sudden, the casualty is saved. At the end of the book, the killer laughs and says, “It’s been such fun–all of it. Pretending! That woman in London, her face when she recognized me. That stupid woman this morning!” The third victim never suspected that person to be the murderer, and there is almost no evidence that he or she is the real murderer.

I would suggest this novel to people who love mystery. It is a little creepy and part horror, so people who are scared easily and/or have ongoing nightmares should not read this book. I would rate this book 9/10 because, in my point of view, it is perfect, except for the fact that it may be a little confusing to some people. Also, I found this story from a collection of Agatha Christie’s mystery and murder books called Three Blind Mice and Other Stories. I suggest you go find this book in the nearest library you can find. It really is a great book!

Dodd, Mead & Company, 235 pages