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They Do It With Mirrors (published in 1952) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her detective Miss Marple.

Ruth Van Rydock, Carrie Louise Serrocold and Jane Marple were all friends together at the same school long before the story opens. Now Ruth, in one of her swift visits, feels something is very wrong at Stonygates, where the Serrocolds live, with some kind of evil directed at Carrie Louise. She asks Jane to help, and Jane agrees to see what she can find out.

Stonygates is the name of a Victorian monstrosity with added wings and outbuildings. It presently serves as home for juvenile delinquent boys – along with a number of psychiatrists and other staff. At night the boys are confined to their own quarters and the family has the central block, where they reside, to themselves. This portion of Stonygates contains the Great Hall, library and kitchen along one side, with a guest quarters, dining room, main hall with its staircase, and a study opposite. The latter rooms have a terrace outside, running the length of the building. The setup of rooms becomes important to the story.

Carrie Louise is delighted to have Jane for a visit. Carrie Louise and her latest husband, Lewis Serrocold, run the establishment. Lewis has always been overenthusiastic about causes – and rejuvenation of his juvenile charges happens to be one he's fascinated by. Mr. Serrocold feels he can remold, remake, and remodel these boys into young men who will really contribute to society rather than taking from it as has been their wont.

Others living permanently at Stonygates include Juliet Bellever, a long time companion, caretaker and friend of Carrie Louise, Gina and Walter Hudd, and Mildred Strete, Carrie's plain daughter by one of her marriages. Gina is Carrie's granddaughter (her mother was adopted before Mildred was born) and Gina's husband Walter is an American. Stephen Restarick, who teaches the boys acting and stagecraft, is also usually present, even though not part of the actual family. He's obviously in love with Gina.

Christian Gulbrandsen, a member of the Board and related to Mildred, comes on an unexpected visit to see Lewis, and everyone assumes he's come to discuss some kind of Board business. After dinner he retires to the guest room in the central block to type a letter while the others congregate in the Great Hall. Shortly afterwards, a fuse is blown and Walter goes to repair it, being handy at all things electrical.

Then a rather strange, paranoid boy named Edgar Lawson comes to confront Lewis Serrocold, screaming that Lewis is his real father. Edgar and Lewis go into Lewis' study and Edgar locks the door behind him. In the dimness, with the lack of light from the blown fuse, all are intent primarily on listening to what's happening behind the locked door. Evidently Edgar has secured a pistol – and he fires it. Everyone except Carrie Louise is concerned that Edgar has shot Mr. Serrocold, but when the door is finally opened, Edgar is in tears, and although there are bullet holes in the wall, Lewis Serrocold is fine. However, Christian Gulbrandsen is dead. He's been shot while sitting at his typewriter.

At that point, Alex Restarick arrives. Alex is Stephen's brother, also associated with the stage, and the most likely suspect since the police who come to investigate find an unaccounted period of time between his arrival in the car and his appearance in the Great Hall.

Mirrors – used by conjurors, and stage scenery – which looks great from the front but is obviously something else from the rear, brings Miss Jane Marple to the realization of how Christian's murder was accomplished. In a confusing mix of embezzlement, attempted poisoning and faked evidence, the murderer is at last discovered – only to die saving his accomplice before he can be brought to trial.

Adapted as Murder with Mirrors in 1985 for television, and again in 1992 for BBC, starring Joan Hickson.

Some elements of the plot were also incorporated into the 1964 film Murder Ahoy!, starring Margaret Rutherford - along with a token tribute to The Mousetrap. Instead of a sprawling Victorian estate, the delinquent boys are housed on board a retired ship called the Battledore, and they go ashore periodically to commit mischief under the direction of their criminal mastermind. Apart from these elements, however, this film is not based on any of Christie's works.

• http://www.all-about-agatha-christie.com/they-do-it-with-mirrors.html

Agatha Christie
Detectives: Hercule Poirot • Miss Marple • Tommy and Tuppence • Ariadne Oliver • Arthur Hastings • Superintendent Battle • Chief Inspector Japp • Parker Pyne
Novels: The Mysterious Affair at Styles • The Secret Adversary • Murder on the Links • The Man in the Brown Suit • The Secret of Chimneys • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd • The Big Four • The Mystery of the Blue Train • The Seven Dials Mystery • The Murder at the Vicarage • The Sittaford Mystery • Peril at End House • Lord Edgware Dies • Murder on the Orient Express • Three Act Tragedy • Why Didn't They Ask Evans? • Death in the Clouds • The A.B.C. Murders • Murder in Mesopotamia • Cards on the Table • Death on the Nile • Dumb Witness • Appointment with Death • And Then There Were None • Murder is Easy • Hercule Poirot's Christmas • Sad Cypress • Evil Under the Sun • N or M? • One, Two, Buckle My Shoe • The Body in the Library • Five Little Pigs • The Moving Finger • Towards Zero • Sparkling Cyanide • Death Comes as the End • The Hollow • Taken at the Flood • Crooked House • A Murder is Announced • They Came to Baghdad • Mrs McGinty's Dead • They Do It with Mirrors • A Pocket Full of Rye • After the Funeral • Hickory Dickory Dock • Destination Unknown • Dead Man's Folly • 4.50 From Paddington • Ordeal by Innocence • Cat Among the Pigeons • The Pale Horse • The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side • The Clocks • A Caribbean Mystery • At Bertram's Hotel • Third Girl • Endless Night • By the Pricking of My Thumbs • Hallowe'en Party • Passenger to Frankfurt • Nemesis • Elephants Can Remember • Postern of Fate • Curtain • Sleeping Murder
As Mary Westmacott: Giant's Bread • Unfinished Portrait • Absent in the Spring • The Rose and the Yew Tree • A Daughter's a Daughter • The Burden
Short story collections: Poirot Investigates • Partners in Crime • The Mysterious Mr. Quin • The Hound of Death • The Thirteen Problems • Parker Pyne Investigates • The Listerdale Mystery • Murder in the Mews • The Regatta Mystery • The Labours of Hercules • Poirot's Early Cases • The Harlequin Tea Set
Plays: Akhnaton • The Mousetrap • Witness for the Prosecution • Verdict • Rule of Three • Fiddlers Three