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From A Teacher’s Guide to Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap and Other Plays:Mollie and Giles Ralston are opening their guesthouse, Monkswell Manor, for its first guests. They are new to the business and struggle with the details and an unusually heavy snowstorm. They hear on the radio that a Mrs. Maureen Lyon has been murdered in London and the suspect is wearing a dark overcoat, light scarf, and soft felt hat. Giles is wearing similar outerwear, as are many of the guests. After all the guests have settled in, Mollie receives a phone call from the police station. She is informed that Sergeant Trotter will be coming to the Manor and everyone must fully cooperate with him.
The Sergeant arrives on skis, informing everyone that a notebook was found at the London crime scene, listing the address at which the murder occurred and also that of Monkswell Manor, implying that the guesthouse could be the site of a second murder. Soon after his arrival, the phone lines go dead and all are stranded at the guesthouse in the snowstorm.
Sergeant Trotter informs the group that the rhyme “Three Blind Mice” was written below the addresses, and a picture ofthree little mice and a bar of music were found on the dead woman’s body. Further, the murdered woman was the wife of a farmer named Stanning. They resided on Longridge Farm, not far from Monkswell Manor. The Stannings allegedly neglected and abused children who were in their care. One child died; his two siblings survived. The Stannings were sentenced to prison. Mr. Stanning died in prison, but Mrs. Stanning served her time, was released, and later changed her name. She was the Maureen Lyon who was murdered and found dead in London.
Sergeant Trotter theorizes that the killer is one of the children, most probably the boy since he later served in the army and was diagnosed a schizophrenic. The Sergeant informs the group that any of them could be the next victim. He interrogates them to see if they have any connection with the Stannings or the abused children. All deny any connections, but Mollie later points out that Mrs. Doyle was the magistrate responsible for sending the three children to Longridge Farm. Later that night while the residents are settled throughout the manor, Mrs. Doyle is found strangled.
For the remainder of the play, the residents of the Manor, including Mollie and Giles, suspect each other. Accusatory clues draw attention to characters acting suspiciously. Sergeant Trotter asks the residents to reconstruct Mrs. Boyle’s murder, acting out the actions of each guest while switching roles so as to test the accuracy of their memories. The Sergeant plays Mrs. Boyle. When everyone is in position, he calls for Mollie to come into the parlor. It is then that Trotter reveals that he is Georgie,the surviving boy who was abused by the Stannings. Further, he claims that Mollie was his teacher and that he had sent her a note asking for help which she ignored. Mollie confesses that she was his teacher, but was sick when the note was sent and did not receive it until after the children had left the Stanning’s care. She has lived with the guilt ever since. Georgie attempts to strangle Mollie, but is thwarted by Miss Casewell and Major Metcalf. Miss Casewell confesses that she is Katherine, Georgie’s grown sister. She calmly coaxes Georgie upstairs and gives him a sedative to calm him until the police arrive. Major Metcalf reveals that he is an undercover policeman who has played the role of a guest. He had suspected Trotter all along, but needed proof. The play ends with Mollie and Giles exchanging anniversary presents as the work of their guesthouse continues.
The Sergeant arrives on skis, informing everyone that a notebook was found at the London crime scene, listing the address at which the murder occurred and also that of Monkswell Manor, implying that the guesthouse could be the site of a second murder. Soon after his arrival, the phone lines go dead and all are stranded at the guesthouse in the snowstorm.
Sergeant Trotter informs the group that the rhyme “Three Blind Mice” was written below the addresses, and a picture ofthree little mice and a bar of music were found on the dead woman’s body. Further, the murdered woman was the wife of a farmer named Stanning. They resided on Longridge Farm, not far from Monkswell Manor. The Stannings allegedly neglected and abused children who were in their care. One child died; his two siblings survived. The Stannings were sentenced to prison. Mr. Stanning died in prison, but Mrs. Stanning served her time, was released, and later changed her name. She was the Maureen Lyon who was murdered and found dead in London.
Sergeant Trotter theorizes that the killer is one of the children, most probably the boy since he later served in the army and was diagnosed a schizophrenic. The Sergeant informs the group that any of them could be the next victim. He interrogates them to see if they have any connection with the Stannings or the abused children. All deny any connections, but Mollie later points out that Mrs. Doyle was the magistrate responsible for sending the three children to Longridge Farm. Later that night while the residents are settled throughout the manor, Mrs. Doyle is found strangled.
For the remainder of the play, the residents of the Manor, including Mollie and Giles, suspect each other. Accusatory clues draw attention to characters acting suspiciously. Sergeant Trotter asks the residents to reconstruct Mrs. Boyle’s murder, acting out the actions of each guest while switching roles so as to test the accuracy of their memories. The Sergeant plays Mrs. Boyle. When everyone is in position, he calls for Mollie to come into the parlor. It is then that Trotter reveals that he is Georgie,the surviving boy who was abused by the Stannings. Further, he claims that Mollie was his teacher and that he had sent her a note asking for help which she ignored. Mollie confesses that she was his teacher, but was sick when the note was sent and did not receive it until after the children had left the Stanning’s care. She has lived with the guilt ever since. Georgie attempts to strangle Mollie, but is thwarted by Miss Casewell and Major Metcalf. Miss Casewell confesses that she is Katherine, Georgie’s grown sister. She calmly coaxes Georgie upstairs and gives him a sedative to calm him until the police arrive. Major Metcalf reveals that he is an undercover policeman who has played the role of a guest. He had suspected Trotter all along, but needed proof. The play ends with Mollie and Giles exchanging anniversary presents as the work of their guesthouse continues.