"The Thirteen Problems" - The Seventh Problem Quiz

Answer: Col. Arthur Bantry

It is at this point in the book that the people telling and trying to solve the mysteries change. Miss Marple is invited to the home of Colonel and Dolly Bantry after Sir Henry Clithering is also invited to dinner and asked who he would like to bring along.

Answer: Zarida

Mrs. Pritchard is a woman who has health problems. One day, while her husband and nurse are out she arranges for a psychic to come to visit her. This psychic is named Zarida.

Answer: Blue

Mrs. Pritchard had some blue violets in a vase which caused Zarida some shock. She was warned that blue was a colour which was dangerous to her.

Answer: Blue Hollyhock

Mrs. Pritchard was told that the blue hollyhock meant danger.
The blue primrose meant a warning and the blue geranium meant death.

Answer: Carstairs

Nurse Carstairs had previously worked for the Pritchards but had left to be replaced by Nurse Copling.

Answer: 8:30 a.m.

Mrs. Pritchard usually woke at 8:00 a.m. but no-one was concerned when she did not wake at that time. At 8:30 Nurse Copling knocked on the door only to get no response. Mr. Pritchard managed to open the door and found her dead.

Answer: True

Mrs. Pritchard was exhumed but nothing was discovered which could indicate any foul play.

Answer: Jean Instow

Mr. Pritchard and Jean Instow had long been friends and the Bantrys say that she was good at sports and had other qualities which meant that she would be well suited to him. However, they had seen less and less of each other since his wife's death. Probably due to each having suspicions about the other.

Answer: Nurse Copling

It was discovered that Zarida's address was non-existent. But as Nurse Copling had written there and recieved a reply, Miss Marple realises that she must have been Zarida all along.

Answer: Cyanide

Cyanide of potassium was placed inside the smelling salts bottle so that the fumes could turn the pink flowered wallpaper that had been covered with litmus paper blue. Then when Mrs. Pritchard saw this and used her smelling salts, she would be poisoning herself.