Mrs Dickens is a non-canonical character created for the Agatha Christie's Marple adaptation By the Pricking of My Thumbs. She is a village parallel used by Miss Marple. According to Miss Marple, Mrs Dickens was the publican's wife in St. Mary Mead. Upright and reliable, she was the last person who would commit a crime. But when finances were difficult after the war, the alcoholic drinks in the pub tended to taste a little weak. Based on this parallel, Miss Marple discounts Miss Packard as a plausible murderer of Aunt Ada in the nursing home. Miss Marple knew Miss Packard had a good heart, but suspects she had been diluting the tonic to make it go a little further.