Maria/Marla

I have been reading again. I say that almost as if it is something I need to come clean about. Like it isn't something I am supposed to be doing or spending my time on. I've been told I shouldn't act that way but it always seems to me that I can spend a lot of time with my nose buried in a book. I guess it isn't any worse than a lot of other things I could be doing.
I have recently been reading a series of books that I have been enjoying very much and I came across a curiosity in the last one I read that has nothing to do with the story. Things like this always grab my attention away from what is going on in the book. It always makes me wonder how they happen.
A good way into this particular book it mentioned the name of an ex-wife of a character. This ex-wife was only mentioned and was never a big part of the story line. The first time the character talked about her, he called her by the name Maria. Good. Fine. Keep reading. Two paragraphs later she was called Marla, then Marla again.
Okay, I’m thinking. It was only two paragraphs ago, on the same page. I went back and read through that entire section again. I tried not to let it bother me but it she was definitely called Maria then Marla.
So what happened? Did the author not like Maria and meant to change it to Marla but didn’t catch it the first time? Was it handwritten and the typist didn’t know if it was an i or an L? No one caught this?
I tried to let it go…but of course, many chapters later toward the end of the book this ex-wife is mentioned again. She is mentioned again as both Maria and Marla.
So what’s going on? Is the author messing with me? Did she do it on purpose or was it a mistake and on whose part? The author, the typist, the print setter, the proof-reader, editor, anyone?
Is this one of those things in books like the subtle, subliminal things that movies try sometimes? I don’t miss those either if I ever watch a movie.
Maybe I do spend too much time reading.
TT