**spoiler alert** A 3.5. Minus Troy, Alleyn is in Rome tracking down key players in a drug ring. He becomes involved in the investigation of a murder **spoiler alert** A 3.5. Minus Troy, Alleyn is in Rome tracking down key players in a drug ring. He becomes involved in the investigation of a murder and a missing blackmailer. Lots of suspects with Major Sweet, the Dutch couple, Kenneth and his wealthy Aunt and Grant an author. The decadent Sonia, Lady Braceley and her nephew the Hon. Kenneth Dorne are depicted with distaste.
The setting is in at the Basilica of San Tommaso in Pallaria. Great characterizations and an atmospheric setting that captures the sights and sounds f Rome. Some of the attitudes were a bit dated and stereotypical.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The fact that the Italian police close the case by pinning the murders on Major Sweet. In reality the Baron strangles the nasty Mr Mailer who was blackmailing him. Mailer was threatening to reveal he was married to his half sister. Interestingly, Alleyn thought the Baron was the nicest murderer he had ever met and doesn’t pursue or arrest him.
**spoiler alert** This was a late Marsh set in a cosy Kentish village in the 1970s. Alleyn and Fox are called in to investigate a suspicious death at **spoiler alert** This was a late Marsh set in a cosy Kentish village in the 1970s. Alleyn and Fox are called in to investigate a suspicious death at a spa. Was it suicide or murder? The familiar class distinctions are made with the faded aristocracy, nouveau rich, the servants and a doctor and vicar thrown in as well as the black sheep of the family Claude.
The victims reluctant friend Verity is drawn into the machinations of everyone. I enjoyed this familiar read of manners and snobbery.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We all hope it is the fake doctor Basil who surprisingly is in the victims will. I did find it odd Alleyn never prosecuted or charged him with fraud when they discovered he was a fake doctor. Claude the next obvious suspect is a blackmailer and petty criminal. Alas poor Claude blackmails the murderer Bruce the gardener who was also in the Will. The motive a rare stamp and £25000. The digging up of Lady Foster’s grave in the rain is a particular macabre touch.
**spoiler alert** SPOILERS AHEAD IN LAST PARAGRAPH
Alleyn meets Troy for the first time in the sixth book and falls in love. Of course the path to tru**spoiler alert** SPOILERS AHEAD IN LAST PARAGRAPH
Alleyn meets Troy for the first time in the sixth book and falls in love. Of course the path to true love is full of obstacles. They meet on a boat leaving Suva where it does not go well and Alleyn thinks Troy dislikes him.
In England a murder takes place near Alleyn’s mothers home and coincidentally Troy’s house. The model for her students is murdered. One of Troy’s class of students is a murderer and Alleyn must find out who is the murderer.
Lots of suspects with Garcia top of the list. Basil Pilgrim, his beautiful fiancée Seacliff, Malmsey, Ormerin, Hackett, Katti or Phillida Lee. One of them killed the temperament model Sonia. Once again Fox is plodding along and the annoying journalist Nigel Bathgate.
SPOILERS
Surprisingly I deduced the murderer. Once the body of Garcia was discovered horribly murdered with nitric acid it could only be one of two people. The motive also for Seacliff was the biggest. She would lose her opportunity to be married to Basil. Garcia would continue to blackmail her with the nude portraits. Only her and Basil had access to a car to move the sculpture with the caravan, the cut on her hand and the fibs about hating horses and the location of the warehouse all led to her as the brutal murderess.
An excellent mystery. Mary Bellamy an aging, narcissistic theatre actress is having her fiftieth birthday. The stage **spoiler alert** SPOILERS AHEAD
An excellent mystery. Mary Bellamy an aging, narcissistic theatre actress is having her fiftieth birthday. The stage is set. She see’s conspiracy and plots against her. Her husband Peter Temperton, his ward Richard Daker’s, Colonel Warrender, Pinky, Bertie, Florence the dresser and the ageing nanny all feel Mary’s anger.
Just before the unwrapping of the birthday presents Mary is found dead in her bedroom where it appears she sprayed herself with the deadly pesticide Slaypest. Lots of suspects. Alleyn and Fox are soon on the scene. The Conservatory where Mary let lose her wrath on several suspects is a focus with the investigation. What was said?
The red herrings are excellent. I thought Pinky was the murderer when in fact it was Mary’s husband. His motive bizarrely was she had revealed she was the mother of Richard and his cousin Colonel Warrender the father. There was also a hint she was going mad and becoming mentally unstable.
An easy read. Alleyn is on the Cape Farewell ship sailing to Capetown. One of the passengers is a murderer. Three women have been strangled in London An easy read. Alleyn is on the Cape Farewell ship sailing to Capetown. One of the passengers is a murderer. Three women have been strangled in London the last one had clenched in her hand a torn piece of the embankment notice given to passengers. The ship is a freighter which also takes several passengers.
Alleyn goes aboard as a passenger and is up against a Captain who refuses to believe a murderer is on board. The murderer is a man. Alleyn manages to get the alibis from the passengers and eliminates a few as suspects.
Who did it? Mr Merryman the bachelor pedantic teacher, Mr Cuddy with his wife, Mr McAngus or is it Mr Dale the television star who likes to play practical jokes. There is a nice twist with the final victim and an enjoyable read with good characterisations....more
An unusual mystery with so few suspects. Sheridan the dubious tenant in the basement flat of Mr Whipplestone’s flat, **spoiler alert** SPOILERS AHEAD
An unusual mystery with so few suspects. Sheridan the dubious tenant in the basement flat of Mr Whipplestone’s flat, the Chubb’s,the disgusting Sanskrit brother and sister or the drunken Colonel Cockburn-Montfort and his wife.
Alleyn’s old school friend Boomer visits the UK. He is now President of an African country. An assassination attempt is made on his life and the Ambassador is mistakenly killed or is he?Troy appears to paint a portrait of Boomer and Lucy Lockett the extraordinary cat provides a few clues.
The language is a bit dated with racist overtones throughout but the setting and plot is good. The Colonel though as the murderer managed to kill both the horrible Sanskrit’s efficiently which seemed unlikely. Boomer was happy that he did not have to let his spies return to his country as they were nasty people. ...more
This story set in a quintessential English village is entertaining and I failed to identify the murderer. Mr Pyke Peri**spoiler alert** SPOILERS AHEAD
This story set in a quintessential English village is entertaining and I failed to identify the murderer. Mr Pyke Period is a snob living with Harry Cartell a solicitor. After a lunch party a cigarette case goes missing and Harry suspects his niece and her dodgy boyfriend Leonard.
After a party that night Harry is found murdered in a newly dug ditch with his skull crushed by a heavy pipe. There are several suspects with Andrew needing his inheritance, Pyke who wants him to keep quiet about his genealogy and Leonard and Moppet as well as Andrews mother and dodgy stepfather. There is also Connie who spoils and dots on her niece a spoilt brat.
In the end it is revealed that Connie is the murderess and she also tries to kill Pyke. I thought the motive for the murder was weak in her niece not going to prison because of stealing a valuable cigarette case. Still a good golden mystery with Alleyn and Fox on the job. ...more
Another great whodunnit. Alleyn and Fox investigate the murder of a friend of Alleyn. The scene is the debutante season in London. Two women are beingAnother great whodunnit. Alleyn and Fox investigate the murder of a friend of Alleyn. The scene is the debutante season in London. Two women are being blackmailed, but who is the blackmailer.
Troy also in the story and Alleyn is after her love although she is playing hard to get. Lord Robert Gospell is a wonderful character in fact all the characterisations are excellent. Dimitri the oily caterer, the smooth Doctor Davidson, Donald tricked by the unscrupulous cad Withers, the husbands of the two women being blackmailed one being pompous and the other befuddled.
Butlers, valets, cab driver and other minor characters all well described and depicted. Very atmospheric with the night of the murder of course being foggy.
I really enjoyed this mystery and would like to see a tv or film adaptation. ...more
**spoiler alert** A cosy mystery set in the quintessential English village Swevenings. A murder takes place beside a stream Colonel Cartarette is foun**spoiler alert** A cosy mystery set in the quintessential English village Swevenings. A murder takes place beside a stream Colonel Cartarette is found dead with his faithful spaniel Skip beside him. Nurse Kettle finds the body and raises the alarm.
Alleyn and Fox are soon on the case. The suspects are many. Kitty his wife, George infatuated with Kitty, Phin with the battle of the trout, Commander Sync an alcoholic expert archer, Mark the fiancé of Rose the victim’s daughter as well as the obese Lady Lacklander.
An enjoyable read with lots of red herrings or trouts. The scales of trout and their uniqueness were interesting and the class aspect. Blue Bloods aghast with motives of memoirs being published and disgrace as well as one person wanting to be higher in class.
I wonder if Marsh had a penchant for female murderers as the last Alleyn mystery also had a female murderer. ...more
A Xmas mystery. An isolated house where all the servants were once convicted of murder. Troy is painting Hillary the owner and an avowed eccentric snoA Xmas mystery. An isolated house where all the servants were once convicted of murder. Troy is painting Hillary the owner and an avowed eccentric snob keen on the rehabilitation of criminals. Moult the Colonels manservant disappears after delivering presents. Where is he? What has happened?
Moult was hated by the servants and the colonel and his wife are reticent with Smith the partner of Hillary a bit of a joker. Cressida Totternam the beautiful fiancé and actress of Hillary is to good to be true and anyone who hates cats in my book is a suspect.
What Marsh does well is set the wintry scene and develops the characters so they are not one dimensional. I enjoyed the humor and plot development of thus story. Alleyn arrived and was curtailed into investigating. The murderer is there with the clues. ...more
Nothing like a Ngaio Marsh mystery. This one is set on a river cruise told initially by Troy who is on the cruise and suspects something is amiss. TheNothing like a Ngaio Marsh mystery. This one is set on a river cruise told initially by Troy who is on the cruise and suspects something is amiss. The unusually named international criminal Jampot a very odd name who is a murderer, forger, thief and ruthless.
The sedate river cruise is set in Constable country with a butterfly collector, a Ethiopian doctor, eccentric spinster who is very annoying, a cockney real estate owner and two Americans a brother and sister.
Murder takes place with Alleyn turning up late in the story with the loyal trusty Fox. The setting cruising through idyllic villages and the many suspects make an excellent read. ...more
This Alleyn mystery is set in a New Zealand isolated sheep farm where Mrs Rubrick a woman not well liked and a busy body is murdered. She is put in a This Alleyn mystery is set in a New Zealand isolated sheep farm where Mrs Rubrick a woman not well liked and a busy body is murdered. She is put in a wool bale and found a few weeks later.
Lots of suspects her nephew Grace who inherits her money, her husband, Ursula her ward or Cliff a boy she lavished with education and ideas above his class and to the chagrin of his communist father. There is also Terrence the secretary who may have a motive. Of is it Markin the valet who worked for a Japanese spy.
The farfetched development of a weapon on an isolated sheep farm is best to ignore. Alleyn arrives to investigate espionage and the murder. Lots of red herrings but the solution if you step back and think about it with the statements of each suspect is solvable....more
Well I deducted the wrong person for the murder. A barrister called Watchman goes to a town in Devon with his cousin Parish and friend Cubitt. He has Well I deducted the wrong person for the murder. A barrister called Watchman goes to a town in Devon with his cousin Parish and friend Cubitt. He has a collision with his car with a lodger at the pub he is staying in called Robert Legge.
Watchman while playing darts suddenly dies. Rat poison, everyone except the publican had a motive. The village is very atmospheric with the coastal landscape the beautiful Decima, eccentric Miss Darragh, Wil the landlords son and Legge the dodgy treasurer with something to hide.
Lots of clues and suspects with red herrings. Sometimes its the most obvious suspect with the biggest motive....more
A good mystery with the murderer one of the actors. Alleyn is in the audience when Felix Gardener shoots dead an actor not liked by anyone. He is a blA good mystery with the murderer one of the actors. Alleyn is in the audience when Felix Gardener shoots dead an actor not liked by anyone. He is a blackmailer, drug addict and cad in every way. Most of the cast have a motive for murder. Nigel Bathgate gets access to the investigation that journalists only dream of nowadays.
The Unicorn theatre is the setting of the murder and most of the investigation. Alleyn in this early book of the series set in 1935 and Marsh is still developing the character. In this story he is sarcastic and quite pompous.
An easy read with enough clues to figure out who the murderer is likely to be. ...more
**spoiler alert** Martyn Tarne an aspiring young kiwi actress comes to London and is robbed. Down to her last pennies she finds a job as a dresser at **spoiler alert** Martyn Tarne an aspiring young kiwi actress comes to London and is robbed. Down to her last pennies she finds a job as a dresser at the Vulcan theatre. Opening night is days away and there are tensions in the cast. Not helped by Dr Rutherford the play writer putting his two cents in. Bennington an actor is hated by everyone including Helena his wife and one of the stars.
The murder and entrance by Inspector Alleyn does not occur till over halfway through the book. The characterizations by Marsh are excellent as are the stage directions. The murderer for me became obvious 15 pages from the end. The motive though for the murder I thought was weak and left me dissatisfied. Blackmail really needs to be stronger than what Bennington had and what was stopping Otto Brud from revealing who wrote the play? Why murder Bennington? ...more
**spoiler alert** The French Riveria, the occult, a possible murder and a kidnapping. Alleyn with Troy and their son Ricky go on a busman’s holiday. H**spoiler alert** The French Riveria, the occult, a possible murder and a kidnapping. Alleyn with Troy and their son Ricky go on a busman’s holiday. He has ben asked to investigate the House of the Silver Goat by the French surete as a spy. Right from the start there is action, did they see a murder from their train carriage in the Chateau or was it charades.
Dr Baradi an Egyptian doctor with the odious Mr Oberon cast a stench of evil and criminality. The elderly Miss Truebody’s appendicitis allows Alleyn to infiltrate the Chateau and Raoul his helpful driver assists him with his fiancée Teresa a maid working at the Chateau.
I enjoyed the story it was a bit weird the kidnapping of Ricky. The whole reveal of Baradi as the murderer was fairly obvious as it could only have been him or Oberon. Some nice descriptions of the french coastal landscape as well as the jumbled up occult practices of Oberon snd his acolytes. ...more
**spoiler alert** Oh what fun. The eccentric Lamprey family was a delight. Roberta Grey or Robin arrived from New Zealand to become embroiled in the m**spoiler alert** Oh what fun. The eccentric Lamprey family was a delight. Roberta Grey or Robin arrived from New Zealand to become embroiled in the murder of the unlikeable uncle with the Lampreys possible suspects. There are also the servants of the murdered Lord, Giggle the chauffeur and Tenterton the maid of the Lords wife Violet who is barking mad.
Inspector Alleyn appears on the scene with the faithful Fox and deciphers the clues to who is the murderer. Some excellent atmospheric descriptions of London and stormy weather. Lots of funny bits with the family speaking french to fix an alibi in front of a constable guarding them. Guess who is a fluent french speaker!
The reveal and grisly aftermath is excellent and the clues are there to who is the murderer. It was so difficult to find good servants in those turbulent times. ...more
Ngaio Marsh second to last novel. Set entirely in New Zealand at a remote lake house on the West Coast of the South Island. Inspector Alleyn with his Ngaio Marsh second to last novel. Set entirely in New Zealand at a remote lake house on the West Coast of the South Island. Inspector Alleyn with his wife Troy there for her to paint a portrait of Isabella Sommita a world famous temperamental opera singer who thanks to a paparazzi photographer is at the end of her tether. Her millionaire boyfriend, Montague Reece, owns the luxurious lake house and has taken her there to recover.
She also plans to perform an aria written just for her– by Rupert her secret young lover. On the night of the performance a storm shuts down the island resort from the mainland. After most of the guests have left the singer is found murdered.
There are numerous suspects. The young lover Rupert humiliated by the show, the paparazzi photographer, her bad tempered maid Maria, her agent, her old tutor or her boyfriend.
The story has a few red herrings, Mafia feuds and Inspector Alleyn puts all the clues together working out who the mysterious Rossi is and the motive. ...more
**spoiler alert** A solid 3 golden mystery tale. The last paragraph reveals the murderer in the review so do not read further if you want to work out **spoiler alert** A solid 3 golden mystery tale. The last paragraph reveals the murderer in the review so do not read further if you want to work out who is the killer.
The wealthy attractive Cara Quayne drops dead after drinking the ritual wine at the House of the Sacred Flame. It’s a shame that nowadays writers and publishers do not do a list of the suspects and a schematic of the scene where the murder took place.
Nigel Bathgate a journalist lives opposite the temple and in a stormy night decides on impulse to attend the service out of curiosity. There he witnesses the horrible and painful death of Cara as she drinks from the goblet during the ceremony.
Enter Scotland Yard's Inspector Roderick Alleyn with the stoic Fox to investigate who from this bizarre cult is the murderer. Drugs, bizarre cult and atmospheric London are all within this mystery.
The suspects are Jasper Garnett the priest in the Temple of the Sacred Flame who is a conman. Or one of the participants in the ceremony. There is Samuel J. Ogden, Church warden, American businessman & investor in The Temple. The wealthy Frenchman Raoul de Ravigny, Church warden and friend of Cara’s. Janie Jenkins, the youngest of the initiates and in love with Maurice Pringle who has a n addiction problem. Lastly there are Ernestine Wade an elderly spinster and Mrs Candour a jealous woman.
Marsh does not seems to like any of the characters and the homophobia is repellent as is Alleyn spiking one of the suspects drinks! Overall if you follow the money you will figure out the murderer. The atmosphere of 1930s London is captured well.
Ogden has the most to gain and is revealed as the murderer as the Temple’s largest shareholder he had the mist to gain. ...more
An entertaining read. Morris dancing with a twist!
Annually in the depths of winter in a remote English village the Dance of the five sons is performedAn entertaining read. Morris dancing with a twist!
Annually in the depths of winter in a remote English village the Dance of the five sons is performed on Sword Wednesday during the Winter Solstice. It has been performed for hundreds of years. The key characters in the dance are "The Fool", "The Hobbyhorse" "and "The teaser" (called "Betty").
Mrs. Bunz, an eccentric German folklorist turns up at Mardian Castle wanting to witness the secretive annual folk dance. She is given short thrift by 94 year old Dame Alice an eccentric snobbish lady of the manor. The dance is performed by miserly and bad tempered William Andersen the local blacksmith with his five sons, Dan, Andy, Ned, Chris and slightly mad Ernie. During the dance, Andersen is found dead in gruesome circumstances.
Superintendent Alleyn arrives with the faithful Fox. There are a lot of motives. Tension between Ernie and his father over the playing of the fool and a dead dog. Beggs an ex RAF pilot running a failing business and wanting the Smithy for a new service station. Class snobbery between different families and the eccentric Mrs Buntz going to any lengths to discover the rest of the dance.
All in all a humorous and well crafted story with a good ending with the reconstruction of the dance and the role of the Hobby horse and Betty.
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