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robinwalter's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
pogodragon's review against another edition
3.0
Another very convoluted plot with a lot of not very sharply drawn characters. Maybe it's my habit of reading in bed before I go to sleep, but trying to keep the list of who was doing what and to whom clear in my brain took more effort than I honestly think this kind of book is worth. I have the next one on my Kindle as well so I'll read that then maybe think about whether I'm going to carry on with more of them or not.
arianarosel8982's review against another edition
3.0
I discovered Ngaio Marsh in college and at the time I liked her Inspector Alleyn better than Christie or Sayers. I still enjoyed this book, bit I tend to like slower character driven mysteries better than these golden age plot driven whodunnits. One of the best things about these books is the humor, Inspector Alleyn is very funny!
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable brain candy. The series is growing on me, but it will never be more than just light fun. I'm good with that.
thereadinghobbit's review against another edition
4.0
It's always such a relief when I read crime novels written by women. Because I like crime, especially the older kind (without the ridicuously short chapters and the constant need to up the shock value) but they're always riddled with sexism and flat female characters. Now I have to say that this book doesn't feature many female characters, but at least they're not all femme fatales or puritan school girls. And the male characters don't have that strange old fashioned kind of desperation to appear 'masculine'. All in all, it's a relief. The story itself was good but not exceptional, although I think it was based on a true crime case, so that might have been why it felt a little muddled. That said, I still felt like I couldn't figure out who the murderer was, until it was revealed, so that's a plus in a murder mystery novel. The writing is clean and clear and perfectly suitable for a crime story, but because it was written in the 30s some slang/expressions confused me somewhat. I really enjoyed this book and will be picking up more of Marsh's work!
smcleish's review against another edition
3.0
Originally published on my blog here in August 2001.
The earliest Ngaio Marsh novels have a rather tentative air which probably would not be tolerated by publishers today. This, her third and the first with a theatrical setting, is the one in which she really hit her stride.
The plot is simple. Journalist Nigel Bathgate, who appears in many of the early novels, takes Inspector Alleyn to a West End play. It is a thriller, which climaxes with a shooting. But this particular night, someone has switched the dummys usually used with real bullets.
It is one of the archetypal plots of crime fiction, reused by Marsh in her last novel, [b:Light Thickens|280869|Light Thickens|Ngaio Marsh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311992845s/280869.jpg|1767118] (whose title also comes from Macbeth). The puzzle here is quite easy, especially given the hint in the mildly amusing foreword. The character of Alleyn is still in the process of development in this novel, though he is already considerably more human than in [b:The Nursing Home Murder|280988|The Nursing Home Murder|Ngaio Marsh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331112661s/280988.jpg|2489838] and [b:A Man Lay Dead|280847|A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1)|Ngaio Marsh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331112594s/280847.jpg|868823].
The earliest Ngaio Marsh novels have a rather tentative air which probably would not be tolerated by publishers today. This, her third and the first with a theatrical setting, is the one in which she really hit her stride.
The plot is simple. Journalist Nigel Bathgate, who appears in many of the early novels, takes Inspector Alleyn to a West End play. It is a thriller, which climaxes with a shooting. But this particular night, someone has switched the dummys usually used with real bullets.
It is one of the archetypal plots of crime fiction, reused by Marsh in her last novel, [b:Light Thickens|280869|Light Thickens|Ngaio Marsh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311992845s/280869.jpg|1767118] (whose title also comes from Macbeth). The puzzle here is quite easy, especially given the hint in the mildly amusing foreword. The character of Alleyn is still in the process of development in this novel, though he is already considerably more human than in [b:The Nursing Home Murder|280988|The Nursing Home Murder|Ngaio Marsh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331112661s/280988.jpg|2489838] and [b:A Man Lay Dead|280847|A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1)|Ngaio Marsh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331112594s/280847.jpg|868823].
carol26388's review against another edition
3.0
Written in 1935, this was the second book for Ngaio Marsh, theater director and eventually one of the ‘greats’ in crime fiction writers. To write it, she drew upon her knowledge of theater and the many types that surround the performing arts. Her knowledge of setting and characters is evident, and I can’t say that I thought any of it felt unrealistic or poorly done.
It opens with an unpleasant scene between producer Joseph Saint (born Simes) and his nephew, Arthur Surbonadier (also born Simes), followed by an equally unpleasant scene with Surbonadier and leading lady Stephanie Vaughan. It primes the reader for the confrontation, and gives initial insight into further interactions of the three. The story continues with Nigel Bathgate, journalist, inviting his friend Detective Inspector Alleyn to a night at the theater and a chance to meet the crew before the show. It’s a fabulous set-up, allowing the reader a bit of insight Alleyn doesn’t know yet, but also priming the tension for what is to come. So many potential targets for so many reasons. The two men take their seats and production of The Rat and the Beaver.
I’m probably a gullible reader, because I was as surprised with the murder as the audience, expecting someone else to be a better candidate. Detective Alleyn gets to work, with the faithful yet equally gullible Nigel as his note-taking sidekick. The theater is examined, the company patted down, alibis checked. A significant portion of the story takes place within the theater, and this part works well. If the characters seem a bit daffy, it’s only because they are acting types, professionally inclined to perform:
“The players walked through the wings and stood quietly in a semi-circle. They looked attentive and businesslike. It was almost as though they had needed the stage and the lights to give them full solidity. They no longer seemed preposterous or even artificial. They were in their right environment and had become real.”
I enjoyed the writing style. I noted the occasional interesting vocabulary word and but didn’t take the time to write any of them down. ‘Het up’ sticks out in my mind, as I believe the savoir and polished Alleyn used it (settle down: I’ve since looked it up and discovered it’s Scottish origins in the mid-19th c.), but it was interesting, as at least one reviewer was bothered by it. I’m not a period reader, so I couldn’t say what’s appropriate or not, but the colloquialisms seemed less ‘proper’ than expected. Still, Marsh is great at setting a scene and creating a mood.
Characters were fun, with Marsh generally stressing the larger-than-life theater type personality. Alleyn still struggles a bit, and I find my 2o18 enculturation stressed by the concept of detection mid-century. Most of it I could likely have forgiven had I been able to understand Alleyn’s personality. I think Marsh was going for a sort of Cary Grant daffy charm crossed with a know-all copper, but it didn’t work. It just felt too inconsistent to have him seriously questioning a witness, telling Bathgate he must leave, allowing him to stay, challenging Bathgate’s incorrect assumptions, and merrily baiting Fox.
Too bad about the plot, though. She keeps suspense going until the very end (literally the last six pages of my book), and perhaps that explains why I found it only mildly satisfying. The beauty of good Christie is that when the hand is shown, I say, ‘oh yes, of course; that makes sense.’ When the denouement occurs, I thought, ‘what?’ and read the motive paragraph again, whereupon I was left with a different but equally unsatisfied feeling. It also failed to explain some of the red herrings and equally odd behavior by another character.
Still, up until that last bit, I enjoyed it. The first part of the book was quite riveting, so I’ll try to focus on that instead of the unsatisfying end. I’ll certainly continue to the next.
It opens with an unpleasant scene between producer Joseph Saint (born Simes) and his nephew, Arthur Surbonadier (also born Simes), followed by an equally unpleasant scene with Surbonadier and leading lady Stephanie Vaughan. It primes the reader for the confrontation, and gives initial insight into further interactions of the three. The story continues with Nigel Bathgate, journalist, inviting his friend Detective Inspector Alleyn to a night at the theater and a chance to meet the crew before the show. It’s a fabulous set-up, allowing the reader a bit of insight Alleyn doesn’t know yet, but also priming the tension for what is to come. So many potential targets for so many reasons. The two men take their seats and production of The Rat and the Beaver.
I’m probably a gullible reader, because I was as surprised with the murder as the audience, expecting someone else to be a better candidate. Detective Alleyn gets to work, with the faithful yet equally gullible Nigel as his note-taking sidekick. The theater is examined, the company patted down, alibis checked. A significant portion of the story takes place within the theater, and this part works well. If the characters seem a bit daffy, it’s only because they are acting types, professionally inclined to perform:
“The players walked through the wings and stood quietly in a semi-circle. They looked attentive and businesslike. It was almost as though they had needed the stage and the lights to give them full solidity. They no longer seemed preposterous or even artificial. They were in their right environment and had become real.”
I enjoyed the writing style. I noted the occasional interesting vocabulary word and but didn’t take the time to write any of them down. ‘Het up’ sticks out in my mind, as I believe the savoir and polished Alleyn used it (settle down: I’ve since looked it up and discovered it’s Scottish origins in the mid-19th c.), but it was interesting, as at least one reviewer was bothered by it. I’m not a period reader, so I couldn’t say what’s appropriate or not, but the colloquialisms seemed less ‘proper’ than expected. Still, Marsh is great at setting a scene and creating a mood.
Characters were fun, with Marsh generally stressing the larger-than-life theater type personality. Alleyn still struggles a bit, and I find my 2o18 enculturation stressed by the concept of detection mid-century. Most of it I could likely have forgiven had I been able to understand Alleyn’s personality. I think Marsh was going for a sort of Cary Grant daffy charm crossed with a know-all copper, but it didn’t work. It just felt too inconsistent to have him seriously questioning a witness, telling Bathgate he must leave, allowing him to stay, challenging Bathgate’s incorrect assumptions, and merrily baiting Fox.
Too bad about the plot, though. She keeps suspense going until the very end (literally the last six pages of my book), and perhaps that explains why I found it only mildly satisfying. The beauty of good Christie is that when the hand is shown, I say, ‘oh yes, of course; that makes sense.’ When the denouement occurs, I thought, ‘what?’ and read the motive paragraph again, whereupon I was left with a different but equally unsatisfied feeling. It also failed to explain some of the red herrings and equally odd behavior by another character.
Still, up until that last bit, I enjoyed it. The first part of the book was quite riveting, so I’ll try to focus on that instead of the unsatisfying end. I’ll certainly continue to the next.
lnatal's review against another edition
3.0
Roderick Alley series:
3* A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn, #1)
3* Enter a Murderer (Roderick Alleyn, #2)
4* Death in a White Tie (Roderick Alleyn, #7)
3* Death of a Peer (Roderick Alleyn, #10)
3* Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn, #11)
3* Night at the Vulcan (Roderick Alleyn, #16)
3* When in Rome (Roderick Alleyn, #26)
TR The Nursing Home Murder (Roderick Alleyn, #3)
TR Death in Ecstasy (Roderick Alleyn, #4)
TR Vintage Murder (Roderick Alleyn, #5)
TR Artists in Crime (Roderick Alleyn, #6)
TR Overture to Death (Roderick Alleyn, #8)
TR Death at the Bar (Roderick Alleyn, #9)
TR Colour Scheme (Roderick Alleyn, #12)
TR Died in the Wool (Roderick Alleyn, #13)
TR Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn, #14)
TR A Wreath for Rivera (Roderick Alleyn, #15)
TR Spinsters in Jeopardy (Roderick Alleyn, #17)
TR Scales of Justice (Roderick Alleyn, #18)
TR Death of a Fool (Roderick Alleyn, #19)
TR Singing in the Shrouds (Roderick Alleyn, #20)
TR False Scent (Roderick Alleyn, #21)
TR Hand in Glove (Roderick Alleyn, #22)
TR Dead Water (Roderick Alleyn, #23)
TR Killer Dolphin (Roderick Alleyn, #24)
TR Clutch of Constables (Roderick Alleyn, #25)
TR Tied Up In Tinsel (Roderick Alleyn, #27)
TR Black As He's Painted (Roderick Alleyn, #28)
TR Last Ditch (Roderick Alleyn, #29)
TR A Grave Mistake (Roderick Alleyn, #30)
TR Photo Finish (Roderick Alleyn, #31)
TR Light Thickens (Roderick Alleyn, #32)
3* A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn, #1)
3* Enter a Murderer (Roderick Alleyn, #2)
4* Death in a White Tie (Roderick Alleyn, #7)
3* Death of a Peer (Roderick Alleyn, #10)
3* Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn, #11)
3* Night at the Vulcan (Roderick Alleyn, #16)
3* When in Rome (Roderick Alleyn, #26)
TR The Nursing Home Murder (Roderick Alleyn, #3)
TR Death in Ecstasy (Roderick Alleyn, #4)
TR Vintage Murder (Roderick Alleyn, #5)
TR Artists in Crime (Roderick Alleyn, #6)
TR Overture to Death (Roderick Alleyn, #8)
TR Death at the Bar (Roderick Alleyn, #9)
TR Colour Scheme (Roderick Alleyn, #12)
TR Died in the Wool (Roderick Alleyn, #13)
TR Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn, #14)
TR A Wreath for Rivera (Roderick Alleyn, #15)
TR Spinsters in Jeopardy (Roderick Alleyn, #17)
TR Scales of Justice (Roderick Alleyn, #18)
TR Death of a Fool (Roderick Alleyn, #19)
TR Singing in the Shrouds (Roderick Alleyn, #20)
TR False Scent (Roderick Alleyn, #21)
TR Hand in Glove (Roderick Alleyn, #22)
TR Dead Water (Roderick Alleyn, #23)
TR Killer Dolphin (Roderick Alleyn, #24)
TR Clutch of Constables (Roderick Alleyn, #25)
TR Tied Up In Tinsel (Roderick Alleyn, #27)
TR Black As He's Painted (Roderick Alleyn, #28)
TR Last Ditch (Roderick Alleyn, #29)
TR A Grave Mistake (Roderick Alleyn, #30)
TR Photo Finish (Roderick Alleyn, #31)
TR Light Thickens (Roderick Alleyn, #32)
offmessage's review against another edition
2.0
This one just didn't do it for me, I'm afraid. I found it cluttered, almost scattergun in the delivery of clues, and the way she presented Alleyn's solving of the crime quite early on, leaving Bathgate (and me) in the dark was incredibly frustrating.
It does contain some great words that have fallen into disuse though, which was fun in its own right :)
It does contain some great words that have fallen into disuse though, which was fun in its own right :)