Scan barcode
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Ngaio Marsh is always good for a quick read. In this case, while I'd read it before, it was so long ago that I'd forgotten whodunit -- guessed some of the plot twists, but not all. As this one takes place in a renovated old theater, and is set among theater people ... quite fun for me.
tarshka's review against another edition
3.0
This was the last one I read in my quest to finish the Ngaio Marsh books. I didn't find it all that interesting or bad. So pretty neutral for me.
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
3.0
Found in a used bookstore bin; I read some Roderick Alleyn books years ago. This was good but so dated! First published 1966 but seems even older than that. To be fair, I didn't figure out the mystery's ending and did enjoy some of the story but never felt connected to the characters.
leslierholm's review against another edition
5.0
I have just about completed replacing all my Ngaio Marsh mysteries, and this one has always been my favorite. Once again Alleyn solving a murder at the theater when writer/director/producer Peregrin Jay writes a play about an artifact he sees; the actual glove of Hamnet Shakespeare, made by his grandfather and passed down by Joan Hart. The glove is on display at the newly refurbished Dolphin Theater.
We receive very good clues and hints throughout and there is a decent chance of figuring out who the murderer is - and why. But of course, there are red herrings and everyone seems to act suspiciously.
One thing I am so grateful to Marsh for is her reluctance to throw in a new murder whenever she thinks we might be becoming bored. Most often in her books it's one and done, thankfully. If anyone is new to the Roderick Alleyn mysteries, this one is a very good place to start.
We receive very good clues and hints throughout and there is a decent chance of figuring out who the murderer is - and why. But of course, there are red herrings and everyone seems to act suspiciously.
One thing I am so grateful to Marsh for is her reluctance to throw in a new murder whenever she thinks we might be becoming bored. Most often in her books it's one and done, thankfully. If anyone is new to the Roderick Alleyn mysteries, this one is a very good place to start.
maplessence's review against another edition
5.0
I can see it's flaws, but I can't help it - I just love this book
This is all the more surprising as I am not a big Marsh fan. I think this one was the first Marsh I read and maybe that explains my love for it.
The Dolphin Theatre is described with such love and detail. Ms Marsh is totally at home with her theatrical characters and she also makes them believable as people from the sixties - my favourite decade! I don't think the murder was as important to Marsh in this mystery, as the fun she was having with the setting.
Alleyn and Fox are witty together without Marsh making Alleyn too arch - Marsh is prone to do that. No Troy is a bonus. Troy and Alleyn's relationship has never seemed believable or comfortable to me.
Lovely, escapist fare!
This is all the more surprising as I am not a big Marsh fan. I think this one was the first Marsh I read and maybe that explains my love for it.
The Dolphin Theatre is described with such love and detail. Ms Marsh is totally at home with her theatrical characters and she also makes them believable as people from the sixties - my favourite decade! I don't think the murder was as important to Marsh in this mystery, as the fun she was having with the setting.
Alleyn and Fox are witty together without Marsh making Alleyn too arch - Marsh is prone to do that. No Troy is a bonus. Troy and Alleyn's relationship has never seemed believable or comfortable to me.
Lovely, escapist fare!
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshessonovel.wordpress.com
caroparr's review against another edition
3.0
Marsh is often at her best in a theater setting, which allows her to present a motley crew of characters in a confined space. Peregrine is charming, and Alleyn cuts to the chase as usual.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me FOREVER to read -- partly because I started it during the pandemic, partly because it was the book I set aside for reading in waiting rooms or lines or such (which were in short supply because pandemic), and partly because it took forever to get the point.
I am normally a big fan of this author and of Inspector R. Alleyn and his compatriots and their method of solving crime. This book was not as engaging. Part of that is because Insepctor Alleyn doesn't even appear in the first third of the book, which is likewise devoid of crime. The background was interesting and turned out to be useful, but I did not become attached to any of these characters and therefore I was not compelled to read about them. Once I finally got to the part where the murder happened, I became more interested and it only took me a few days to get around to finishing the book. I'm still not certain exactly how Alleyn came to deduce whodunit, but I was pleased to be given a bit of background on that character and his connection to the man of mystery in the book. Not my favorite in the series, but probably would have been read more quickly and enjoyed more under different circumstances.
I am normally a big fan of this author and of Inspector R. Alleyn and his compatriots and their method of solving crime. This book was not as engaging. Part of that is because Insepctor Alleyn doesn't even appear in the first third of the book, which is likewise devoid of crime. The background was interesting and turned out to be useful, but I did not become attached to any of these characters and therefore I was not compelled to read about them. Once I finally got to the part where the murder happened, I became more interested and it only took me a few days to get around to finishing the book. I'm still not certain exactly how Alleyn came to deduce whodunit, but I was pleased to be given a bit of background on that character and his connection to the man of mystery in the book. Not my favorite in the series, but probably would have been read more quickly and enjoyed more under different circumstances.
sergei_ter_tumasov's review against another edition
4.0
[a:Ngaio Marsh|68144|Ngaio Marsh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1237946649p2/68144.jpg] в своем репертуаре! Но репертуар этот мне стал уже немного надоедать! В начале серии описывались разные события, связанные не только с профессиональной деятельностью главного героя, и это выгодно отличало эти книги от многих других детективов и, я бы сказал, что это были книги, выходящие за рамки классического английского детектива (в хорошем смысле этого слова). Но чем дальше, тем стандартнее! Книга интересная, но когда привыкаешь к лучшему, хорошее перестает нравиться.
whatandreawrote's review against another edition
3.0
Really entertaining characters, fun misleading red herrings, but I was a bit puzzled by the reveal - the untangling of who pushed who and fell down where is pretty reliant on a clear visualization of the theatre/lobby layout and I would've liked a little map or drawing.