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hkburke2's review against another edition
3.5
This had the right atmosphere but was a bit repetitive and unevenly paced for me. Lots of cw's in line with the flaws of books from the time. Really interesting intro for this detective though!
siria's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
A quick read, a fairly standard English Country House mystery. Ngaio Marsh's writing has some verve to it, and the characters of Nigel and Angela were some fun as Bright Young Things who assist Inspector Alleyne in figuring out whodunnit. But even allowing for the fact that what is cliché now was fresh once, <i>A Man Lay Dead</i> is a deeply silly book. The howdunnit just didn't work, and Alleyne's procedural methods had me scratching my head and wondering if any part of his case would stand up in court. I know that the Thirties were a different time—but <i>that</i> different? Then you add in a lot of classism and the xenophobic subplot that went nowhere involving the religious-yet-also-somehow-Bolshevik centuries-old secret society that is hinted to engage in (presumably gay?) orgies and/or castrations and sometimes immolates its members in locked houses , and you have me rolling my eyes a bit as I close the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Classism
ladyinpnw's review against another edition
5.0
If you liked Christie’s books, you’ll like this. Not same, but similar vibes
grace_danielle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jog2020's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
indydriven's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
chmccann's review against another edition
3.0
I finally finished my Jólabókaflóð gift from last year! I'm not sure what took me so long - I guess there is a double challenge at the start of the story. First, we're introduced to a whole cast of characters (of course - you need a pool of suspects!) and it's tricky keeping them straight at the beginning. Second, this is chock full of contemporary slang and cultural references, so it can be downright baffling at times.
Still, this is a great classic murder mystery that almost out-Christies Christie. A bunch of people congregate in an English country manor to play "The Murder Game," and of course someone actually gets murdered. It follows all the beats, but does a pretty good job of it. It definitely had me paranoid about who done it! And there are some fun side-notes like the gardener's daughter, and Inspector Alleyn himself is intriguing - sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, and sometime and verging on sociopathic in his dedication to solving the crime. If I read more Ngaio March, it will be to find out more about him.
Still, this is a great classic murder mystery that almost out-Christies Christie. A bunch of people congregate in an English country manor to play "The Murder Game," and of course someone actually gets murdered. It follows all the beats, but does a pretty good job of it. It definitely had me paranoid about who done it! And there are some fun side-notes like the gardener's daughter, and Inspector Alleyn himself is intriguing - sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, and sometime and verging on sociopathic in his dedication to solving the crime. If I read more Ngaio March, it will be to find out more about him.
booksnacks's review against another edition
I cannot get into this one right now. The writing style isn’t for me.