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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Third in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn British police procedural historical mystery series revolving around a Scotland Yard detective in the early 1930s. The focus is on Sir Derek O'Callaghan, the Home Secretary.
My Take
I'm not impressed with Sir Derek, but he didn't promise Jane anything. As for Jane, she disgusts me. One of those who claims to be all about free love and no strings, who immediately attaches chains and expects a ring. Then she gets all histrionic about it. Suck it up, you big baby.
That social class divide runs throughout. It certainly cracked me up when Lady O'Callaghan almost makes that gaffe and Fox gently finishes it for her. Alleyn's status gets cemented when Ronald notes that Alleyn is in some of "Ratbane"'s cricket photos.
Reading historicals, I know, this was written in the 1930s, less than 90 years ago, but as the culture and technological state were, ahem, prehistoric, I do consider it an historical. That being said, reading about Sir Derek's surgery made me appreciate today's medical tech, even as I appreciated Marsh's descriptions.
It's mostly character-driven using third person global subjective point-of-view, although mostly from Alleyn's perspective. While there is a bit of action, it's primarily conversation whether it's interrogating people or chitchatting.
It's effective, but Marsh does drive me a bit nuts with those mini-cliffhangers where Alleyn discusses the case just enough to let us know he knows so much more. And the next line is where everyone he's been talking to makes end-of-conversation noises!
I do love it, though, for the setting and exposure to the time period, its morals, its culture, its manners, and contrast it with today.
The Story
Sir Derek, the Home Secretary, has been suffering for some time, refusing to see his doctor, until that day he collapses in the House.
The surgery is a success, for thirty minutes. Now Sir Derek is dead and Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives to find many likely suspects, from a vengeful surgeon, a lovelorn nurse, an unhappy wife, and political foes.
The Characters
Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn, brother of a baronet and formerly with the Foreign Office, is with CID at Scotland Yard. Vassily is his servant (A Man Lay Dead, 1).
Nigel Bathgate, aka Claude, is a journalist friend of Alleyn's, his Boswell. Angela North, a.k.a. Pippin, is engaged to Nigel (A Man Lay Dead).
Scotland Yard
Alleyn's team includes Inspector Fox, a.k.a. Brer Fox; Inspector Boys is staying up-to-date on the Kakaroff crowd; Inspector Allison has been gathering info on the medical end; and, Detective-Sergeant Bailey investigated Roberts.
Sir Derek O'Callaghan is the Home Secretary, who has a dotty father, Sir Blake O'Callaghan. Cicely, a.k.a. the Snow Queen, née Rattisbon, is his wife in their chilly relationship. The naive Ruth, an advanced hypochondriac, is his sister, continually pushing her quackeries at him. Nash is the butler, who has been with Sir Derek for the past 20 years. Ronald Jameson is Sir Derek's secretary. Nina is a housemaid. Mr Rattisbon of Knightley, Knightley, and Rattisbon (he's also an uncle of Cicely's) is the family solicitor. Henry Derek Samond is Sir Derek's godchild. Sir Blake and Ruth are not the only crazy ones in the family — there's also Great-uncle Eustace and Cousin Olive Casbeck.
Sir John Phillips, a.k.a. Pips, is Sir Derek's doctor, who happens to be in love with Jane. He also runs a nursing-home in Brook Street. Jane Harden, a theatre nurse, is giving Sir Derek problems. Seems she couldn't be honest. Somerset Black is the doctor Phillips tries to call in. Drs Grey and Theodore "Dora" Roberts are anæsthetists. Sister Marigold is the hospital matron. Nurses Graham and Banks, a Communist, assist in the sugery. Thoms "Thomcat" is Sir John's assistant surgeon.
Harold Sage is Ruth's brilliant young (Communist!) chemist who sold Fulvitavolts. Brayght works for Sage in the pharmacy. James Graham is the chemist with whom Alleyn is familiar.
Tillotley is seeing about an ambulance. Cuthbert is ringing up Sir Derek's wife. Dr Wendover is also a Communist member for a North Country constituency.
Nicholas Kakaroff, a.k.a. Nicolai Alexovitch, is a bad rascal and part of the Pan-Soviet Brotherhood (A Man Lay Dead). Members include Comrade Robinson and Marcus Baker, who is enthused about the Sterilization Bill.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a center vertical gradient of a deep gray-blue fading to a pale gray for a background. Scalloped white lines form an angled border radiating out and up from the close-up of the hypodermic syringe pointing up to the "a" in Marsh's name. Above the pale blue-gray banner that gets smaller as it flows right and forms the background for the author's name in its exaggerated Art Deco font in a range of deep blues to white, is the title in a faint gradation of white to pale blue-gray. An arching banner in a medium blue-gray spans the barrel of the syringe with the series information in pale gray.
The title refers to Sir Derek's fatal surgery in The Nursing Home Murder.
My Take
I'm not impressed with Sir Derek, but he didn't promise Jane anything. As for Jane, she disgusts me. One of those who claims to be all about free love and no strings, who immediately attaches chains and expects a ring. Then she gets all histrionic about it. Suck it up, you big baby.
That social class divide runs throughout. It certainly cracked me up when Lady O'Callaghan almost makes that gaffe and Fox gently finishes it for her. Alleyn's status gets cemented when Ronald notes that Alleyn is in some of "Ratbane"'s cricket photos.
Reading historicals, I know, this was written in the 1930s, less than 90 years ago, but as the culture and technological state were, ahem, prehistoric, I do consider it an historical. That being said, reading about Sir Derek's surgery made me appreciate today's medical tech, even as I appreciated Marsh's descriptions.
It's mostly character-driven using third person global subjective point-of-view, although mostly from Alleyn's perspective. While there is a bit of action, it's primarily conversation whether it's interrogating people or chitchatting.
It's effective, but Marsh does drive me a bit nuts with those mini-cliffhangers where Alleyn discusses the case just enough to let us know he knows so much more. And the next line is where everyone he's been talking to makes end-of-conversation noises!
I do love it, though, for the setting and exposure to the time period, its morals, its culture, its manners, and contrast it with today.
The Story
Sir Derek, the Home Secretary, has been suffering for some time, refusing to see his doctor, until that day he collapses in the House.
The surgery is a success, for thirty minutes. Now Sir Derek is dead and Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives to find many likely suspects, from a vengeful surgeon, a lovelorn nurse, an unhappy wife, and political foes.
The Characters
Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn, brother of a baronet and formerly with the Foreign Office, is with CID at Scotland Yard. Vassily is his servant (A Man Lay Dead, 1).
Nigel Bathgate, aka Claude, is a journalist friend of Alleyn's, his Boswell. Angela North, a.k.a. Pippin, is engaged to Nigel (A Man Lay Dead).
Scotland Yard
Alleyn's team includes Inspector Fox, a.k.a. Brer Fox; Inspector Boys is staying up-to-date on the Kakaroff crowd; Inspector Allison has been gathering info on the medical end; and, Detective-Sergeant Bailey investigated Roberts.
Sir Derek O'Callaghan is the Home Secretary, who has a dotty father, Sir Blake O'Callaghan. Cicely, a.k.a. the Snow Queen, née Rattisbon, is his wife in their chilly relationship. The naive Ruth, an advanced hypochondriac, is his sister, continually pushing her quackeries at him. Nash is the butler, who has been with Sir Derek for the past 20 years. Ronald Jameson is Sir Derek's secretary. Nina is a housemaid. Mr Rattisbon of Knightley, Knightley, and Rattisbon (he's also an uncle of Cicely's) is the family solicitor. Henry Derek Samond is Sir Derek's godchild. Sir Blake and Ruth are not the only crazy ones in the family — there's also Great-uncle Eustace and Cousin Olive Casbeck.
Sir John Phillips, a.k.a. Pips, is Sir Derek's doctor, who happens to be in love with Jane. He also runs a nursing-home in Brook Street. Jane Harden, a theatre nurse, is giving Sir Derek problems. Seems she couldn't be honest. Somerset Black is the doctor Phillips tries to call in. Drs Grey and Theodore "Dora" Roberts are anæsthetists. Sister Marigold is the hospital matron. Nurses Graham and Banks, a Communist, assist in the sugery. Thoms "Thomcat" is Sir John's assistant surgeon.
Harold Sage is Ruth's brilliant young (Communist!) chemist who sold Fulvitavolts. Brayght works for Sage in the pharmacy. James Graham is the chemist with whom Alleyn is familiar.
Tillotley is seeing about an ambulance. Cuthbert is ringing up Sir Derek's wife. Dr Wendover is also a Communist member for a North Country constituency.
Nicholas Kakaroff, a.k.a. Nicolai Alexovitch, is a bad rascal and part of the Pan-Soviet Brotherhood (A Man Lay Dead). Members include Comrade Robinson and Marcus Baker, who is enthused about the Sterilization Bill.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a center vertical gradient of a deep gray-blue fading to a pale gray for a background. Scalloped white lines form an angled border radiating out and up from the close-up of the hypodermic syringe pointing up to the "a" in Marsh's name. Above the pale blue-gray banner that gets smaller as it flows right and forms the background for the author's name in its exaggerated Art Deco font in a range of deep blues to white, is the title in a faint gradation of white to pale blue-gray. An arching banner in a medium blue-gray spans the barrel of the syringe with the series information in pale gray.
The title refers to Sir Derek's fatal surgery in The Nursing Home Murder.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Book number three in the Roderick Alleyn mystery series by renowned New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh. This time Inspector Detective Alleyn is called to investigate the death of a Britain’s Home Secretary. Sir Derek O’Callahan had been complaining of abdominal pain for some days, but it wasn’t until he collapsed that he went to hospital. By then his abscessed appendix had burst and emergency surgery was needed. The operation was a success but Sir Derek died shortly thereafter. His wife insisted on an inquest and the results showed an overdose of a particular drug. But who administered it?
As is typical of Marsh’s writing there is little exposition or description and a lot of dialogue and repetition. There are plenty of suspects – including a vengeful surgeon, a nurse (whose a former lover), an unhappy wife, and a host of political foes - and more than few red herrings. There’s also a subplot involving Bolsheviks that clearly places the reader in the time frame.
Marsh is frequently compared to the other “Queens of Crime” of the early 20th century (Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers for example). Her work has endured for nearly a century, but I am not much of a fan. This is the third of her books I’ve read and the third time I’m giving one of her books two stars.
As is typical of Marsh’s writing there is little exposition or description and a lot of dialogue and repetition. There are plenty of suspects – including a vengeful surgeon, a nurse (whose a former lover), an unhappy wife, and a host of political foes - and more than few red herrings. There’s also a subplot involving Bolsheviks that clearly places the reader in the time frame.
Marsh is frequently compared to the other “Queens of Crime” of the early 20th century (Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers for example). Her work has endured for nearly a century, but I am not much of a fan. This is the third of her books I’ve read and the third time I’m giving one of her books two stars.
lelia_t's review against another edition
2.0
I could barely keep my eyes propped open for this book. I've read other Ngaio Marsh books and enjoyed them, especially Tied up in Tinsel (perhaps because Alleyn's wonderful wife Troy features prominently). But this one left me dozing, barely able to keep my eyes open long enough to find out (or care) who the murderer was.
bllowns's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
vstewart76's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
tarshka's review against another edition
2.0
Like many of Ngaio Marsh's other books, it's fine but I forgot most everything about it after a couple months.
nekreader's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this Marsh mystery better than the first two. It was easier to get into right from the beginning, and I enjoyed the set up and reveal at the end. nce again, Marsh injects a bit of the British political scene once again. After the first two books in the series, I wasn't a real fan, but I'll try the fourth book and see how it goes.
bluestarfish's review against another edition
3.0
The Bolsheviks are back! If horror films are meant to represent the anxieties of an age I think murder mysteries are too. As soon as someone starts writing about anarchists though I can't help but thinking of G.K. Chesterton's 'The Man Who Was Thursday' and the comparison usually isn't favourable.
That aside I think I'm starting to like Inspector Alleyn more, and there was less of the perky Nigel/Angela combo. This murder is set in a private nursing home which is what existed before the NHS (although that's mind-blowing in itself) when a patient get through surgery and then dies a couple of hours later. The patient being the home secretary you would think there would be a few more questions asked, but it is his wife kicking up a fuss that leads to a post mortem and the discovery of ill-doing.
That aside I think I'm starting to like Inspector Alleyn more, and there was less of the perky Nigel/Angela combo. This murder is set in a private nursing home which is what existed before the NHS (although that's mind-blowing in itself) when a patient get through surgery and then dies a couple of hours later. The patient being the home secretary you would think there would be a few more questions asked, but it is his wife kicking up a fuss that leads to a post mortem and the discovery of ill-doing.
violinknitter's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t know how I’ve managed to read practically all the Christie & Sayers I could get my hands on, & never even come across Marsh, let alone read her mysteries. I can tell it’s going to be fun catching up on my Golden Age mystery reading.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
An early entry in this series. Inspector Alleyn still does not seemed fully formed as a character yet but the plot was entertaining enough and I enjoyed the narration of the audio by Philip Franks.