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Roderick Alleyn #25
Clutch of Constables
A river cruise may be sunk by a ruthless criminal in this novel by “the doyenne of traditional mystery writers” ( The New York Times ).
Inspector Alleyn’s wife, the artist Agatha Troy, has a special fondness for Constables—the paintings, that is, not the policemen. So she jumps at the chance to take a river cruise through “Constable Country” in the east of England, in honor of the nineteenth-century master of landscapes. Her enthusiasm dims a little, though, when it becomes clear that the ticket became available at the last minute only because a previous passenger was murdered in his cabin . . .
“It’s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around.” — New York Magazine
Inspector Alleyn’s wife, the artist Agatha Troy, has a special fondness for Constables—the paintings, that is, not the policemen. So she jumps at the chance to take a river cruise through “Constable Country” in the east of England, in honor of the nineteenth-century master of landscapes. Her enthusiasm dims a little, though, when it becomes clear that the ticket became available at the last minute only because a previous passenger was murdered in his cabin . . .
“It’s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around.” — New York Magazine
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
277 people are currently reading
1448 people want to read
About the author
Ngaio Marsh
194 books827 followersDame Ngaio Marsh, born Edith Ngaio Marsh, was a New Zealand crime writer and theatre director. There is some uncertainty over her birth date as her father neglected to register her birth until 1900, but she was born in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Of all the "Great Ladies" of the English mystery's golden age, including Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh alone survived to publish in the 1980s. Over a fifty-year span, from 1932 to 1982, Marsh wrote thirty-two classic English detective novels, which gained international acclaim. She did not always see herself as a writer, but first planned a career as a painter.
Marsh's first novel, A MAN LAY DEAD (1934), which she wrote in London in 1931-32, introduced the detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn: a combination of Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey and a realistically depicted police official at work. Throughout the 1930s Marsh painted occasionally, wrote plays for local repertory societies in New Zealand, and published detective novels. In 1937 Marsh went to England for a period. Before going back to her home country, she spent six months travelling about Europe.
All her novels feature British CID detective Roderick Alleyn. Several novels feature Marsh's other loves, the theatre and painting. A number are set around theatrical productions (Enter a Murderer, Vintage Murder, Overture to Death, Opening Night, Death at the Dolphin, and Light Thickens), and two others are about actors off stage (Final Curtain and False Scent). Her short story "'I Can Find My Way Out" is also set around a theatrical production and is the earlier "Jupiter case" referred to in Opening Night. Alleyn marries a painter, Agatha Troy, whom he meets during an investigation (Artists in Crime), and who features in several later novels.
Series:
* Roderick Alleyn
Of all the "Great Ladies" of the English mystery's golden age, including Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh alone survived to publish in the 1980s. Over a fifty-year span, from 1932 to 1982, Marsh wrote thirty-two classic English detective novels, which gained international acclaim. She did not always see herself as a writer, but first planned a career as a painter.
Marsh's first novel, A MAN LAY DEAD (1934), which she wrote in London in 1931-32, introduced the detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn: a combination of Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey and a realistically depicted police official at work. Throughout the 1930s Marsh painted occasionally, wrote plays for local repertory societies in New Zealand, and published detective novels. In 1937 Marsh went to England for a period. Before going back to her home country, she spent six months travelling about Europe.
All her novels feature British CID detective Roderick Alleyn. Several novels feature Marsh's other loves, the theatre and painting. A number are set around theatrical productions (Enter a Murderer, Vintage Murder, Overture to Death, Opening Night, Death at the Dolphin, and Light Thickens), and two others are about actors off stage (Final Curtain and False Scent). Her short story "'I Can Find My Way Out" is also set around a theatrical production and is the earlier "Jupiter case" referred to in Opening Night. Alleyn marries a painter, Agatha Troy, whom he meets during an investigation (Artists in Crime), and who features in several later novels.
Series:
* Roderick Alleyn
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August 17, 2018This is book 25 of the Inspector Alleyn mysteries and a revisit for me. This is told somewhat differently than the other Roderick Alleyn books I’ve read so far, starting with Alleyn recounting a case in which his wife Troy became unwittingly involved. The setting is a river cruise that Troy decides to take at the spur of the moment wanting to get away from things for a bit since she has just had her one-man show, and her husband and son are both away. Aboard the board, she feels things are amiss but when she reports what bothered her to local police stations at each stop, it feels as though they are trivial things. But when a fellow passenger suddenly leaves the boat, and before long turns up dead, a full fledged murder investigation begins. And the lady in question had been trying to communicate something to Troy. Alleyn we know from the start is on the trail of an art thief and criminal, Foljambe, and he is one of the fellow-passengers on the boat, but which one?
As I said, this was one I’d read before but I didn’t really remember much about it, in fact it didn’t even come back to me as I read, so the surprise elements remained surprises. I enjoyed the setting; though it was a cruise, it very much reminded me of Three Men on a Boat, without of course the humorous elements of that book. I also liked the idea of the Constable (painter John Constable) landscapes and the involvement of his style of painting in the whole matter. But the book itself overall was just an ok read for me. The mystery element did have a believable enough solution but didn’t feel like something out of the ordinary. Marsh did get me to suspect various characters though, casting obvious suspicion on some and hinting at other directions. Troy’s attitude with the victim and with some of the others on the boat was human certainly, but I felt one would have expected a somewhat different reaction from one who has possibly been involved in mysteries before (I haven’t read the whole of the series nor enough of it in order to be completely right on this point, but still). The book touches on the issue of racism but more in the context of showing different attitudes at that point in time (perhaps also trying to highlight the ‘right’ attitude), comparable in some ways to what we see even now. The characters had their individual traits and suspicious aspects too, but again nothing that really stood out to me especially. Nice enough read but nothing great. Three and a half stars.
As I said, this was one I’d read before but I didn’t really remember much about it, in fact it didn’t even come back to me as I read, so the surprise elements remained surprises. I enjoyed the setting; though it was a cruise, it very much reminded me of Three Men on a Boat, without of course the humorous elements of that book. I also liked the idea of the Constable (painter John Constable) landscapes and the involvement of his style of painting in the whole matter. But the book itself overall was just an ok read for me. The mystery element did have a believable enough solution but didn’t feel like something out of the ordinary. Marsh did get me to suspect various characters though, casting obvious suspicion on some and hinting at other directions. Troy’s attitude with the victim and with some of the others on the boat was human certainly, but I felt one would have expected a somewhat different reaction from one who has possibly been involved in mysteries before (I haven’t read the whole of the series nor enough of it in order to be completely right on this point, but still). The book touches on the issue of racism but more in the context of showing different attitudes at that point in time (perhaps also trying to highlight the ‘right’ attitude), comparable in some ways to what we see even now. The characters had their individual traits and suspicious aspects too, but again nothing that really stood out to me especially. Nice enough read but nothing great. Three and a half stars.
January 16, 2020
This is the 25th Roderick Alleyn mystery, first published in 1968. I have been reading through the entire Alleyn series, and I think that Marsh had a sort of second wind in the Sixties.
This book sees Agatha Troy, Alleyn’s wife, on her own, with both Alleyn and their son away. Having just been working on her latest show (Troy, for those who are not aware of the series, is an artist) she comes across a five day cruise on the River Trent and decides, impulsively, to go. There are, of course, a mixed group of passengers, including an elderly, American, brother and sister, a man who is obviously attracted by Troy, the unpleasant, and racist, Mr Pollack, Dr Natoush, a half Ethiopian doctor, a one eyed Australian vicar and Hazel Rickaby-Carrick, who tries too hard and bores those about her. Among these passengers is a notorious art forger, who may have been involved in the murder of the man who should have been sleeping in Troy’s cabin…
Although this novel puts Troy in the centre of the action, Marsh cleverly involves Alleyn, as he uses the case in a lecture and there is humour in the keen Carmichael, who is always there – like a police-cadet Hermione – with his hand in the air and the right answer. Going into a more modern era, Marsh tries to address other issues, such as racism and a delinquent, gum-chewing ‘mod’ on a motorcycle. However, the cruise ship gives a good setting, with our suspects nicely corralled on board. Overall, a good addition to the series.
This book sees Agatha Troy, Alleyn’s wife, on her own, with both Alleyn and their son away. Having just been working on her latest show (Troy, for those who are not aware of the series, is an artist) she comes across a five day cruise on the River Trent and decides, impulsively, to go. There are, of course, a mixed group of passengers, including an elderly, American, brother and sister, a man who is obviously attracted by Troy, the unpleasant, and racist, Mr Pollack, Dr Natoush, a half Ethiopian doctor, a one eyed Australian vicar and Hazel Rickaby-Carrick, who tries too hard and bores those about her. Among these passengers is a notorious art forger, who may have been involved in the murder of the man who should have been sleeping in Troy’s cabin…
Although this novel puts Troy in the centre of the action, Marsh cleverly involves Alleyn, as he uses the case in a lecture and there is humour in the keen Carmichael, who is always there – like a police-cadet Hermione – with his hand in the air and the right answer. Going into a more modern era, Marsh tries to address other issues, such as racism and a delinquent, gum-chewing ‘mod’ on a motorcycle. However, the cruise ship gives a good setting, with our suspects nicely corralled on board. Overall, a good addition to the series.
December 20, 2018
Another very satisfying read, so I am feeling lucky. Next visit to my library I will grab a couple more of these books and see what happens. Two in a row now that I have really enjoyed. I don't know if Tory, the artist wife of Alleyn plays a large role in many (or all?) of these books, but this book again starts out featuring her (as happened in Tied up in Tinsel).
She has just finished up exhibits of her work and the social obligations that go with that activity, her husband is away from home working in America again, and she decides on a whim to take a river cruise instead of boarding the train back to London. It was a small posting just taped up in window that drew her attention with a single-berth cabin on offer after a last minute cancellation. At the time, of course, she was unaware the person had been murdered.
She buys the trip and feels elated that she will get away for a bit of a break, and as the advertisement promised take "a step out of time." Things look interesting as she meets the others booked on the cruise with some of the people more interesting than others. Soon she learns enough about these people to confirm my own rule to never go on a cruise. (I admit to being anti-social.)
The title comes from comment Tory makes as they cruise down the river and she appreciates the scenery so beautifully painted by Constable. When she says, "Oh, look --The place is swarming with Constables! Everywhere you look. A perfect clutch of them!" She perceived the quiet shock that seemed to hit her fellow passengers and sensed there was actual fear among some.
Tory soon has enough alarms to check in with the local police and makes several visits to keep them up to date on threats and strange behavior. Her discomfort eventually becomes prudent and justifiable when she sees the murdered body of a fellow passenger.
The presentation of this mystery is unique and interesting, maintaining the suspense throughout. We have Alleyn opening the telling of the details of this case at a conference of police alternating with the action where his wife is a critical participant.
She has just finished up exhibits of her work and the social obligations that go with that activity, her husband is away from home working in America again, and she decides on a whim to take a river cruise instead of boarding the train back to London. It was a small posting just taped up in window that drew her attention with a single-berth cabin on offer after a last minute cancellation. At the time, of course, she was unaware the person had been murdered.
She buys the trip and feels elated that she will get away for a bit of a break, and as the advertisement promised take "a step out of time." Things look interesting as she meets the others booked on the cruise with some of the people more interesting than others. Soon she learns enough about these people to confirm my own rule to never go on a cruise. (I admit to being anti-social.)
The title comes from comment Tory makes as they cruise down the river and she appreciates the scenery so beautifully painted by Constable. When she says, "Oh, look --The place is swarming with Constables! Everywhere you look. A perfect clutch of them!" She perceived the quiet shock that seemed to hit her fellow passengers and sensed there was actual fear among some.
Tory soon has enough alarms to check in with the local police and makes several visits to keep them up to date on threats and strange behavior. Her discomfort eventually becomes prudent and justifiable when she sees the murdered body of a fellow passenger.
The presentation of this mystery is unique and interesting, maintaining the suspense throughout. We have Alleyn opening the telling of the details of this case at a conference of police alternating with the action where his wife is a critical participant.
May 27, 2021
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. 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.
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.
March 31, 2021
Since early 2000, I've enjoyed about 15 books in this excellent series by Ngaio Marsh. Of course some are better than others but I've never been disappointed so far. I think this was one of my favorites.
I think this was one of the more unique mystery stories I've ever read. It's an Inspector Roderick Alleyn mystery and for the first half of the story he only appears at the beginning of each chapter. Alleyn is giving a lecture to a number of English police officers / inspectors and his presentation deals with a case that he and international police forces have been working on. It involves an international super crook known as the Jampot. He is a mystery thief, no pictures of him, except a blurry photo from Bolivia. This case will involve Alleyn's wife, famed artist Troy Alleyn. At the beginning of each chapter, Alleyn outlines where the case is going and then it switches to Troy's journey. While Alleyn has been away in America, working with American police and also attending conferences, Troy remains in England, attending showings of her paintings. In Norminster, she sees a sign in a shop window advertising a vacancy on a five day river cruise. At loose purposes, she decides to take the voyage down the River.
That is the basic premise. Troy will meet an interesting, at times suspicious group of characters on the boat and as Alleny's presentation to his group of cops progresses, we discover that the Jampot may be on board. Troy finds herself in an uncomfortable situation. There is some friction between passengers, one is a black Ethiopian / English doctor from Liverpool and he is made uncomfortable by two American passengers and another. A middle-aged woman, very flamboyant, irritates everybody, especially with her snoring at night. One of the passengers disappears in unusual circumstances. A pair of suspicious motorcyclists follows the boat on its tour. Troy contacts Alleyn's faithful teammate, Inspector Fox, the fabled Brer Fox, with her suspicions and he directs her maintain contact with local police forces along the route of the boat trip.
The story moves along at a nice pace and is a fascinating read. Along the way, Alleyn finally makes an appearance and takes over the increasingly complex, tense investigation. I loved the mystery itself and the wonderful suspects. It was so good to see a Troy - centric story. She is an independent, intelligent, talented woman. In the TV series based on the books she is portrayed by Belinda Laing. The characters on the boat trip are all interesting. I particularly liked the Ethiopian doctor, Dr. Natouche, and I prayed he wasn't the killer. (You'll have to read to see if he is). The rest all have their unique qualities and present as possible suspects. I had my main suspect.. I was wrong. Oh and I do like Brer Fox. He makes me think of Basil Rathbone's (Sherlock Holmes) capable assistant, Nigel Bruce as Watson.. Mind you, in the TV series of the Alleyn Mysteries, William Simons is also excellent.
All in all I enjoyed this story very much. It was most enjoyable, as I said, probably my favorite of the series so far. (4.5 stars)
I think this was one of the more unique mystery stories I've ever read. It's an Inspector Roderick Alleyn mystery and for the first half of the story he only appears at the beginning of each chapter. Alleyn is giving a lecture to a number of English police officers / inspectors and his presentation deals with a case that he and international police forces have been working on. It involves an international super crook known as the Jampot. He is a mystery thief, no pictures of him, except a blurry photo from Bolivia. This case will involve Alleyn's wife, famed artist Troy Alleyn. At the beginning of each chapter, Alleyn outlines where the case is going and then it switches to Troy's journey. While Alleyn has been away in America, working with American police and also attending conferences, Troy remains in England, attending showings of her paintings. In Norminster, she sees a sign in a shop window advertising a vacancy on a five day river cruise. At loose purposes, she decides to take the voyage down the River.
That is the basic premise. Troy will meet an interesting, at times suspicious group of characters on the boat and as Alleny's presentation to his group of cops progresses, we discover that the Jampot may be on board. Troy finds herself in an uncomfortable situation. There is some friction between passengers, one is a black Ethiopian / English doctor from Liverpool and he is made uncomfortable by two American passengers and another. A middle-aged woman, very flamboyant, irritates everybody, especially with her snoring at night. One of the passengers disappears in unusual circumstances. A pair of suspicious motorcyclists follows the boat on its tour. Troy contacts Alleyn's faithful teammate, Inspector Fox, the fabled Brer Fox, with her suspicions and he directs her maintain contact with local police forces along the route of the boat trip.
The story moves along at a nice pace and is a fascinating read. Along the way, Alleyn finally makes an appearance and takes over the increasingly complex, tense investigation. I loved the mystery itself and the wonderful suspects. It was so good to see a Troy - centric story. She is an independent, intelligent, talented woman. In the TV series based on the books she is portrayed by Belinda Laing. The characters on the boat trip are all interesting. I particularly liked the Ethiopian doctor, Dr. Natouche, and I prayed he wasn't the killer. (You'll have to read to see if he is). The rest all have their unique qualities and present as possible suspects. I had my main suspect.. I was wrong. Oh and I do like Brer Fox. He makes me think of Basil Rathbone's (Sherlock Holmes) capable assistant, Nigel Bruce as Watson.. Mind you, in the TV series of the Alleyn Mysteries, William Simons is also excellent.
All in all I enjoyed this story very much. It was most enjoyable, as I said, probably my favorite of the series so far. (4.5 stars)
August 17, 2018
This is one of my favorite books in an excellent series. I enjoy the way Marsh keeps both Troy and Roderick in the story though they are separated for much of the novel. I also like the frame of Alleyn teaching this to policemen in a class. I think creating a murder during a houseboat vacation is very clever - it's a twist on the usual isolated country house. And all of the characters are well drawn and quite interesting. In addition, the mystery is genuinely mysterious, as are most of Marsh's stories.
A home run and highly recommended.
NB- Nadia May narrates the audio book. She's usually excellent, but she pronounces his name incorrectly. It's 'Allen', not 'Al line' or 'Al lane'. Just plain 'Allen', as he explains in several of the books.
A home run and highly recommended.
NB- Nadia May narrates the audio book. She's usually excellent, but she pronounces his name incorrectly. It's 'Allen', not 'Al line' or 'Al lane'. Just plain 'Allen', as he explains in several of the books.
February 20, 2022
Troy Alleyn, wife of Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard, decides to take a small break after a big art show in London. She sees an advertisement for a last-minute opening on a five-day cruise along an English river aboard the M. V. Zodiac. She hopes to relax and enjoy the slow-paced journey.
Meanwhile, Alleyn is in the United States on the track of an international criminal who goes by the nickname "Jampot." A criminal with several murders to his credit along with a trade in narcotics and art forgeries. No one knows exactly who he is or what he looks like and he's known to be a meticulous planner and superb mimic with something unusual in his physical appearance. There are hints of Jampot-like activity in the U. S. But when it's discovered that the passenger who "cancelled" his Zodiac reservation at the last minute has been murdered in a way that bears all the hallmarks of Jampot, it looks like Alleyn is searching on the wrong side of the Atlantic.
Could Jampot be one of Troy's fellow passengers? There is a graphics expert with a clubfoot, a most inquisitive cleric with only one eye, a "swivel-eyed*" butterfly enthusiast, and an Ethiopian doctor with an interest in skin dyeing. Of course, the rumors of an unusual physical appearance may have been intentionally circulated to mislead...When a second passenger dies and there is reason to believe she has met her fate at the hands of the international criminal as well, Alleyn becomes concerned about Troy's safety and heads back to England post-haste. He arrives in time to save her, but not soon enough to prevent one final death...
For the most part, this story is told from the point of view of Agatha Troy Alleyn--which makes it unusual an unusual entry in the Marsh mysteries. Framing this main narrative are take-way shots to Alleyn giving a police lecture (about a year later) on Jampot's criminal activities and eventual capture. On the plus side: I enjoyed the difference in telling the story from Troy's point of view. Those sections of the book where we were on the boat and following her adventures were delightful. Marsh does a good job reflecting Troy's "artist's eye" for detail in those portions of the book. What doesn't work so well: the framing of the story with Alleyn's lectures on the investigation. The insertion of these scenes were jarring and took me completely out of the story. It was also evident that Alleyn wanted to kick Carmichael's bottom (the listener in the second row) and I wish he had done and gotten it over with. That running theme was also incredibly distracting and, frankly, unnecessary.
The plot, once we swallow the incredible coincidence of the wife of the celebrated Inspector Alleyn sharing a river voyage with a criminal mastermind, is interesting enough, though I'm not quite sold on why we had to take a river cruise to try out our art forgery stunts (and there's another lovely coincidence--not only do we have the wife of an inspector aboard--but we have the famous artist Troy along on cruise where art forgery will figure heavily!). Perhaps it's because I've read this before (though it's been about 35 years or so and I really didn't feel like "oh yeah, I remember--that's who did it..."), but I spotted the villain immediately and absolutely knew that his next victim was about to be knocked off. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the river trip account, so I can put this down as a nice, solid read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Meanwhile, Alleyn is in the United States on the track of an international criminal who goes by the nickname "Jampot." A criminal with several murders to his credit along with a trade in narcotics and art forgeries. No one knows exactly who he is or what he looks like and he's known to be a meticulous planner and superb mimic with something unusual in his physical appearance. There are hints of Jampot-like activity in the U. S. But when it's discovered that the passenger who "cancelled" his Zodiac reservation at the last minute has been murdered in a way that bears all the hallmarks of Jampot, it looks like Alleyn is searching on the wrong side of the Atlantic.
Could Jampot be one of Troy's fellow passengers? There is a graphics expert with a clubfoot, a most inquisitive cleric with only one eye, a "swivel-eyed*" butterfly enthusiast, and an Ethiopian doctor with an interest in skin dyeing. Of course, the rumors of an unusual physical appearance may have been intentionally circulated to mislead...When a second passenger dies and there is reason to believe she has met her fate at the hands of the international criminal as well, Alleyn becomes concerned about Troy's safety and heads back to England post-haste. He arrives in time to save her, but not soon enough to prevent one final death...
For the most part, this story is told from the point of view of Agatha Troy Alleyn--which makes it unusual an unusual entry in the Marsh mysteries. Framing this main narrative are take-way shots to Alleyn giving a police lecture (about a year later) on Jampot's criminal activities and eventual capture. On the plus side: I enjoyed the difference in telling the story from Troy's point of view. Those sections of the book where we were on the boat and following her adventures were delightful. Marsh does a good job reflecting Troy's "artist's eye" for detail in those portions of the book. What doesn't work so well: the framing of the story with Alleyn's lectures on the investigation. The insertion of these scenes were jarring and took me completely out of the story. It was also evident that Alleyn wanted to kick Carmichael's bottom (the listener in the second row) and I wish he had done and gotten it over with. That running theme was also incredibly distracting and, frankly, unnecessary.
The plot, once we swallow the incredible coincidence of the wife of the celebrated Inspector Alleyn sharing a river voyage with a criminal mastermind, is interesting enough, though I'm not quite sold on why we had to take a river cruise to try out our art forgery stunts (and there's another lovely coincidence--not only do we have the wife of an inspector aboard--but we have the famous artist Troy along on cruise where art forgery will figure heavily!). Perhaps it's because I've read this before (though it's been about 35 years or so and I really didn't feel like "oh yeah, I remember--that's who did it..."), but I spotted the villain immediately and absolutely knew that his next victim was about to be knocked off. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the river trip account, so I can put this down as a nice, solid read.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
November 22, 2023
This entry in Marsh's Roderick Alleyn series features Alleyn's wife, artist Agatha Troy. I like Troy's character very much so I was looking forward to reading this.
In the end, I enjoyed the book and Troy's presence. But I found the first 50 pages or so slow going. I also guessed the villain but since I guessed several people, that doesn't count for much!
Alleyn is off in America conducting a class for police. His wife, Agatha Troy, is at home in England, somewhat bored and missing her husband so she decides on a whim to take a trip. There is a last-minute cancellation for a boat tour so she signs up.
The trip is strange from the start. Troy has an uneasy feeling about several of the passengers but writes it off as meaningless. Naturally, it's not--these feelings set the scene for the rest of the story.
The description of the river and their journey through it was fun and once it got going--or, maybe, it was just me and it's a question of when I got into it--I was completely absorbed.
The "Constables" of the title refer not to English policemen (called "constables") but to the painter John Constable (1776-1837) who was known for his paintings of the landscapes seen by the passengers in the book.
I love Marsh and Alleyn and Troy and have had fun with ll the ones I've read so far. I'm ready to start another.
In the end, I enjoyed the book and Troy's presence. But I found the first 50 pages or so slow going. I also guessed the villain but since I guessed several people, that doesn't count for much!
Alleyn is off in America conducting a class for police. His wife, Agatha Troy, is at home in England, somewhat bored and missing her husband so she decides on a whim to take a trip. There is a last-minute cancellation for a boat tour so she signs up.
The trip is strange from the start. Troy has an uneasy feeling about several of the passengers but writes it off as meaningless. Naturally, it's not--these feelings set the scene for the rest of the story.
The description of the river and their journey through it was fun and once it got going--or, maybe, it was just me and it's a question of when I got into it--I was completely absorbed.
The "Constables" of the title refer not to English policemen (called "constables") but to the painter John Constable (1776-1837) who was known for his paintings of the landscapes seen by the passengers in the book.
I love Marsh and Alleyn and Troy and have had fun with ll the ones I've read so far. I'm ready to start another.
April 11, 2022
As the blurb says, this is classic Ngaio Marsh. There's a reason why she's one of my favorite mystery writers.
The characters are personable and lively. No one is a "type" or cardboard. The mystery had me going until the very end.
Investigator Alleyn is in the U.S. giving a lecture on how to find elusive criminals. He speaks of a specific criminal that they are currently searching for and what a master of disguises he is.
Little known to Alleyn, his wife, after an exhibition of her art, decided, on an impulse, has decided to embark on a boat trip up an English river to enjoy the lovely landscape.
She meets her fellow passengers, some strange, all very interesting. Little does she know that one of them is the very criminal that her husband is looking for.
This mystery had me going. I may have found it a little hard at first to keep track of all the characters, but I did get them sorted out and the ending, as always, was not what I expected.
The characters are personable and lively. No one is a "type" or cardboard. The mystery had me going until the very end.
Investigator Alleyn is in the U.S. giving a lecture on how to find elusive criminals. He speaks of a specific criminal that they are currently searching for and what a master of disguises he is.
Little known to Alleyn, his wife, after an exhibition of her art, decided, on an impulse, has decided to embark on a boat trip up an English river to enjoy the lovely landscape.
She meets her fellow passengers, some strange, all very interesting. Little does she know that one of them is the very criminal that her husband is looking for.
This mystery had me going. I may have found it a little hard at first to keep track of all the characters, but I did get them sorted out and the ending, as always, was not what I expected.
June 30, 2016
I can always rely on a Ngaio Marsh novel. Her writing is just so spot on, light but not frivolous, entertaining and smart. I love Alleyn & Troy's relationship.
August 16, 2017
The greatest mystery: why was the body moved (in such a bizarre way)remains unsolved. Unforgivable.
January 4, 2020
3.5 Inspector Alleyn hears about the case from America, through Troy's letters of her riverboat excursion, and eventually turns up to finish up the plot of forgery, stolen identity, and murder. The art theme and inclusion of Troy as a mover in the plot was a good addition.
January 30, 2022
On the plus side, it's not the worst Marsh I've read ... on the negative side ... .
We have an enigmatic start. Alleyn lectures to an enthusiastic audience of coppers about the life and times of a notorious master criminal with really, really enigmatic soubriquets / monickers / noms de guerre (he seems to have several). It appears that their paths crossed when Alleyn's wife (a dilettante artist) decided to take a five day canal trip in England.
We plunge into an overly-worded chapter describing the other passengers on this canal boat. We know now that there's going to be a murder - we can take that pretty much for granted. Marsh has, once again, dealt us a hermetically sealed hand of heroes and villains ... and victims. The characters will, of course, be as cardboard as usual.
And one of the passengers is black ... so we get excruciating passages as Marsh tries to emphasise her liberal credentials while playing Russian roulette with a gun which has a live round in every chamber. Her non-white character here explains that his father had been Ethiopian, had come to England to study, had married his mother, an Englishwoman, the child had been born and raised in England and was now a GP in Liverpool ... and Mrs. Alleyn asks him if he'd ever been to his "own country"! England is the only country he's ever known, but he'll never be allowed to be 'English', at best he might be hailed as 'British'!
Mrs.Alleyn then goes on to explain that coloured people are naturally different from Anglo-Saxons, etc., etc. You really begin to wonder how much of this racist bollocks you'll have to endure to get to the end of the book. Well, there will be more. (It should be pointed out that I'm a Scot - the Scots come in for a bit of hideous characterisation too. Marsh is incredibly middle class and clearly didn't get out much.)
To demonstrate how little she got out, the book will also feature a couple of leather clad individuals on a motorbike - which Marsh repeatedly describes as a 'bicycle'. She refers to them as 'cyclists'. This book was published in 1968. There had been a moral panic in England in the mid-60s about fights between gangs of 'mods and rockers', the mods on scooters, elegantly dressed, the rockers in leathers and on motorbikes. Marsh keeps describing her leather clad bikers as 'mods' - she hasn't even done the obvious research.
Eventually we get a body. It's 1968 ... and the woman discovering the body goes all Jane Austen and faints. And, now that we've got our body, we can be certain that the master criminal will be caught - he is such a master he sits around for five days waiting to be found. The various characters on the boat will all be revealed as stereotypes, cut from the back of the usual cornflakes packet. And you will be left, once again, wondering how this woman ever became regarded as a serious writer.
Dire - gets its second star because of its ability to infuriate and offend!
We have an enigmatic start. Alleyn lectures to an enthusiastic audience of coppers about the life and times of a notorious master criminal with really, really enigmatic soubriquets / monickers / noms de guerre (he seems to have several). It appears that their paths crossed when Alleyn's wife (a dilettante artist) decided to take a five day canal trip in England.
We plunge into an overly-worded chapter describing the other passengers on this canal boat. We know now that there's going to be a murder - we can take that pretty much for granted. Marsh has, once again, dealt us a hermetically sealed hand of heroes and villains ... and victims. The characters will, of course, be as cardboard as usual.
And one of the passengers is black ... so we get excruciating passages as Marsh tries to emphasise her liberal credentials while playing Russian roulette with a gun which has a live round in every chamber. Her non-white character here explains that his father had been Ethiopian, had come to England to study, had married his mother, an Englishwoman, the child had been born and raised in England and was now a GP in Liverpool ... and Mrs. Alleyn asks him if he'd ever been to his "own country"! England is the only country he's ever known, but he'll never be allowed to be 'English', at best he might be hailed as 'British'!
Mrs.Alleyn then goes on to explain that coloured people are naturally different from Anglo-Saxons, etc., etc. You really begin to wonder how much of this racist bollocks you'll have to endure to get to the end of the book. Well, there will be more. (It should be pointed out that I'm a Scot - the Scots come in for a bit of hideous characterisation too. Marsh is incredibly middle class and clearly didn't get out much.)
To demonstrate how little she got out, the book will also feature a couple of leather clad individuals on a motorbike - which Marsh repeatedly describes as a 'bicycle'. She refers to them as 'cyclists'. This book was published in 1968. There had been a moral panic in England in the mid-60s about fights between gangs of 'mods and rockers', the mods on scooters, elegantly dressed, the rockers in leathers and on motorbikes. Marsh keeps describing her leather clad bikers as 'mods' - she hasn't even done the obvious research.
Eventually we get a body. It's 1968 ... and the woman discovering the body goes all Jane Austen and faints. And, now that we've got our body, we can be certain that the master criminal will be caught - he is such a master he sits around for five days waiting to be found. The various characters on the boat will all be revealed as stereotypes, cut from the back of the usual cornflakes packet. And you will be left, once again, wondering how this woman ever became regarded as a serious writer.
Dire - gets its second star because of its ability to infuriate and offend!
February 16, 2020
Interestingly, the structure of the story is told through a series of lectures that inspector Alleyn is giving in the United States at a police training seminar. Troy wrote some of letters to him while she was on a 5-day cruise in 'Constable' country in the east of England. Alleyn quotes from them during his lecture.
Excerpt from a letter - Ramsdyke. An incident. We were all on deck and the lock people and our Tom were doing their things with paddles and gates and all, and I noticed on the far bank from the lockhouse a nice lane, a pub, some wonderful elms, a ford and a pond. I called out to nobody in particular: "Oh, look! The place is swarming with Constables. Everywhere you look - a perfect clutch of them."
The “Constables” in question are not policemen but paintings—the landscapes, specifically, of the 19th-century painter John Constable. Troy has a special fondness for Constable’s work, so on impulse after finishing her 'one man show' she books a river-cruise through “Constable Country” in the east of England. The ticket became available at the last minute only because a previous passenger was murdered in his cabin—and murdered, it seems, by a notorious international criminal known as the "Jampot."
Excerpt from a letter - Ramsdyke. An incident. We were all on deck and the lock people and our Tom were doing their things with paddles and gates and all, and I noticed on the far bank from the lockhouse a nice lane, a pub, some wonderful elms, a ford and a pond. I called out to nobody in particular: "Oh, look! The place is swarming with Constables. Everywhere you look - a perfect clutch of them."
The “Constables” in question are not policemen but paintings—the landscapes, specifically, of the 19th-century painter John Constable. Troy has a special fondness for Constable’s work, so on impulse after finishing her 'one man show' she books a river-cruise through “Constable Country” in the east of England. The ticket became available at the last minute only because a previous passenger was murdered in his cabin—and murdered, it seems, by a notorious international criminal known as the "Jampot."
December 5, 2016
A typically pleasant Marsh mystery that however had some unfortunate flaws.
Things I enjoyed:
* Troy! So much Troy. I love Troy.
* Marsh is delightfully mean about a character's head cold.
* It has somewhat of a
Things that didn't work:
* The framing device of Alleyn giving a lecture on the case was horribly tiresome and grated every time it appeared. I think the book would have been better if he'd been left out entirely until he appears in person at the end.
* The racism is really hard to read about. It's not just the racism of the characters - however horrible, that's period-accurate - but how Marsh gives some characters what the narrative presents as the Proper, Enlightened Views (but which are actually still very racist! just in a different way!!) The reader gets all these layers of racism, some of which are presented as Good and some as Bad, and it's both a lecture and wholly dated.
Things I enjoyed:
* Troy! So much Troy. I love Troy.
* Marsh is delightfully mean about a character's head cold.
* It has somewhat of a
Things that didn't work:
* The framing device of Alleyn giving a lecture on the case was horribly tiresome and grated every time it appeared. I think the book would have been better if he'd been left out entirely until he appears in person at the end.
* The racism is really hard to read about. It's not just the racism of the characters - however horrible, that's period-accurate - but how Marsh gives some characters what the narrative presents as the Proper, Enlightened Views (but which are actually still very racist! just in a different way!!) The reader gets all these layers of racism, some of which are presented as Good and some as Bad, and it's both a lecture and wholly dated.
November 29, 2023
Maybe even 4.5*
One aspect of this entry in the Alleyn series that I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of Troy. Her presence was especially fun as the case involved the discovery of a possible unknown painting by Constable.
Another unusual aspect was the way the story was told in alternating points of view: Troy as she experienced the events and Alleyn at some future time recounting the case to a class at the police college.
One aspect of this entry in the Alleyn series that I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of Troy. Her presence was especially fun as the case involved the discovery of a possible unknown painting by Constable.
Another unusual aspect was the way the story was told in alternating points of view: Troy as she experienced the events and Alleyn at some future time recounting the case to a class at the police college.
October 31, 2021
In which Alleyn’s famous wife, Troy, stars.
November 30, 2025
A satisfying mystery from the late 1960s (but in style very much like earlier Golden Age mysteries). I liked the dual time structure, with each group of chapters being preceded by a short chapter where Alleyn sums up the case to that point to a later class of trainees. I actually figured out who the murderer was (which I rarely do in this kind of book), though I needed Alleyn to explain some of the details before I could get there. Entertaining and just what I needed as I plough through end-0f-term grading.
January 1, 2023
This is the best Ngaio Marsh I've read, and it's a bit amazing that it's from such a late date (1968). But it has so many things going for it: strong and compassionate guidance from Troy for the first two-thirds; a really clever structure that plays up the mysterious elements and teases the reader; an isolated group with many many believable suspects; a perfect river cruise setting described with a painter's eye; fog and creepy alleyways; a well-considered (for a white writer in 1968) look at racism in England; and Alleyn at his most elegant and adroit. It would be interesting to read it at the same time as Death on the Nile and spot the differences between Christie and Marsh. I give this one the edge. On to 2023!
April 24, 2022
Superintendent Alleyn’s wife takes a spontaneous boating holiday, which turns out to be with an international wanted multiple murderer.
The concept sounds a bit odd, but actually it was quite an enjoyable, if a bit run of the mill Ngoako Marsh.
The concept sounds a bit odd, but actually it was quite an enjoyable, if a bit run of the mill Ngoako Marsh.
July 25, 2022
"Oh, look -The place is swarming with Constables! Everywhere you look- A pefect clutch of them!"
September 9, 2018
Constables refers to paintings by the very real painter John Constable. Agatha Alleyn, aka Troy, gets a last minute berth on a river cruise in England while her husband is touring the States. Various odd things are going on, which Roderick is writing to her husband when one of the passengers goes missing, and she fears this woman has been murdered.
This is my first time reading anything by Kiwi writer Ngaio Marsh and since it is the 25th book featuring Mrs. Alleyn, I didn't realize at first that she is normally an amateur sleuth who loves crimes because her husband happens to be a Chief Inspector. Yes, a New Zealander writing books set in England.
This is my first time reading anything by Kiwi writer Ngaio Marsh and since it is the 25th book featuring Mrs. Alleyn, I didn't realize at first that she is normally an amateur sleuth who loves crimes because her husband happens to be a Chief Inspector. Yes, a New Zealander writing books set in England.
November 22, 2016
If you want proof of NM's fundamental cruelty, you have only to witness her treatment of that most loathsome of objects -- a person with a head cold.
Dorothy Sayers could be equally unsparing, but in general, her impartial catalogs of human frailty make her readers feel compassion, rather than embarrassed contempt. Her pitiless recitation of weaknesses -- petty flaws, awkward moments, hypocrisies, gaffes, people exposing themselves so dreadfully -- has the affect of making those people seem worth pitying. We are fragile, we are human, so we deserve protection and justice. Sayers' flawed humans deserve Peter Wimsey's best efforts because of their flaws, not despite them.
What NM thought her flawed humans deserve is a little less clear. What may shift the dynamic in NM's novels is that she never (that I've noticed) leaves her main characters exposed. Troy and Alleyn are so contained that everyone else seems even more horribly naked in comparison. Even late-Sayers' Wimsey is occasionally ridiculous, but the only thing that makes Troy and Alleyn squirm is vicarious embarrassment. Or, I suppose, ominous forebodings.
This is another mystery where NM decided to tackle race relations. I would rather she hadn't since I wouldn't say she did it well, although the book does become an interesting historical artifact in this respect. It's not as horrible as Sayers' blatant prejudice against the Scots, but it's also not as cheerful as Sayers' (also problematic) treatment of Jews. Sayers gave her characters the attitudes she gave them and doesn't judge those attitudes one way or the other. Which is unfortunate. NM gave her characters the attitudes she gave them and then (in the case of Troy and Alleyn) congratulates them for their enlightened point of view. Which actually makes me feel queasier, since that point of view is, essentially, that there's no reason to feel prejudice toward a Negro once he has successfully made himself over into an Englishman. It is culture that matters, not skin color. I find it easier to ignore in books I otherwise like over the top, wildly dated racism than I do partially-evolved, over-intellectualized racism.
NM also anatomized the state of race-consciousness in the other characters. What were meant to be subtle slurs have no subtly and that ineptitude renders the characters both bigoted AND gross. And what were meant to be performances of progressiveness aren't performed with conviction or comfort, leaving those characters foolish, mouthing ideas they don't fully understand.
Then there's a whole hodgepodge of other stuff -- art theft, tacky Americans, the signs of the zodiac, the inevitable limitations of the audience of students to whom one is speaking, Romanticism, the annoyance presented by motorbikes, and a winding river.
Ultimately, like so many mysteries, this is probably a book about change -- a vanishing old world, and an awkward, damp and scrawny new world that's still staggering around fragments of shell. I guess there's something about change that makes people feel murderous.
Dorothy Sayers could be equally unsparing, but in general, her impartial catalogs of human frailty make her readers feel compassion, rather than embarrassed contempt. Her pitiless recitation of weaknesses -- petty flaws, awkward moments, hypocrisies, gaffes, people exposing themselves so dreadfully -- has the affect of making those people seem worth pitying. We are fragile, we are human, so we deserve protection and justice. Sayers' flawed humans deserve Peter Wimsey's best efforts because of their flaws, not despite them.
What NM thought her flawed humans deserve is a little less clear. What may shift the dynamic in NM's novels is that she never (that I've noticed) leaves her main characters exposed. Troy and Alleyn are so contained that everyone else seems even more horribly naked in comparison. Even late-Sayers' Wimsey is occasionally ridiculous, but the only thing that makes Troy and Alleyn squirm is vicarious embarrassment. Or, I suppose, ominous forebodings.
This is another mystery where NM decided to tackle race relations. I would rather she hadn't since I wouldn't say she did it well, although the book does become an interesting historical artifact in this respect. It's not as horrible as Sayers' blatant prejudice against the Scots, but it's also not as cheerful as Sayers' (also problematic) treatment of Jews. Sayers gave her characters the attitudes she gave them and doesn't judge those attitudes one way or the other. Which is unfortunate. NM gave her characters the attitudes she gave them and then (in the case of Troy and Alleyn) congratulates them for their enlightened point of view. Which actually makes me feel queasier, since that point of view is, essentially, that there's no reason to feel prejudice toward a Negro once he has successfully made himself over into an Englishman. It is culture that matters, not skin color. I find it easier to ignore in books I otherwise like over the top, wildly dated racism than I do partially-evolved, over-intellectualized racism.
NM also anatomized the state of race-consciousness in the other characters. What were meant to be subtle slurs have no subtly and that ineptitude renders the characters both bigoted AND gross. And what were meant to be performances of progressiveness aren't performed with conviction or comfort, leaving those characters foolish, mouthing ideas they don't fully understand.
Then there's a whole hodgepodge of other stuff -- art theft, tacky Americans, the signs of the zodiac, the inevitable limitations of the audience of students to whom one is speaking, Romanticism, the annoyance presented by motorbikes, and a winding river.
Ultimately, like so many mysteries, this is probably a book about change -- a vanishing old world, and an awkward, damp and scrawny new world that's still staggering around fragments of shell. I guess there's something about change that makes people feel murderous.
November 23, 2022
Twenty-fifth in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn vintage mystery series revolving around a Scotland Yard detective and his team in the mid-1960s. The focus switches back and forth between a lecture and a riverboat tour. it was originally published in 1968.
My Take
Marsh's start was unusual, as she switches back and forth between Alleyn giving a lecture at a police college about a notorious criminal including all the reasons he's so successful and the activities in which he engages and the riverboat tour Troy is experiencing — and the particular case he's discussing.
It's a criminal operation that Alleyn lays out, including the double-identity lay.
The river cruise was to have been a peaceful, relaxing trip, but the news of a passenger-to-be's demise has Troy het up and suffering headaches, and she contacts Br'er Fox, who promptly insists she keep in touch with the police at every stage — without her fellow passengers knowing. Uh-huh.
Oh, man, Rickerby-Carrick gives me a headache! She has to provide every itty-bitty detail about her life. And cannot keep her mouth shut for anything — especially about her precious treasure. Idiot!
Sadly, Troy also reflects on the hostility suffered by the police, whom she also reflects are a wide-ranging group of people with their own passions and beliefs.
Certain of the passengers are annoyed that they could walk — certainly drive faster — than waiting for the riverboat to get from point A to B. I like Tory's response that she's "settled into the River-time-space dimension" *grin*. Although the peace of it is ruined at every stop with the machinations Troy must go through to keep her police visits a secret.
Omigod, twenty-five stories into the series and we finally learn Br'er Fox's actual name!
Hmm, propelling pencil . . . Part of what I enjoy about vintage mysteries is the different inventions (or at least the names) of what I know. And having started the series in the 1930s, I'm still rather stuck there in my head. It was reading a reference to James Bond that perked me up!
It's an interesting argument about well-done fakes being as good as the original painting. Only, the fakes aren't the result of original work. A good bit of cheer is the Zodiac that Troy re-works with help from Pollock. It does generate quite a bit of interest on everyone's part.
Lol, poor Alleyn doesn't want Troy involved in the case, and yet Fox — he's so cute with his French — puts a practical argument to him. Alleyn's really got no choice.
Marsh uses a third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Troy's and Alleyn's perspectives. It's very practical since this two-sided story flips between them. The prose is straight-forward with the flavor of the time period and the varying intelligences of the characters.
It's action that is primarily character-driven, and I was surprised at the ending. Oh, I knew there were some "undercovers", but how the passengers tied in was most interesting.
The Story
It's a last-minute cancellation and Troy wants some peace and quiet. That five-day trip down the river sounds perfect.
The Characters
Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, from the upper class, is with Scotland Yard and has written a book famous throughout the world of cop shops. He's married to Agatha Troy, a.k.a. Troy Alleyn, a famous painter, and they have a son, Ricky, who's old enough to be taking a course at Grenoble and has a girlfriend! Time sure flies!
Scotland Yard
Alleyn's team includes Inspector Edward "Teddy" Walter Fox, a.k.a. Br'er Fox and Detective-Sergeants Bailey and Thompson who are the fingerprint and photograph experts. Carmichael is the smart cop at the lecture.
K.G.Z. Andropulos had been a picture-dealer, who had cancelled his berth on the Zodiac. Mr and Mrs John Smith had been at Jno Baggs' place a month ago. Pluggy and Glenys are a pair of ton-ups with a motorbike and are friends with Tom. Dinky Dickson is a con man. Deafy Ed Moran is a big-time fixer, heroin dealer, and deals in fake pictures with his sister, Sis. Albert Bernard Smith lives in Soho whose solicitor is C.D.E. Struthers.
The Pleasure Craft and Riverage Company operates . . .
. . . tours and the M.V. Zodiac is one of theirs, a riverboat that takes tourists down the river and back. Jim Tretheway is the skipper and Tom, his son, and his wife are the crew.
The passengers include the nice, friendly (and obnoxious) Miss Hazel Rickerby-Carrick, a.k.a. Hay (to her friends), is a spinster with some truly annoying habits; S.H. Caley Bard collects butterflies and does tutorial cramming work and recognizes Troy but keeps her secret even as he romances her; Stan Pollock had been in commercial art; the widowed Dr Francis Natouche (a colored man, gasp!!), who practices in Liverpool and is also a fan of Troy's — and keeps her secret, likes to make maps; Earl J and Miss Sally-Lou Hewson are Americans; and, the Rev. J. de B. Lazenby is a clergyman from Australia.
Tollardwark is . . .
. . . on the first stop on the river trip where Jno. Bagg is a licensed antiquities dealer. Do not tick off his mother, Mrs Bagg's! Superintendent Bert Tillottson, a friend of Teddy's, is with the Police Station. PC Serge.
Longminster is . . .
. . . another stop where Superintendent Bonney is most sympathetic.
Ramsdyke Lock is . . .
. . . another stop were PC Cape is on duty.
Mavis is Rickerby-Carrick's bosom friend in Birmingham. It seems that Hay's grandfather had been a surgeon in Russia. The Bishop of Norminster had been hosting Lazenby. Erni is a contemporary artist. Sir Leslie Fergus, a bio-chemist, is a friend of Dr Natouche's; his wife is Lady Fergus.
Foljambe, a.k.a. the Jampot (in England) and Le Folichon (in Paris), is a brilliant and ruthless criminal who can mimic anyone.
A Blue International Circular indicates an unidentified criminal.
The Cover and Title
The general color of the cover is a grayed-pink. The title is a gradient of white to gray against the three-sided gradient lightening up to a more cheery pink in the bottom center of the top half. Across the middle is a pink stretched-out banner with the author's name in a deep burgundy deco font with a white glow around it. The bottom half is framed by four lines of white scalloped lines with an interior gradient of gray to pink raying up from the center bottom to the sides. There is a pink banner arching between the rays with the series info in white. The graphic in the center is of a white tureen decorated with a pair of strawberries on the bowl and green leaves decorating the lid.
The title refers to Troy's perception of the scenery along the river, a perfect Clutch of Constables .
My Take
Marsh's start was unusual, as she switches back and forth between Alleyn giving a lecture at a police college about a notorious criminal including all the reasons he's so successful and the activities in which he engages and the riverboat tour Troy is experiencing — and the particular case he's discussing.
It's a criminal operation that Alleyn lays out, including the double-identity lay.
The river cruise was to have been a peaceful, relaxing trip, but the news of a passenger-to-be's demise has Troy het up and suffering headaches, and she contacts Br'er Fox, who promptly insists she keep in touch with the police at every stage — without her fellow passengers knowing. Uh-huh.
Oh, man, Rickerby-Carrick gives me a headache! She has to provide every itty-bitty detail about her life. And cannot keep her mouth shut for anything — especially about her precious treasure. Idiot!
"Her sledgehammer tact crashes over Dr N like a shower of brick-bats, so anxious is she to be unracial."Stan Pollock, the Hewsons, and Lazenby are so racist and provide uncomfortable conflict amongst the passengers. As for Dr N's reason for coming on this trip . . . it's so sad, as he and his wife were to have come together.
Sadly, Troy also reflects on the hostility suffered by the police, whom she also reflects are a wide-ranging group of people with their own passions and beliefs.
Certain of the passengers are annoyed that they could walk — certainly drive faster — than waiting for the riverboat to get from point A to B. I like Tory's response that she's "settled into the River-time-space dimension" *grin*. Although the peace of it is ruined at every stop with the machinations Troy must go through to keep her police visits a secret.
Omigod, twenty-five stories into the series and we finally learn Br'er Fox's actual name!
Hmm, propelling pencil . . . Part of what I enjoy about vintage mysteries is the different inventions (or at least the names) of what I know. And having started the series in the 1930s, I'm still rather stuck there in my head. It was reading a reference to James Bond that perked me up!
It's an interesting argument about well-done fakes being as good as the original painting. Only, the fakes aren't the result of original work. A good bit of cheer is the Zodiac that Troy re-works with help from Pollock. It does generate quite a bit of interest on everyone's part.
Lol, poor Alleyn doesn't want Troy involved in the case, and yet Fox — he's so cute with his French — puts a practical argument to him. Alleyn's really got no choice.
Marsh uses a third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Troy's and Alleyn's perspectives. It's very practical since this two-sided story flips between them. The prose is straight-forward with the flavor of the time period and the varying intelligences of the characters.
It's action that is primarily character-driven, and I was surprised at the ending. Oh, I knew there were some "undercovers", but how the passengers tied in was most interesting.
The Story
It's a last-minute cancellation and Troy wants some peace and quiet. That five-day trip down the river sounds perfect.
The Characters
Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, from the upper class, is with Scotland Yard and has written a book famous throughout the world of cop shops. He's married to Agatha Troy, a.k.a. Troy Alleyn, a famous painter, and they have a son, Ricky, who's old enough to be taking a course at Grenoble and has a girlfriend! Time sure flies!
Scotland Yard
Alleyn's team includes Inspector Edward "Teddy" Walter Fox, a.k.a. Br'er Fox and Detective-Sergeants Bailey and Thompson who are the fingerprint and photograph experts. Carmichael is the smart cop at the lecture.
K.G.Z. Andropulos had been a picture-dealer, who had cancelled his berth on the Zodiac. Mr and Mrs John Smith had been at Jno Baggs' place a month ago. Pluggy and Glenys are a pair of ton-ups with a motorbike and are friends with Tom. Dinky Dickson is a con man. Deafy Ed Moran is a big-time fixer, heroin dealer, and deals in fake pictures with his sister, Sis. Albert Bernard Smith lives in Soho whose solicitor is C.D.E. Struthers.
The Pleasure Craft and Riverage Company operates . . .
. . . tours and the M.V. Zodiac is one of theirs, a riverboat that takes tourists down the river and back. Jim Tretheway is the skipper and Tom, his son, and his wife are the crew.
The passengers include the nice, friendly (and obnoxious) Miss Hazel Rickerby-Carrick, a.k.a. Hay (to her friends), is a spinster with some truly annoying habits; S.H. Caley Bard collects butterflies and does tutorial cramming work and recognizes Troy but keeps her secret even as he romances her; Stan Pollock had been in commercial art; the widowed Dr Francis Natouche (a colored man, gasp!!), who practices in Liverpool and is also a fan of Troy's — and keeps her secret, likes to make maps; Earl J and Miss Sally-Lou Hewson are Americans; and, the Rev. J. de B. Lazenby is a clergyman from Australia.
Tollardwark is . . .
. . . on the first stop on the river trip where Jno. Bagg is a licensed antiquities dealer. Do not tick off his mother, Mrs Bagg's! Superintendent Bert Tillottson, a friend of Teddy's, is with the Police Station. PC Serge.
Longminster is . . .
. . . another stop where Superintendent Bonney is most sympathetic.
Ramsdyke Lock is . . .
. . . another stop were PC Cape is on duty.
Mavis is Rickerby-Carrick's bosom friend in Birmingham. It seems that Hay's grandfather had been a surgeon in Russia. The Bishop of Norminster had been hosting Lazenby. Erni is a contemporary artist. Sir Leslie Fergus, a bio-chemist, is a friend of Dr Natouche's; his wife is Lady Fergus.
Foljambe, a.k.a. the Jampot (in England) and Le Folichon (in Paris), is a brilliant and ruthless criminal who can mimic anyone.
A Blue International Circular indicates an unidentified criminal.
The Cover and Title
The general color of the cover is a grayed-pink. The title is a gradient of white to gray against the three-sided gradient lightening up to a more cheery pink in the bottom center of the top half. Across the middle is a pink stretched-out banner with the author's name in a deep burgundy deco font with a white glow around it. The bottom half is framed by four lines of white scalloped lines with an interior gradient of gray to pink raying up from the center bottom to the sides. There is a pink banner arching between the rays with the series info in white. The graphic in the center is of a white tureen decorated with a pair of strawberries on the bowl and green leaves decorating the lid.
The title refers to Troy's perception of the scenery along the river, a perfect Clutch of Constables .
November 18, 2023
Just as Ngaio Marsh was no Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Troy is no Harriet Vane. While Lord Peter Wimsey's consort actively engaged in real life mysteries, Troy is more of an observer than an active participant. Marsh goes back and forth between Troy's experiences on a river cruise to her husband Roderick Alleyn's narrative to a group of policemen about the case she becomes embroiled in. It can be awkward at moments, but overall it's a satisfying form of storytelling. Take note here of the biracial doctor on the cruise, his treatment has interesting ramifications in another of these mysteries that comes several books later.
January 14, 2018
I have just re-read this after a gap of 40 years and what a pleasure it was!
As a whodunnit it isn't as good as the author's other works but it has an unusually diverse cast of characters. Unusually the story is largely told from the viewpoint of Troy, Alleyn's wife, who has joined a river cruise at the last minute. As mentioned in other reviews, there is some geographical confusion, but if you stick with the setting being the Fens this will work out fine.
The books tackles racialism very well at a time of different morals.
As a whodunnit it isn't as good as the author's other works but it has an unusually diverse cast of characters. Unusually the story is largely told from the viewpoint of Troy, Alleyn's wife, who has joined a river cruise at the last minute. As mentioned in other reviews, there is some geographical confusion, but if you stick with the setting being the Fens this will work out fine.
The books tackles racialism very well at a time of different morals.
October 18, 2021
This was told in a fun and different way, with much of it being in Troy’s perspective and the alternate chapters told in retrospect by Alleyn. I loved spending time with her. Well thought out plot and some lovely writing: “I can’t tell you how oddly time behaves on The River, how fantastically remote we are from the country that lies so close on either side.” Definitely makes one long for a river cruise— without the murders, of course.
January 7, 2010
I wasn't expecting much from this as I hated the only other Ngaio Marsh book I've read (Death at the Dolphin), and chose to read it only so that I could get rid of it and clear a space on my shelves. That backfired though, because I found it pretty compelling. It was good enough that I think I'll have to borrow my sister's Ngaio Marsh collection.
October 11, 2019
The construct of this book is very different from her others. The setting is on a river boat - with nothing to do with the theater. The protagonist is Troy for the first two-thirds of the book before the police take over. I found it to be refreshing.
May 23, 2022
I enjoyed cruising down the river with Troy. Great mystery! Had me guessing till the end!
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