What do you think?
Rate this book
Roderick Alleyn #14
Final Curtain
A Shakespearean actor takes his final bow.
Troy Alleyn, Inspector Roderick Alleyn's beautiful young wife, is engaged to paint a portrait of Sir Henry Ancred, famed Shakespearean actor and family patriarch, but she senses all is not well in the dreary castle of Ancreton. When old Henry is found dead after a suspicious dinner and an unfortunate family fracas, Troy enlists the impeccable aid of her husband to determine who among a cast of players would have a motive for murder-and the theatrical gift to carry it out.
Troy Alleyn, Inspector Roderick Alleyn's beautiful young wife, is engaged to paint a portrait of Sir Henry Ancred, famed Shakespearean actor and family patriarch, but she senses all is not well in the dreary castle of Ancreton. When old Henry is found dead after a suspicious dinner and an unfortunate family fracas, Troy enlists the impeccable aid of her husband to determine who among a cast of players would have a motive for murder-and the theatrical gift to carry it out.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
About the author
Ngaio Marsh
215 books868 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
January 22, 2019
Published in 1947, this is the fourteenth novel in the Inspector Alleyn series. The war is now over and Alleyn is expected home within a matter of two weeks, or so. His wife, the artist, Agatha Troy, worries about their reunion and is at a loss about how to pass the time. That is why, although originally unwilling, she accepts a commission to paint a portrait of the celebrated actor, Sir Henry Ancred for his seventy fifth birthday.
At Sir Henry’s family home, Troy meets his artistic and flamboyant family. For those of you who dislike the, often, politically incorrect nature of Golden Age detective books, you may wish to stay away from this particular Alleyn instalment. Sir Henry’s grandson, Cedric, and expected heir, is a particularly flamboyant, and effeminate, young man and many of the characters make derogatory remarks about him.
Although Cedric is expected to inherit not only the title, but much of his grandfather’s wealth, Sir Henry has recently installed a young chorus girl, who is causing much fluttering and disquiet among the family – including his children, daughters in law and grandchildren. To add to the mix, a school has been billeted at the house for the war and includes his badly behaved grand-daughter, nick-named Panty, who is seen as the obvious suspect when there are a number of practical jokes which take place during Troy’s visit.
This mystery includes murder, jealousy, family arguments and a touching reunion between Troy and Alleyn. After two wartime novels, seeing Alleyn rooting out spies in New Zealand, I was pleased to have a more typical house party murder, with a good cast of suspects and an interesting conclusion. Despite the rather dated views regarding Cedric – who I had a lot of sympathy for – I thought this much more enjoyable that the previous novel and look forward to reading on.
At Sir Henry’s family home, Troy meets his artistic and flamboyant family. For those of you who dislike the, often, politically incorrect nature of Golden Age detective books, you may wish to stay away from this particular Alleyn instalment. Sir Henry’s grandson, Cedric, and expected heir, is a particularly flamboyant, and effeminate, young man and many of the characters make derogatory remarks about him.
Although Cedric is expected to inherit not only the title, but much of his grandfather’s wealth, Sir Henry has recently installed a young chorus girl, who is causing much fluttering and disquiet among the family – including his children, daughters in law and grandchildren. To add to the mix, a school has been billeted at the house for the war and includes his badly behaved grand-daughter, nick-named Panty, who is seen as the obvious suspect when there are a number of practical jokes which take place during Troy’s visit.
This mystery includes murder, jealousy, family arguments and a touching reunion between Troy and Alleyn. After two wartime novels, seeing Alleyn rooting out spies in New Zealand, I was pleased to have a more typical house party murder, with a good cast of suspects and an interesting conclusion. Despite the rather dated views regarding Cedric – who I had a lot of sympathy for – I thought this much more enjoyable that the previous novel and look forward to reading on.
January 20, 2016
When a book is written in the 1940's it can be expected to have the prejudices of the day, but this one had the trifecta of comments about Jews, black people and a character who embodied all of the most offensive gay stereotypes. All this stood out in sharp relief because the plot was not that interesting, and all the characters were horrible. The murder was not even convincing.
November 3, 2009
The reviewer notes on the cover said it was "time to stop comparing Marsh to Agatha Christie, and start comparing Christie to Marsh", implying (and elsewhere boldly stating) that Marsh was the better writer. I've read just about everything Christie put out, and quite a bit of Marsh's oeuvre, and while I like Marsh's work, it doesn't seem to be any better than Christie's. (Yeah, I used the word "oeuvre" in a sentence. Jealous much?)
This particular work is pretty good, but (of course) there are a couple things I don't like about it. There are a number of instances of the writer playing the "I think we all know what I'm talking about here" game, where I got completely lost. I got the references to Cedric being a pouf (and I realize that when this was written, in 1947, Marsh would not have been able to come right out and say Cedric was gay), but there are a number of other instances where I felt like everyone else was in on the joke and I was left out. Marsh also spent a bit of time exploring the relationship between her detective, Roderick Alleyn, and his wife. The crux of the issue here was whether, after being separated for so long by the war, the two would be able to pick up where they left off, relationship-wise, or whether they would have lost any feeling for each other. All very interesting, and probably very vital to the post-war readers of Marsh's books, but really? In a mystery novel? It just seemed to muddy the waters.
As I said, overall an enjoyable example of the genre, but definitely not worthy of the "better-than-Christie" hype.
This particular work is pretty good, but (of course) there are a couple things I don't like about it. There are a number of instances of the writer playing the "I think we all know what I'm talking about here" game, where I got completely lost. I got the references to Cedric being a pouf (and I realize that when this was written, in 1947, Marsh would not have been able to come right out and say Cedric was gay), but there are a number of other instances where I felt like everyone else was in on the joke and I was left out. Marsh also spent a bit of time exploring the relationship between her detective, Roderick Alleyn, and his wife. The crux of the issue here was whether, after being separated for so long by the war, the two would be able to pick up where they left off, relationship-wise, or whether they would have lost any feeling for each other. All very interesting, and probably very vital to the post-war readers of Marsh's books, but really? In a mystery novel? It just seemed to muddy the waters.
As I said, overall an enjoyable example of the genre, but definitely not worthy of the "better-than-Christie" hype.
March 6, 2019
14th Alleyn book from 1947. Lucky to have read another Felony & Mayhem pristine paperback from my library. I can only conclude few patrons have found the trove of Marsh books as each seem brand new to me. Shhh!
In the timeline of the married life of Agatha Troy, painter, and her Scotland Yard husband Roderick Alleyn, this book begins at the juncture of Alleyn's anticipated return home after three years of service overseas under Special Branch directive.
Troy accepts a commission to go to a country estate of a famous actor to paint his portrait on the occasion of his upcoming birthday after careful thought, believing she will be able to accomplish this in enough time to be back home for her husband's return.
She will have more than her job of painting to contend with as various pranks are launched, two of which include defacing her painting, as someone in this large estate has a deeper plan...one that leads to a death. Troy does leave the country for London to welcome her husband, and of course he is assigned to the murder investigation.
I really enjoyed this book.
In the timeline of the married life of Agatha Troy, painter, and her Scotland Yard husband Roderick Alleyn, this book begins at the juncture of Alleyn's anticipated return home after three years of service overseas under Special Branch directive.
Troy accepts a commission to go to a country estate of a famous actor to paint his portrait on the occasion of his upcoming birthday after careful thought, believing she will be able to accomplish this in enough time to be back home for her husband's return.
She will have more than her job of painting to contend with as various pranks are launched, two of which include defacing her painting, as someone in this large estate has a deeper plan...one that leads to a death. Troy does leave the country for London to welcome her husband, and of course he is assigned to the murder investigation.
I really enjoyed this book.
February 15, 2019
Final Curtain (1947) by Ngaio Marsh finds Agatha Troy waiting for her husband's return from several years of war work in New Zealand and Australia. Inspector Alleyn is due back any time and Troy worries that the long separation may have spoiled their young relationship. When a request (a near-royal summons) comes from the celebrated actor Sir Henry Ancred for her to paint his portrait--in full actor's regalia as Macbeth--she is, at first, annoyed at the distraction. But when Sir Henry's son Thomas comes in person to plead the case, she is intrigued by his description of the family and decides that the distraction may be just what she needs. After all, Sir Henry's head fairly begs to be painted.
The family lives up to both Thomas's description and the run-down she received from Nigel Bathgate as she was leaving on the train for Ancreton Manor. She witnesses the bitter family dynamics and the jockeying for position as Sir Henry is fairly fickle in his favorites. The current front-runners are Patrica "Panty," his granddaughter, and Cedric, his grandson. But a spanner has been thrown into the works. The old gentleman has taken up with a young chorus girl and it looks like he may be out to prove that the "old man still has some life left in him." The family's fears are realized when Sir Henry announces that he plans to marry Sonia Orrincourt.
Troy finishes the portrait just in time for a grand unveiling on Sir Henry's birthday. But things go awry when the picture is found to have been vandalized--with a flying green cow dropping bombs on Sir Henry's head. There have been several "practical jokes" in the days leading up to the birthday and nearly everyone (including Sir Henry) assumes that Panty is the culprit. After all, she does have a history of such things. But both her mother and Troy believe that she's telling the truth when she says she hasn't done any of the tricks played on her grandfather. Someone is up to mischief...but who wants the blame to fall on Panty?
Then Sir Henry dies--apparently from natural causes following his most ill-advised over-indulgence during the birthday meal. He's safely buried and the family is weathering the shock of discovering that he had changed his will one final time--leaving Cedric Ancreton Manor, but nearly all his money to Sonia. That's when things get interesting.
Alleyn finally arrives back home and during their reunion, Troy tells him about her odd experiences at Ancreton Manor. Then anonymous notes start arriving that imply that Sir Henry's death wasn't natural after all. So Alleyn, Fox, and company start investigating.
Like Colour Scheme and a few of the other novels, this is one where Alleyn shows up rather late in the proceedings. However, unlike Colour Scheme, I don't actually mind it so much this time because get to spend quite a lot of time with Troy and we learn a great deal about her in the process. In some ways she acts as Alleyn's stand-in...observing the family's behavior and being able to give him a trusted, first-hand account of the goings on leading up to the murder. She brings an artist's eye for detail and gives Alleyn (and us) valuable insights on the characters and incidents. It provides a very unique build-up to the investigation.
I think in some ways Marsh has tried to give us another eccentric family like the Lampreys. But here the dark undertones overshadow the pleasant oddities. There is really something a bit distasteful about most of the Ancreds. One thing that struck me about the story was the emphasis on how all the Ancreds were the same--overly-theatrical; they all made that "tuh" noise; etc--all, that is except Thomas. Having made such a point of how Thomas was an exception to the Ancred rule, I almost expected there to be a revelation that Thomas wasn't really an Ancred after all...and that maybe that would figure into the motives somehow. Ah, well--I guess it was a case of the author protesting too much.
This was another enjoyable entry in the Alleyn chronicles--particularly since we see so much of Troy. Marsh did fool me on the killer...I had latched onto someone else and couldn't quite shake my belief in their guilt.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
The family lives up to both Thomas's description and the run-down she received from Nigel Bathgate as she was leaving on the train for Ancreton Manor. She witnesses the bitter family dynamics and the jockeying for position as Sir Henry is fairly fickle in his favorites. The current front-runners are Patrica "Panty," his granddaughter, and Cedric, his grandson. But a spanner has been thrown into the works. The old gentleman has taken up with a young chorus girl and it looks like he may be out to prove that the "old man still has some life left in him." The family's fears are realized when Sir Henry announces that he plans to marry Sonia Orrincourt.
Troy finishes the portrait just in time for a grand unveiling on Sir Henry's birthday. But things go awry when the picture is found to have been vandalized--with a flying green cow dropping bombs on Sir Henry's head. There have been several "practical jokes" in the days leading up to the birthday and nearly everyone (including Sir Henry) assumes that Panty is the culprit. After all, she does have a history of such things. But both her mother and Troy believe that she's telling the truth when she says she hasn't done any of the tricks played on her grandfather. Someone is up to mischief...but who wants the blame to fall on Panty?
Then Sir Henry dies--apparently from natural causes following his most ill-advised over-indulgence during the birthday meal. He's safely buried and the family is weathering the shock of discovering that he had changed his will one final time--leaving Cedric Ancreton Manor, but nearly all his money to Sonia. That's when things get interesting.
Alleyn finally arrives back home and during their reunion, Troy tells him about her odd experiences at Ancreton Manor. Then anonymous notes start arriving that imply that Sir Henry's death wasn't natural after all. So Alleyn, Fox, and company start investigating.
Like Colour Scheme and a few of the other novels, this is one where Alleyn shows up rather late in the proceedings. However, unlike Colour Scheme, I don't actually mind it so much this time because get to spend quite a lot of time with Troy and we learn a great deal about her in the process. In some ways she acts as Alleyn's stand-in...observing the family's behavior and being able to give him a trusted, first-hand account of the goings on leading up to the murder. She brings an artist's eye for detail and gives Alleyn (and us) valuable insights on the characters and incidents. It provides a very unique build-up to the investigation.
I think in some ways Marsh has tried to give us another eccentric family like the Lampreys. But here the dark undertones overshadow the pleasant oddities. There is really something a bit distasteful about most of the Ancreds. One thing that struck me about the story was the emphasis on how all the Ancreds were the same--overly-theatrical; they all made that "tuh" noise; etc--all, that is except Thomas. Having made such a point of how Thomas was an exception to the Ancred rule, I almost expected there to be a revelation that Thomas wasn't really an Ancred after all...and that maybe that would figure into the motives somehow. Ah, well--I guess it was a case of the author protesting too much.
This was another enjoyable entry in the Alleyn chronicles--particularly since we see so much of Troy. Marsh did fool me on the killer...I had latched onto someone else and couldn't quite shake my belief in their guilt.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
December 24, 2016
2022 Reread
I always think that Artists in Crime is my favourite in the series, but upon reread, it might be this one. I like how it deals with some of the post-war issues of people returning to their home countries. The Ancreds are suitably dramatic and ridiculous. They make a fun cast of characters. I still really like Troy as narrator in the first half of this. And then I like her and Alleyn working together a bit, and coming to terms with the fact that she shouldn't be kept seperate from his work. A good classic mystery novel.
2016 Review
4.5 stars, but I thought I'd round up, because it's a high point in the series. Hearing about this one made me come back to this series. This one I quite like.
The Ancreds are interesting enough. Some of the character moments are quite good within the family, and between the family and Troy. I like Troy as a narrator in the first half. I also like some of the discussion of her painting. I like Alleyn and Troy both struggling with worries about a reconciliation (and whether they will feel the same way) after 3+ years apart.
I feel like the sparseness with which Marsh generally describes the character moments works much better in this one than in say, Artists in Crime (when it feels more like key moments are just skipped, and the ones that do exist could use a bit more detail). I also like where they end up re: Alleyn feeling like he can discuss the case with her, without it raising unpleasant associations from her. And their reactions to the other suddenly being around are fairly excellent.
So yeah, I like this one.
I always think that Artists in Crime is my favourite in the series, but upon reread, it might be this one. I like how it deals with some of the post-war issues of people returning to their home countries. The Ancreds are suitably dramatic and ridiculous. They make a fun cast of characters. I still really like Troy as narrator in the first half of this. And then I like her and Alleyn working together a bit, and coming to terms with the fact that she shouldn't be kept seperate from his work. A good classic mystery novel.
2016 Review
4.5 stars, but I thought I'd round up, because it's a high point in the series. Hearing about this one made me come back to this series. This one I quite like.
The Ancreds are interesting enough. Some of the character moments are quite good within the family, and between the family and Troy. I like Troy as a narrator in the first half. I also like some of the discussion of her painting. I like Alleyn and Troy both struggling with worries about a reconciliation (and whether they will feel the same way) after 3+ years apart.
I feel like the sparseness with which Marsh generally describes the character moments works much better in this one than in say, Artists in Crime (when it feels more like key moments are just skipped, and the ones that do exist could use a bit more detail). I also like where they end up re: Alleyn feeling like he can discuss the case with her, without it raising unpleasant associations from her. And their reactions to the other suddenly being around are fairly excellent.
So yeah, I like this one.
June 17, 2020
Ооооочень приятная книга. Я буквально влюбилась в Найо Марш и её главных героев, в атмосферу романа, во все эти упоминания деталей, характерных для быта 40-х годов. Вот только детективная развязка меня не устроила - логика преступления не показалась убедительной, а оборванная концовка после неспешного развития событий вышла скомканной.
Рекомендую читать роман на английском, а если нет такой возможности, то в переводе Михалёва ("Занавес опускается"). Перевод Анастасьева ("Последний занавес") в сравнении с михалёвским не очень удачен.
Рекомендую читать роман на английском, а если нет такой возможности, то в переводе Михалёва ("Занавес опускается"). Перевод Анастасьева ("Последний занавес") в сравнении с михалёвским не очень удачен.
November 29, 2018
It has been a long time since I read a Marsh mystery. This one has wit and humor but is a little too twee. It also has way too many characters introduced in a rapid-fire info dump at the beginning of the book. I found it impossible to keep them, and their relationships, straight. If I had read this 40 years ago I probably would have liked it a lot more, but I’ve moved on from house party murders.
May 14, 2020
B:
Back to reality for Marsh, in a post-war setting and with an extremely traditional country house mystery, consisting of a standard plot, motive, and method of murder. More notable for the romanticism of Alleyn and Troy's reunion, and that she gamely confronts the elements of the investigation, as had not been the case in the past. I especially love this unapologetically slushy passage describing their reunion:
"When she had moved forward on the quay, without at first seeing him, his physical reaction had been so sharp that it had blotted out his thoughts. It was only when she gave him the look of intimacy, which so far had not been repeated, that he knew, without question, he was to love her again."
Back to reality for Marsh, in a post-war setting and with an extremely traditional country house mystery, consisting of a standard plot, motive, and method of murder. More notable for the romanticism of Alleyn and Troy's reunion, and that she gamely confronts the elements of the investigation, as had not been the case in the past. I especially love this unapologetically slushy passage describing their reunion:
"When she had moved forward on the quay, without at first seeing him, his physical reaction had been so sharp that it had blotted out his thoughts. It was only when she gave him the look of intimacy, which so far had not been repeated, that he knew, without question, he was to love her again."
March 17, 2018
While this is an interesting mystery by one of my favorite authors, I found myself extremely irritated with a couple of the characters. One is a young man who is just too precious for words and the other is a child who is called "Panty". That's probably one of the most horrible nicknames anyone could have, especially in a novel.
The plot is fairly interesting, but most of the secondary characters are pretty obnoxious. 'Nuff said.
The plot is fairly interesting, but most of the secondary characters are pretty obnoxious. 'Nuff said.
March 12, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in August 1998.
The war is finally over, and Alleyn is returning from New Zealand - where the previous two books in the series, Colour Scheme and Died In The Wool, are set - to join his wife in London. Just as Troy is expecting him back any day, she receives an extremely pressing invitation: distinguished actor Sir Henry Ancred wishes to commission her to paint his portrait at his family seat, Ancreton. This invitation is occasioned by Sir Henry receiving the (inaccurate) news that the nation commissioned Troy to paint a portrait of one of his friends and rivals.
Truth to tell, though he may have been a magnificent actor, Sir Henry's talent could never have matched his conceit. As far as he was concerned, the nation has never been as quick to recognise his status as great man of the stage as it should have been; even his knighthood is not a grateful acknowledgment of his stature but was obtained by the somewhat unexpected inheritance of a baronetcy from a distant cousin.
In the end, Troy accepts and travels to Ancreton, where she is plunged into the midst of a bizarre family gathering; theatrical eccentricity is part and parcel of being an Ancred. The family (other than Sir Henry) is united only in their dislike of Sonia Orrincourt, a beautiful blonde plucked from the chorus by Sir Henry, virtually in his dotage but likely to step into a second marriage at any moment - particularly when his family enrage him.
A series of unpleasant practical jokes is followed by the death of Sir Henry; Troy suspects it is something more serious than eating crayfish when suffering from a stomach disorder. Luckily, Alleyn has just now returned, and he is able to disentangle the whole complex plot.
Final Curtain is one of the better known Ngaio Marsh novels, and it is the first I ever read by her. It is not one of her best, though; it shows distinct signs of a return to the formulaic house party crime novel she was writing before the two set in New Zealand. It has an upper class family only rivalled in grotesque eccentricity by the Lampreys (in A Surfeit Of Lampreys) and the sort of implausible puzzle gently mocked by Michael Innes in There Came Both Mist And Snow. As an example of the classic detection genre, you could hardly chose a novel more typical, but Marsh can offer far better.
The war is finally over, and Alleyn is returning from New Zealand - where the previous two books in the series, Colour Scheme and Died In The Wool, are set - to join his wife in London. Just as Troy is expecting him back any day, she receives an extremely pressing invitation: distinguished actor Sir Henry Ancred wishes to commission her to paint his portrait at his family seat, Ancreton. This invitation is occasioned by Sir Henry receiving the (inaccurate) news that the nation commissioned Troy to paint a portrait of one of his friends and rivals.
Truth to tell, though he may have been a magnificent actor, Sir Henry's talent could never have matched his conceit. As far as he was concerned, the nation has never been as quick to recognise his status as great man of the stage as it should have been; even his knighthood is not a grateful acknowledgment of his stature but was obtained by the somewhat unexpected inheritance of a baronetcy from a distant cousin.
In the end, Troy accepts and travels to Ancreton, where she is plunged into the midst of a bizarre family gathering; theatrical eccentricity is part and parcel of being an Ancred. The family (other than Sir Henry) is united only in their dislike of Sonia Orrincourt, a beautiful blonde plucked from the chorus by Sir Henry, virtually in his dotage but likely to step into a second marriage at any moment - particularly when his family enrage him.
A series of unpleasant practical jokes is followed by the death of Sir Henry; Troy suspects it is something more serious than eating crayfish when suffering from a stomach disorder. Luckily, Alleyn has just now returned, and he is able to disentangle the whole complex plot.
Final Curtain is one of the better known Ngaio Marsh novels, and it is the first I ever read by her. It is not one of her best, though; it shows distinct signs of a return to the formulaic house party crime novel she was writing before the two set in New Zealand. It has an upper class family only rivalled in grotesque eccentricity by the Lampreys (in A Surfeit Of Lampreys) and the sort of implausible puzzle gently mocked by Michael Innes in There Came Both Mist And Snow. As an example of the classic detection genre, you could hardly chose a novel more typical, but Marsh can offer far better.
December 29, 2016
I read somewhere that "Died in the Wool" was Marsh's favorite in her Alleyn series, and I liked it a lot but this one is even better. It's not quite five stars to me, since it ends a bit suddenly and it was not as personally satisfying a conclusion as I would have preferred. But it was a lot of fun to read.
This Alleyn installment has a group of vivid characters, representing the steady growth in fiction-writing that I am seeing as I work my way through the series. The story does in a way remind me of "A Surfeit of Lampreys," though the Lamprey family was charming and delightful and the Ancreds here are far from that. But each person in this isolated country house is quite individual, and not like any previous Marsh character.
Alleyn's wife, Agatha Troy, comes to life a lot more here than in any previous book. Even more interesting, the relationship between her and Rory develops a lot more nuance and texture. The issue of how much work one's brings home mentally is still a real one, and interesting to explore.
As other readers have pointed out, there are some unattractive ways this book is the product of its era. I find it difficult to see how writers can be expected to write within the context of moral issues not explored in the time in which they live. Yes, there are references we fortunately never use (such as the "n" word). As an aside, though, the fact that we no longer use some offensive terms and stereotypes (and this is a good thing) we have hardly escaped the mindset which generates them.
I understand and to some extent share the discomfort others mention with the Cedric's portrayal. However, I actually sort of liked him, and found his style of speaking fascinating and often funny. Sure, he appears to be an effeminate gay man, but there are indeed people like Cedric, and it's hard to conclude that a writer cannot include a character like this. Yes, it would be preferable to have a more nuanced portrayal of gay life, but in the oppressive world of the 1940's, I would think aside from individuals like Cedric, gay life was essentially invisible to outsiders.
Anyway, this is a good mystery, well-written and well-crafted. I enjoyed it.
This Alleyn installment has a group of vivid characters, representing the steady growth in fiction-writing that I am seeing as I work my way through the series. The story does in a way remind me of "A Surfeit of Lampreys," though the Lamprey family was charming and delightful and the Ancreds here are far from that. But each person in this isolated country house is quite individual, and not like any previous Marsh character.
Alleyn's wife, Agatha Troy, comes to life a lot more here than in any previous book. Even more interesting, the relationship between her and Rory develops a lot more nuance and texture. The issue of how much work one's brings home mentally is still a real one, and interesting to explore.
As other readers have pointed out, there are some unattractive ways this book is the product of its era. I find it difficult to see how writers can be expected to write within the context of moral issues not explored in the time in which they live. Yes, there are references we fortunately never use (such as the "n" word). As an aside, though, the fact that we no longer use some offensive terms and stereotypes (and this is a good thing) we have hardly escaped the mindset which generates them.
I understand and to some extent share the discomfort others mention with the Cedric's portrayal. However, I actually sort of liked him, and found his style of speaking fascinating and often funny. Sure, he appears to be an effeminate gay man, but there are indeed people like Cedric, and it's hard to conclude that a writer cannot include a character like this. Yes, it would be preferable to have a more nuanced portrayal of gay life, but in the oppressive world of the 1940's, I would think aside from individuals like Cedric, gay life was essentially invisible to outsiders.
Anyway, this is a good mystery, well-written and well-crafted. I enjoyed it.
February 5, 2019
4.5 stars - very entertaining classic country house murder, it was good to have Inspector Alleyn back with Fox and Troy in England after wartime duty of three-plus years.
As the novel opens, Troy has been asked to paint the portrait of legendary actor Sir Henry Ancred; Alleyn is due home anytime, but Troy is deeply tempted to take on the commission. She heads to the great actor’s country house and is soon pleasantly immersed in her work, despite being surrounded by the dysfunctional, overly dramatic Ancred family. I loved this part - Troy is a great character, so calm and collected, and her internal musings dealing with this emotional, dramatic family was quite amusing!
Marsh gives us a wonderful cast of drama queens with the Ancreds - Sir Henry is also keeping company with a beautiful but clearly lower class actress who is, in the parlance of the era, “no better than she should be”. Yes, the old lion taken in by a beautiful young gold digger is a hackneyed device as old as the hills, but Marsh plays it brilliantly, pitting the scheming young woman against Sir Henry’s resentful, grasping family - quite Shakespearean, really, and fun!
Adding to the drama, the old man constantly threatens to change his will; the inevitable happens, the old man is found dead, but was it his usual gastric trouble bringing on a heart attack after a too-rich birthday celebration and a raging temper tantrum brought on by practical jokes poking fun at him? His ego, of course, is immense and he is enraged by being poked about his young lady friend...Troy is present when the old man is found, but she can’t help wondering if someone decided to put an end to Sir Henry.
When the family all receive letters suggesting Sir Henry was poisoned, Alleyn steps in to investigate. A very satisfying Golden Age mystery - so glad Alleyn is back in England, I look forward to continuing reading these books with the Reading the Detectives group!
As the novel opens, Troy has been asked to paint the portrait of legendary actor Sir Henry Ancred; Alleyn is due home anytime, but Troy is deeply tempted to take on the commission. She heads to the great actor’s country house and is soon pleasantly immersed in her work, despite being surrounded by the dysfunctional, overly dramatic Ancred family. I loved this part - Troy is a great character, so calm and collected, and her internal musings dealing with this emotional, dramatic family was quite amusing!
Marsh gives us a wonderful cast of drama queens with the Ancreds - Sir Henry is also keeping company with a beautiful but clearly lower class actress who is, in the parlance of the era, “no better than she should be”. Yes, the old lion taken in by a beautiful young gold digger is a hackneyed device as old as the hills, but Marsh plays it brilliantly, pitting the scheming young woman against Sir Henry’s resentful, grasping family - quite Shakespearean, really, and fun!
Adding to the drama, the old man constantly threatens to change his will; the inevitable happens, the old man is found dead, but was it his usual gastric trouble bringing on a heart attack after a too-rich birthday celebration and a raging temper tantrum brought on by practical jokes poking fun at him? His ego, of course, is immense and he is enraged by being poked about his young lady friend...Troy is present when the old man is found, but she can’t help wondering if someone decided to put an end to Sir Henry.
When the family all receive letters suggesting Sir Henry was poisoned, Alleyn steps in to investigate. A very satisfying Golden Age mystery - so glad Alleyn is back in England, I look forward to continuing reading these books with the Reading the Detectives group!
December 8, 2015
The first half of this book it totally from Troy's perspective, and if you've been reading them in order you're ready to spend more time with her. That's because Roderick has been in New Zealand investigating WWII crime for 3.5 years and she's disappeared from the reader's radar. But don't despair - he's coming home soon and this book get both of them in the act.
Her husband's imminent return makes Troy reluctant to take a commission for a huge portrait of a dying Shakespearean actor, but of course she finally agrees. This gives us the typical Golden Age mystery setting of a huge country house full of eccentric people who don't like each other. The perfect place for a murder.
At about the half way point, the Inspector returns to England and becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. This turns out to be a turning point for the Alleyn's personal relationship as well as the undoing of a murderer.
Some reviewers didn't like this book because they found the Ancred's unlikable, but that's the point, really. You're not supposed to like any of them. And yes, they are stereotypes. This is what's known as an "idea" story - as Golden Age mysteries were and most mysteries still are today. Troy and Roderick may behave like real people, but the rest of the cast is there to provide victims and suspects. It's a convention that you need to be able to accept to enjoy this type of book. I happen to like this one a lot.
Her husband's imminent return makes Troy reluctant to take a commission for a huge portrait of a dying Shakespearean actor, but of course she finally agrees. This gives us the typical Golden Age mystery setting of a huge country house full of eccentric people who don't like each other. The perfect place for a murder.
At about the half way point, the Inspector returns to England and becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. This turns out to be a turning point for the Alleyn's personal relationship as well as the undoing of a murderer.
Some reviewers didn't like this book because they found the Ancred's unlikable, but that's the point, really. You're not supposed to like any of them. And yes, they are stereotypes. This is what's known as an "idea" story - as Golden Age mysteries were and most mysteries still are today. Troy and Roderick may behave like real people, but the rest of the cast is there to provide victims and suspects. It's a convention that you need to be able to accept to enjoy this type of book. I happen to like this one a lot.
January 29, 2018
Famous painter Agatha Troy has three weeks to wait for the return of Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn from four years’ service in New Zealand during the Second World War as Ngaio Marsh’s Final Curtain opens. She gets invited (well, pretty much commanded) to go to Ancreton, the home of Sir Henry Ancred to paint the old actor in his most famous role as Macbeth. After initially turning the “great man” down, Troy gives in and travels to the castle to paint the man’s portrait. While there she meets the whole extended family, all but one of whom work in the theater business, as well as Sir Henry’s paramour, Sonia Orrincourt, a failed actress herself. And while there, Troy becomes witness to and subject of some childish pranks that everyone is eager to attribute to the youngest granddaughter, Panty, despite Troy’s conviction that Panty has not committed all of these acts.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
May 21, 2018
A marvelous book! We get Troy and Roderick both, which I do love. And both points of view, which I find fun. The puzzle is complex, and I wasn't sure till the very end who was the culprit, which is the very best.
It's important to remember, if you haven't the context, that Alleyn was sent to New Zealand for his war work, and Troy was in England doing hers, so they were apart 3 years. And remember, you couldn't really phone NZ from UK at that point - calling from one part of the country to another required a live operator and a waiting period for an open line. So for 3 years, they had only letters. And he didn't just fly home - he takes a ship, and she doesn't know for weeks when he will arrive. They manage to get her 3 days notice when the ship is close. So different from our lives today!
It's well worth a read - and if you aren't reading the whole series, you might want to read Artists in Crime first, the 6th in the series, which is the book where Roddy and Troy first meet.
It's important to remember, if you haven't the context, that Alleyn was sent to New Zealand for his war work, and Troy was in England doing hers, so they were apart 3 years. And remember, you couldn't really phone NZ from UK at that point - calling from one part of the country to another required a live operator and a waiting period for an open line. So for 3 years, they had only letters. And he didn't just fly home - he takes a ship, and she doesn't know for weeks when he will arrive. They manage to get her 3 days notice when the ship is close. So different from our lives today!
It's well worth a read - and if you aren't reading the whole series, you might want to read Artists in Crime first, the 6th in the series, which is the book where Roddy and Troy first meet.
August 15, 2018
The only reason I'm not giving five stars is that I worked out the method of the murder early on. This is my first Marsh novel and even coming late to the series it was easy to get the hang of the central characters. Unlike more recent crime fiction which seems to need a corpse in the opening chapter and several more thereafter this one takes its time and is the better for it as the author takes 50% of the pages to setup all the horrible suspects in this diva-filled family in their country house. Thankfully I had Agatha Troy as a sympathetic character to root for. I also enjoyed learning about the process of portrait painting.
Unlike others here I enjoyed the whole married couple reuniting after the war subplot (perhaps because I'm married to somebody who is away for work regularly?) but even if you dislike that, it's easy enough to skip.
If you enjoy Golden Age British detective fiction you should enjoy this one.
Unlike others here I enjoyed the whole married couple reuniting after the war subplot (perhaps because I'm married to somebody who is away for work regularly?) but even if you dislike that, it's easy enough to skip.
If you enjoy Golden Age British detective fiction you should enjoy this one.
December 28, 2010
The first post-war Alleyn, taking its start in Troy's world. Troy is one of my favourite characters (in and out of the Alleyn mysteries) and so her tale, among the over-dramatic Ancreds, is engrossing for me, and it's nice to see her and Alleyn settle some of the 'business' of being married, of working out how to be together.
The real oddity of this story for me is that it's a Troy story which involves a beautiful and morally bereft woman called Sonia. Given that Troy's introduction involved the murder of the beautiful and morally bereft Sonia Gluck, I found the use of the name again very distracting, particularly as neither Troy nor Alleyn commented on it, even when discussing how to deal with his job.
Without the time spent in Troy's life, this book would probably be a 3 star, but she lifts it for me.
The real oddity of this story for me is that it's a Troy story which involves a beautiful and morally bereft woman called Sonia. Given that Troy's introduction involved the murder of the beautiful and morally bereft Sonia Gluck, I found the use of the name again very distracting, particularly as neither Troy nor Alleyn commented on it, even when discussing how to deal with his job.
Without the time spent in Troy's life, this book would probably be a 3 star, but she lifts it for me.
October 4, 2021
Aside from another terrific mystery with a fascinating cast, here Marsh allows Troy, Alleyn's wife, to use an appropriate expression, take center stage. Marsh had her appear briefly in earlier books, but here Alleyn and Troy experience something akin to what Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane go through in Busman's Honeymoon, resolving the conflict between Alleyn's work, and Troy's feelings about it. For most of the series Alleyn's personal life has been kept from us, even when his relationship with Troy began, but here, as they reunite after a 3 year wartime separation, they must both face up to their feelings. It is not a chief part of the plot, but nonetheless,it's an important sub-plot.
June 3, 2015
I'm a fan of Marsh, but the series is uneven. The best books are funny and involve inspector Fox. I also like the books in which Troy makes and appearance. Both characters were present, and Troy has the first half of the book—the first book written after several post WWII during which time Alleyn is serving in New Zealand. As a series completist, I enjoyed that aspect of it, but murder mystery took place at on an estate and was a parody of an eccentric British aristocratic family that was silly and almost mean-spirited and thus not a that funny.
January 29, 2023
Narrated by James Saxon.
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
James Saxon is such an incredible narrator and I was so glad to have wife and painter extraordinaire Agatha Troy back in this book!
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
James Saxon is such an incredible narrator and I was so glad to have wife and painter extraordinaire Agatha Troy back in this book!
February 23, 2016
Like a lot of parlor mysteries, this one pursues a logic all its own. Well, not quite all its own -- it's pretty heavily influenced by the dodgy psychological insights of the day, even while it thinks it's mocking them. And yet it's a very comfortable tale with familiar and colorful characters, and I was a bit disappointed when it came to its (more or less arbitrary) end. So I suppose I "really liked it."
April 28, 2017
More enjoyable than the last few because of the reunion in London of Alleyn with Fox and, of course, Troy. I hadn't realized that Alleyn's wartime duties had taken him away for three years or more. Marsh's interest in the theater and fine arts continues in the setting.
March 1, 2019
Another dysfunctional family vying for the most obnoxious award, and all quite plausible as self-centered killers. I did enjoy getting a majority of the narrative from Troy's perspective, but I didn't particularly care who was guilty, or who was even murdered for that matter.
January 4, 2015
I don't think I'll ever get bored of a good mystery: Christie, Tey, and Marsh being my favorite authors.
January 19, 2021
Ngaio Marsh makes me use the dictionary. Quite often. In this novel the first instance was for the phrase Katzenjammer Castle - used to describe the old family pile. The phrase actually has links to amusement parks and the original funhouses in the 1890s to the 1910s. And, fun fact, the word Katzenjammer on it's own has Germanic origins for "cat" and "distress," and now loosely translates to a rough hangover where the groans are reminiscent of the cries of a tomcat.
Marsh's settings are always spectacular in their imagination and detail, and of course Marsh's lyrical ability to describe them. This novel is no different, the murder taking place in a fantastic family castle. The head of the family is a beloved man of the stage, famous for his roles as Macbeth, an actor larger than life. Troy has been commissioned to paint the patriarch in his last years, and what turns out to be his last days. She's reluctant to accept the offer - her husband is finally on his way home after three years of secret service during the war - but she's swayed by the description of the eccentric family, as the patriarch isn't the only larger than life personality under the roof. High drama and deep feelings are the norm rather than the exception, making for never a dull moment. Troy's curiosity is roused and she can't resist.
She spends several days with the family, a reliable witness to several scenes of emotional outbursts as the tension mounts before Sir Henry Ancred's infamous annual birthday soiree. On these occasions he likes to entertain/torment his family audience with a reading of his most recently edited will. This year is no different, except that in ends in murder. Detective Alleyn gets back to the UK just in time to be assigned to the case and his first task is to interview his wife. It's still early in the marriage, they have just spent three years apart and each is separately terrified that they will have nothing to say to one another. At least the mystery provides good small talk to get them reconnected! Or so you would think, but to the contrary, it just adds to the initial awkwardness as Troy has always been opposed to the outcome of Rory's investigations, as they inevitably lead to incarceration or capital punishment. Rory tries to keep Troy as separate from his work life as possible out of sensitivity and respect for her opinions and feelings. The novel is interesting in that you see both of their opinions about work/life balance start to shift, a progressive view for the time and a nice insight into their personal relationship.
And of course, the Ancred family is just as dramatic as you might imagine, and more so! The personalities and alliances and frictions are highly amusing and engrossing. This one kept me guessing right until the end. The murderer's identity was both surprising and satisfying. It was definitely believable and there was certainly motive and means. Marsh has written Alleyn as a meticulous detective so the big reveals are always rooted in fact and careful, painstaking collection of evidence. These novels are a pure joy to read.
Marsh's settings are always spectacular in their imagination and detail, and of course Marsh's lyrical ability to describe them. This novel is no different, the murder taking place in a fantastic family castle. The head of the family is a beloved man of the stage, famous for his roles as Macbeth, an actor larger than life. Troy has been commissioned to paint the patriarch in his last years, and what turns out to be his last days. She's reluctant to accept the offer - her husband is finally on his way home after three years of secret service during the war - but she's swayed by the description of the eccentric family, as the patriarch isn't the only larger than life personality under the roof. High drama and deep feelings are the norm rather than the exception, making for never a dull moment. Troy's curiosity is roused and she can't resist.
She spends several days with the family, a reliable witness to several scenes of emotional outbursts as the tension mounts before Sir Henry Ancred's infamous annual birthday soiree. On these occasions he likes to entertain/torment his family audience with a reading of his most recently edited will. This year is no different, except that in ends in murder. Detective Alleyn gets back to the UK just in time to be assigned to the case and his first task is to interview his wife. It's still early in the marriage, they have just spent three years apart and each is separately terrified that they will have nothing to say to one another. At least the mystery provides good small talk to get them reconnected! Or so you would think, but to the contrary, it just adds to the initial awkwardness as Troy has always been opposed to the outcome of Rory's investigations, as they inevitably lead to incarceration or capital punishment. Rory tries to keep Troy as separate from his work life as possible out of sensitivity and respect for her opinions and feelings. The novel is interesting in that you see both of their opinions about work/life balance start to shift, a progressive view for the time and a nice insight into their personal relationship.
And of course, the Ancred family is just as dramatic as you might imagine, and more so! The personalities and alliances and frictions are highly amusing and engrossing. This one kept me guessing right until the end. The murderer's identity was both surprising and satisfying. It was definitely believable and there was certainly motive and means. Marsh has written Alleyn as a meticulous detective so the big reveals are always rooted in fact and careful, painstaking collection of evidence. These novels are a pure joy to read.
September 25, 2020
Glorious set piece of an 'eccentric family' vintage murder mystery, detailed and delicious. Any chance this one was one of the inspirations behind Knives Out?
I've always enjoyed Ngaio Marsh's books in a general sense, but never really connected with her detective, Roderick Alleyn, so I've only read a handful. My absolute favourites, though, were the ones told from the point of view of his future wife/wife Agatha Troy, the painter -- and thanks to the Shedunnit podcast I recently discovered that I had missed one of these!
World War II has just come to an end. Troy reluctantly accepts an invitation to paint the Macbeth-inspired portrait of a baronet from a highly theatrical family... while she nervously awaits a reunion with her husband who has been overseas for three years. What follows is a gorgeous study in tension, emotion and melodrama as the wildly eccentric family embrace her as the audience to their ridiculous behaviour as they all close ranks against another outsider: the baronet's much younger chorus-girl mistress, who is clearly angling to become the next Lady A.
The actual murder is held off quite late in the story, but I didn't mind at all because every page was enjoyably tense and packed with character as well as the hilarious observations of Troy. Tragically once it's officially A Murder and Alleyn himself arrives home, he takes over the POV with only occasional interjection from his wife -- their relationship is lovely and I do enjoy all their moments together, but GIVE HER BACK THE BOOK, RORY.
It's still really good, though, excellent at elaborate detail about poisons. The solution is not a let down... but oh I wish Troy was the main character always.
Ahem. I may now be about to embark on a full read of all Ngaio Marsh mysteries, because I've never read any of her New Zealand ones, and I love theatre-set stories more than life itself. So. Here we go. Blame Final Curtain.
I've always enjoyed Ngaio Marsh's books in a general sense, but never really connected with her detective, Roderick Alleyn, so I've only read a handful. My absolute favourites, though, were the ones told from the point of view of his future wife/wife Agatha Troy, the painter -- and thanks to the Shedunnit podcast I recently discovered that I had missed one of these!
World War II has just come to an end. Troy reluctantly accepts an invitation to paint the Macbeth-inspired portrait of a baronet from a highly theatrical family... while she nervously awaits a reunion with her husband who has been overseas for three years. What follows is a gorgeous study in tension, emotion and melodrama as the wildly eccentric family embrace her as the audience to their ridiculous behaviour as they all close ranks against another outsider: the baronet's much younger chorus-girl mistress, who is clearly angling to become the next Lady A.
The actual murder is held off quite late in the story, but I didn't mind at all because every page was enjoyably tense and packed with character as well as the hilarious observations of Troy. Tragically once it's officially A Murder and Alleyn himself arrives home, he takes over the POV with only occasional interjection from his wife -- their relationship is lovely and I do enjoy all their moments together, but GIVE HER BACK THE BOOK, RORY.
It's still really good, though, excellent at elaborate detail about poisons. The solution is not a let down... but oh I wish Troy was the main character always.
Ahem. I may now be about to embark on a full read of all Ngaio Marsh mysteries, because I've never read any of her New Zealand ones, and I love theatre-set stories more than life itself. So. Here we go. Blame Final Curtain.
November 23, 2020
Alleyn Returns from the War
Review of the Felony & Mayhem paperback edition (2014) of the 1947 original
Final Curtain is one of several Ngaio Marsh works that manages to combine her love of theatre with the mystery world. Inspector Alleyn's wife Agatha Troy is commissioned to paint the portrait of a venerable actor at his somewhat rundown country estate. She is hesitant about the commission but finally intrigued enough to carry it out while also still awaiting Alleyn's return from his counter-espionage activities in the Pacific theatre during World War II.
Roughly half of the book is really an Agatha Troy investigation as she observes the quirky extended family of the actor who are all manouvering their positions towards the bequests of his final will. And of course he ends up dead under suspicious circumstances. Alleyn returns home from New Zealand to solve the case.
Trivia
Aside from Marsh's own WWII New Zealand based Alleyn investigations (Colour Scheme (Alleyn #12, 1943) and Died in the Wool (Alleyn #13, 1945)), Stella Duffy recently completed Marsh's unfinished Money in the Morgue (2018) which is now #33 in the canon, but could reasonably be numbered as #13.5.
Review of the Felony & Mayhem paperback edition (2014) of the 1947 original
Final Curtain is one of several Ngaio Marsh works that manages to combine her love of theatre with the mystery world. Inspector Alleyn's wife Agatha Troy is commissioned to paint the portrait of a venerable actor at his somewhat rundown country estate. She is hesitant about the commission but finally intrigued enough to carry it out while also still awaiting Alleyn's return from his counter-espionage activities in the Pacific theatre during World War II.
Roughly half of the book is really an Agatha Troy investigation as she observes the quirky extended family of the actor who are all manouvering their positions towards the bequests of his final will. And of course he ends up dead under suspicious circumstances. Alleyn returns home from New Zealand to solve the case.
Trivia
Aside from Marsh's own WWII New Zealand based Alleyn investigations (Colour Scheme (Alleyn #12, 1943) and Died in the Wool (Alleyn #13, 1945)), Stella Duffy recently completed Marsh's unfinished Money in the Morgue (2018) which is now #33 in the canon, but could reasonably be numbered as #13.5.
March 23, 2020
After a lifetime reading Sayers, with only occasional side ventures into other Golden Age mystery writers, I finally decided to try Ngaio Marsh, who I had never read. I was very happy to find someone who satisfied my preference for characterization over a clever puzzle, which is why I'm not a diehard Christie person. Marsh creates people that I really can envision, her fondness for the theater is such a wonderful backdrop to so many of her books (including this one), her knack of writing good conversation is so enjoyable.
The biggest problem is that Marsh is far more mired in certain stereotypes and language. You'll be in the middle of a paragraph that is a lovely conversation between a long-estranged husband and wife, and boom, the n-word will pop up in such a casual way that it makes it all the more grisly. Her characterizations can be very deft, but her portrayal of gay men focuses on a lot of the stereotypes of effeminacy and spitefulness popular in the time period.
I will continue to read and enjoy her, as I do Heyer and other authors who sadly do similar things. But please note that this is a pretty universal issue with her books.
The biggest problem is that Marsh is far more mired in certain stereotypes and language. You'll be in the middle of a paragraph that is a lovely conversation between a long-estranged husband and wife, and boom, the n-word will pop up in such a casual way that it makes it all the more grisly. Her characterizations can be very deft, but her portrayal of gay men focuses on a lot of the stereotypes of effeminacy and spitefulness popular in the time period.
I will continue to read and enjoy her, as I do Heyer and other authors who sadly do similar things. But please note that this is a pretty universal issue with her books.
September 30, 2021
Early Bird Book Deal | My least favorite set up | I am beyond sick of cozies populated by annoying Eccentric Characters, and I have always hated The Problem Child. So there was no way this would be a highly rated book for me. It also felt so obvious yet it strung out the resolution unnecessarily. The only reason I didn't give it up and just go on to the next was wanting to read the Troy/Alleyn reconnection sections.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews