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Roderick Alleyn #22
Hand in Glove
One of Ngaio Marsh’s most ingenious novels.
The April Fool’s Day had been a roaring success for all, it seemed – except for poor Mr Cartell who had ended up in the ditch – for ever.
Then there was the case of Mr Percival Pyke Period’s letter of condolence, sent before the body was found – not to mention the family squabbles.
It was a puzzling crime for Superintendent Alleyn…
The April Fool’s Day had been a roaring success for all, it seemed – except for poor Mr Cartell who had ended up in the ditch – for ever.
Then there was the case of Mr Percival Pyke Period’s letter of condolence, sent before the body was found – not to mention the family squabbles.
It was a puzzling crime for Superintendent Alleyn…
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1962
324 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
About the author
Ngaio Marsh
198 books821 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
September 20, 2019
This is the 22nd in the Roderick Alleyn series, published in 1962. Having been working my way through this series, I have had mixed reactions to some of the books. As such, it was good to find one that I got utterly engrossed in and read in a day – it has been a while since that has happened and reminds me why I so love reading.
We begin with a young lady, called Nicola (friend of Alleyn and Agatha Troy) who is going to do some typing for a fussy old man, called Percival Pyke Period, who shares his house with a retired lawyer, called Harry Cartell. On the train journey, Nicola meets Cartell’s step-son, Andrew Bantling, a young man who wants to give up the Guards to buy an art gallery and, of course, falls heavily for Nicola.
This is set in a small village, with a group of people who are all related. We have Andrew’s mother, Lady Bantling, and her third husband, Bimbo (there are some gloriously Thirties names in this mystery). Also, Cartell’s sister, Connie, and her ward, ‘Moppet’ and her boyfriend, the rather frowned upon, Leonard Leese. Leonard is ‘known to the police,’ as the expression says. With his colourful clothes, constant whistling and slang terms, he causes consternation in the village and trouble between Mr Period and Mr Cartell; especially when a cigarette case goes missing.
Although set in the early Sixties (not quite swinging just yet, although the Beatles first single would be released later in the year), this reads as though it is set in the Fifties. Jeans appear, as does a Jazz record and one suspect is ‘watching the telly,’ but we still have a healthy dose of snobbery, the sense of belonging to the right people, with the correct behaviour, and a good array of servants – perhaps a little more modern, but still deferential and caring, with the automatic, ‘thank YOU, Sir,’ dropping from Mr Period’s manservant. A fun, interesting read, with a dose of comedy and a sense that Ngaio Marsh was not ready to give up, as she reached a new decade.
We begin with a young lady, called Nicola (friend of Alleyn and Agatha Troy) who is going to do some typing for a fussy old man, called Percival Pyke Period, who shares his house with a retired lawyer, called Harry Cartell. On the train journey, Nicola meets Cartell’s step-son, Andrew Bantling, a young man who wants to give up the Guards to buy an art gallery and, of course, falls heavily for Nicola.
This is set in a small village, with a group of people who are all related. We have Andrew’s mother, Lady Bantling, and her third husband, Bimbo (there are some gloriously Thirties names in this mystery). Also, Cartell’s sister, Connie, and her ward, ‘Moppet’ and her boyfriend, the rather frowned upon, Leonard Leese. Leonard is ‘known to the police,’ as the expression says. With his colourful clothes, constant whistling and slang terms, he causes consternation in the village and trouble between Mr Period and Mr Cartell; especially when a cigarette case goes missing.
Although set in the early Sixties (not quite swinging just yet, although the Beatles first single would be released later in the year), this reads as though it is set in the Fifties. Jeans appear, as does a Jazz record and one suspect is ‘watching the telly,’ but we still have a healthy dose of snobbery, the sense of belonging to the right people, with the correct behaviour, and a good array of servants – perhaps a little more modern, but still deferential and caring, with the automatic, ‘thank YOU, Sir,’ dropping from Mr Period’s manservant. A fun, interesting read, with a dose of comedy and a sense that Ngaio Marsh was not ready to give up, as she reached a new decade.
May 2, 2022
SPOILERS AHEAD
This story set in a quintessential English village is entertaining and I failed to identify the murderer. Mr Pyke Period is a snob living with Harry Cartell a solicitor. After a lunch party a cigarette case goes missing and Harry suspects his niece and her dodgy boyfriend Leonard.
After a party that night Harry is found murdered in a newly dug ditch with his skull crushed by a heavy pipe. There are several suspects with Andrew needing his inheritance, Pyke who wants him to keep quiet about his genealogy and Leonard and Moppet as well as Andrews mother and dodgy stepfather. There is also Connie who spoils and dots on her niece a spoilt brat.
In the end it is revealed that Connie is the murderess and she also tries to kill Pyke. I thought the motive for the murder was weak in her niece not going to prison because of stealing a valuable cigarette case. Still a good golden mystery with Alleyn and Fox on the job.
This story set in a quintessential English village is entertaining and I failed to identify the murderer. Mr Pyke Period is a snob living with Harry Cartell a solicitor. After a lunch party a cigarette case goes missing and Harry suspects his niece and her dodgy boyfriend Leonard.
After a party that night Harry is found murdered in a newly dug ditch with his skull crushed by a heavy pipe. There are several suspects with Andrew needing his inheritance, Pyke who wants him to keep quiet about his genealogy and Leonard and Moppet as well as Andrews mother and dodgy stepfather. There is also Connie who spoils and dots on her niece a spoilt brat.
In the end it is revealed that Connie is the murderess and she also tries to kill Pyke. I thought the motive for the murder was weak in her niece not going to prison because of stealing a valuable cigarette case. Still a good golden mystery with Alleyn and Fox on the job.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2018
I am learning of the wonderful variety this author produced, each book a new experience. This was published in 1962 and centered on manners and snobbery along with good old misbehaving by those who could get away with it.
A strangely sympathetic older man who claims to be the last remnant of a very old family hires a young lady to assist him with typing and organizing his memories for a book. This particular young woman is a friend of Roderick and his artist wife. She is hired because she also fits the requirement of coming from a fine old family. But of course...or, "Nuff said" as oft repeated by the old man.
The party gets started with her first day of work when she meets a young man on the train from London who turns out to be coming to the very same house with other intentions, an appeal for the release of his money before his 25th birthday. There are connections at every turn, several of them very amusing.
There may be drinking and parties, but there will be a uniquely staged murder for Alleyn and Fox to solve before another victim is disposed of. There are some very funny scenes that had me in stitches, and there are some outrageous and comical dog antics thrown in for good measure.
A strangely sympathetic older man who claims to be the last remnant of a very old family hires a young lady to assist him with typing and organizing his memories for a book. This particular young woman is a friend of Roderick and his artist wife. She is hired because she also fits the requirement of coming from a fine old family. But of course...or, "Nuff said" as oft repeated by the old man.
The party gets started with her first day of work when she meets a young man on the train from London who turns out to be coming to the very same house with other intentions, an appeal for the release of his money before his 25th birthday. There are connections at every turn, several of them very amusing.
There may be drinking and parties, but there will be a uniquely staged murder for Alleyn and Fox to solve before another victim is disposed of. There are some very funny scenes that had me in stitches, and there are some outrageous and comical dog antics thrown in for good measure.
February 26, 2020
For some reason, it has been more than three years since I last read a Ngaio Marsh novel. I didn’t mean to stray. I simply got caught up with newer, more modern, flashier cozy mysteries. What was I thinking? Returning to Marsh is always a satisfying comfort.
In Hand in Glove, Roderick Alleyn, a detective inspector and the younger son of a baronet, investigates the death of retired lawyer Harry Cartell, an old-fashioned man with a very complicated family. Marsh paints a collection of exes and stepchildren and more, most of which would benefit by Cartell’s death. I never guessed the murderer, but Marsh was, as always, fair with the clues.
The novel was first published in 1962, but Hand in Glove seems to be set earlier, with more of a flapper than beatnik feel. The adopted niece, the incorrigible and spoiled Mary “Moppet” Ralston, and her bad-hat boyfriend all by themselves make the novel a winner.
In Hand in Glove, Roderick Alleyn, a detective inspector and the younger son of a baronet, investigates the death of retired lawyer Harry Cartell, an old-fashioned man with a very complicated family. Marsh paints a collection of exes and stepchildren and more, most of which would benefit by Cartell’s death. I never guessed the murderer, but Marsh was, as always, fair with the clues.
The novel was first published in 1962, but Hand in Glove seems to be set earlier, with more of a flapper than beatnik feel. The adopted niece, the incorrigible and spoiled Mary “Moppet” Ralston, and her bad-hat boyfriend all by themselves make the novel a winner.
May 28, 2019
A good addition to the series although I have noticed that Ngaio Marsh does rather an unpleasant line in aging spinsters. They always seem to be both pathetic and completely lacking in sympathy and they do crop up in an awful lot of her books.
November 7, 2023
Adding a 4th star because not only is this enjoyable, but it gave me additional mystery to solve:
The ingenue here is named Nichola Maitland-Mayne, and I remembered that as being the name of a minor character in A Nice Girl Like You by Norma Johnston, part of the "Keeping Day" series. And after some discouraging research on Johnston, I searched by her pen name and discovered that Johnston/St John was a big time Ngaio Marsh fan, and even created a group called the "Ngaio Marsh International Society." So the name in Johnston's book is definitely a Marsh tribute!
The ingenue here is named Nichola Maitland-Mayne, and I remembered that as being the name of a minor character in A Nice Girl Like You by Norma Johnston, part of the "Keeping Day" series. And after some discouraging research on Johnston, I searched by her pen name and discovered that Johnston/St John was a big time Ngaio Marsh fan, and even created a group called the "Ngaio Marsh International Society." So the name in Johnston's book is definitely a Marsh tribute!
March 20, 2017
Hand In Glove is a "full" novel that proceeds along a steadfast path through and with romance, pets, parties, resentments, pride, and of course, suspicion, murder, and Superintendent Alleyn. I love Ngaio Marsh because her books seem timeless...the murders and people could all take place today, with a bit more assistance from technology:)
March 4, 2017
It's never possible to read just one Ngaio Marsh, is it?
I finished Dead Water and pretty much immediately picked up Hand in Glove. A really satisfying mystery with an interesting cast. A really strong, satisfying solution.
I finished Dead Water and pretty much immediately picked up Hand in Glove. A really satisfying mystery with an interesting cast. A really strong, satisfying solution.
August 17, 2024
Good characters and a difficult case of murder, although when the resolution was revealed, I was aghast. The dogs were pathetic. I'd much rather have a really good dog, not some useless ones that are all show and no substance as are all of the dogs in this book. I have a book by Jayne Ann Krentz that I re-read regularly just for the dog, and I am not a dog-person normally. Nevertheless, a good character is a good character, even if it is a dog. Don't read this one for the dogs, however. A couple of the characters are nauseating, but they are still well-drawn.
April 6, 2022
That's right. And the Moppet's boyfriend, Mr. Leonard Leiss. And of course, Mr. Period. So we have the piquant situation of a lady with two husbands, a young man with two stepfathers and a brother and sister with a courtesy niece. How did the party go?
February 28, 2021
Roderick Allen Series, Book 22, HB-B, @ 1962, read 2/22/21. Fiction, Mystery, England. Although this is the 22nd book in the series, it was the first that I have read in this series, or by this author. I happened to find it on an old bookshelf at our family summer cottage, and recalled that Marsh was a favorite author of sister-in-law's. Lots of suspects, lots of query characters, lots of twist and turns. Set in a small British village. 3☆'s Good. If I come across more, I would read them!
October 12, 2019
April Fool's Day seems to Lady Bantling to be the perfect time to throw a scavenger hunt dinner party. Known for her outrageous parties, she goes all out, sending her guests on a village-wide hunt for rhyming clues that will lead them to the grand prize--a magnum of champagne. But the festivities come to a disagreeable end when Mr. Harold Cartell is found dead face down in a drainage ditch the next morning. A drainage ditch that was the site for one of the clues. Superintendent Alleyn and company are called in right away so the trail is fresh and the evidence (such as it is) as undisturbed as possible.
The question Alleyn will have to answer is whose hands were in the gloves that set a fatal booby for the disagreeable elderly lawyer Mr. Cartell? Leading up to the fateful night, there are all sorts of relationship troubles. The sweet but snobbish bachelor Mr. Pyke Period has been forced by post-war circumstances to share his lodgings with the prickly Mr. Cartell. It causes all sorts of domestic upheavals from unexpected (dare I say unwanted) extra guests at meal times to the outrageous antics of Cartell's disagreeable dog Pixie to Cartell's indelicate references to Period's claims of ancestry. But has Mr. Period's life been disrupted enough to cause him feel murderous towards his housemate?
Then there's Cartell's relationship to his sister Connie--a childless woman who has taken an unaccountable fancy to a "poor orphan girl" (of 20 or so, mind you) and is willing to turn a blind eye to anything Moppet (what a nickname) and her disreputable boyfriend might get up to. When it becomes apparent that Leonard (said boyfriend) is a thief and a man out to con a local garage man out of a fancy car, Cartell lowers the boom. Connie must disentangle Moppet from her boyfriend or Moppet and Leonard will face the police. Would Connie kill her brother over a girl who's no relation? Would Moppet and/or Leonard kill to prevent a more minor run-in with the police?
We mustn't forget Lady Desiree Bantling and her delightful (key sarcasm font) third husband Bimbo (who is not Lord Bantling). Bimbo was mixed up in some unsavory doings at a club in London. Would he kill over that ancient history? Or are there more recent doings to cover up? Nor should we overlook Lady Bantling's son, Andrew. Cartell and Period are the trustees of Lord Bantling's will and Andrew has had a fairly heated argument with the lawyer over his future plans. Andrew paints (rather well according to Troy Alleyn who should know) and wants an advance on his trust funds to start his own gallery. Cartell refuses to consider such "nonsense" and insists that the young man stay in the Guards and stick to a proper job. Would Andrew kill for his dreams or would his mother kill to help her son?
Warning: A few spoilery bits in my observations below....
★★★ and 3/4.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any review content. Thanks.
The question Alleyn will have to answer is whose hands were in the gloves that set a fatal booby for the disagreeable elderly lawyer Mr. Cartell? Leading up to the fateful night, there are all sorts of relationship troubles. The sweet but snobbish bachelor Mr. Pyke Period has been forced by post-war circumstances to share his lodgings with the prickly Mr. Cartell. It causes all sorts of domestic upheavals from unexpected (dare I say unwanted) extra guests at meal times to the outrageous antics of Cartell's disagreeable dog Pixie to Cartell's indelicate references to Period's claims of ancestry. But has Mr. Period's life been disrupted enough to cause him feel murderous towards his housemate?
Then there's Cartell's relationship to his sister Connie--a childless woman who has taken an unaccountable fancy to a "poor orphan girl" (of 20 or so, mind you) and is willing to turn a blind eye to anything Moppet (what a nickname) and her disreputable boyfriend might get up to. When it becomes apparent that Leonard (said boyfriend) is a thief and a man out to con a local garage man out of a fancy car, Cartell lowers the boom. Connie must disentangle Moppet from her boyfriend or Moppet and Leonard will face the police. Would Connie kill her brother over a girl who's no relation? Would Moppet and/or Leonard kill to prevent a more minor run-in with the police?
We mustn't forget Lady Desiree Bantling and her delightful (key sarcasm font) third husband Bimbo (who is not Lord Bantling). Bimbo was mixed up in some unsavory doings at a club in London. Would he kill over that ancient history? Or are there more recent doings to cover up? Nor should we overlook Lady Bantling's son, Andrew. Cartell and Period are the trustees of Lord Bantling's will and Andrew has had a fairly heated argument with the lawyer over his future plans. Andrew paints (rather well according to Troy Alleyn who should know) and wants an advance on his trust funds to start his own gallery. Cartell refuses to consider such "nonsense" and insists that the young man stay in the Guards and stick to a proper job. Would Andrew kill for his dreams or would his mother kill to help her son?
Warning: A few spoilery bits in my observations below....
★★★ and 3/4.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any review content. Thanks.
December 31, 2021
Review of the audiobook narrated by Jeremy Sinden
This is a charming, perplexing mystery in a small village with lots of interesting suspects. Written in the 1960s, it is one of Marsh’s better late-career books.
This is a charming, perplexing mystery in a small village with lots of interesting suspects. Written in the 1960s, it is one of Marsh’s better late-career books.
December 13, 2023
Ngaio Marsh
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 23, 1895
Died: February 18, 1982
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
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.
******************************************************************************
Very brief summary -
The April Fool's Day had been a roaring success for all, it seemed - except for poor Mr. Cartell who had ended up in the ditch - forever. Then there was the case of Mr. Percival Pyke Period's letter of condolence, sent before the body was found - not to mention the family squabbles. It was a puzzling crime for Superintendent Alleyn.
******************************************************************************
My first by this author and #22 in her Superintendent Roderick Alleyn series. I generally like to start near, if not at, the beginning of a series but consonant with my intent to purge some of the many books on my shelves, I selected this as it appeared to be the only book in my possession by this author. I was favorably impressed with this mystery and wouldn't hesitate to read more by her.
What I liked best -
- Slow paced to allow for meaningful character development.
- A tremendous amount of plot development through character narrative rather than through a narrator.
- The final reveal during an assemblage of potential suspects.
- Ancillary subplots not overwhelming.
- A believable series of events. I dislike incredible and implausible story lines.
What I liked least -
- Although the book was written in 1962 and presents contemporary events of that period, I found the vernacular and figures of speech unfamiliar resulting in my lack of understanding of the meaning of some of the dialog. This was my problem, not that of the author.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, April 23, 1895
Died: February 18, 1982
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
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.
******************************************************************************
Very brief summary -
The April Fool's Day had been a roaring success for all, it seemed - except for poor Mr. Cartell who had ended up in the ditch - forever. Then there was the case of Mr. Percival Pyke Period's letter of condolence, sent before the body was found - not to mention the family squabbles. It was a puzzling crime for Superintendent Alleyn.
******************************************************************************
My first by this author and #22 in her Superintendent Roderick Alleyn series. I generally like to start near, if not at, the beginning of a series but consonant with my intent to purge some of the many books on my shelves, I selected this as it appeared to be the only book in my possession by this author. I was favorably impressed with this mystery and wouldn't hesitate to read more by her.
What I liked best -
- Slow paced to allow for meaningful character development.
- A tremendous amount of plot development through character narrative rather than through a narrator.
- The final reveal during an assemblage of potential suspects.
- Ancillary subplots not overwhelming.
- A believable series of events. I dislike incredible and implausible story lines.
What I liked least -
- Although the book was written in 1962 and presents contemporary events of that period, I found the vernacular and figures of speech unfamiliar resulting in my lack of understanding of the meaning of some of the dialog. This was my problem, not that of the author.
July 2, 2017
For some reason this was not as satisfying as most of the Alleyn books. It may have been the characters, only one or two of which were really likeable, although that is not always a disappointment. Percival Pyke Period (what a name!) is sharing the house with a lawyer, Henry Cartell, who owns a very obnoxious dog. Henry's sister also lives nearby; she has a very obnoxious ward called Moppett, on whom she dotes. One of Period's quirks is writing condolence letters to people who have lost someone. He is also writing an etiquette book and hires young Nicola to help him get his notes in order. Another friend, Lady Bantling, also lives nearby. She gives a party that includes a 'treasure hunt' with clues, and Moppett and her objectionable boyfriend contrive to get themselves invited. When a body is discovered in a drainage ditch near Period's house, suspicion falls on several people, and it takes Inspector Alleyn to figure it out. An interesting re-read, but not as riveting as some of Marsh's mysteries.
March 17, 2021
To my mind Ngaio Marsh is the author whose books are closest to Agatha Christie's. In some ways they're better, as she develops her MC's life along in the series, and her people don't feel as stereotyped. This is one of my personal favorites. The characters are interesting and varied, all a little flawed but mostly ordinary folks you might know. The plot moves well and the ending might surprise the reader. If not, it was still a fun read.
You don't have to read the books in order, but I like to sometimes, so I can watch Alleyn's life change as things proceed.
You don't have to read the books in order, but I like to sometimes, so I can watch Alleyn's life change as things proceed.
July 18, 2021
C+:
A weaker Alleyn instalment.
Marsh usually devises really interesting methods of murder, but this one is that somebody is hit by a falling drainpipe? Most of the characters are also annoying, save for Percival Pyke Period, who really amused me. Not bad, but a bit of a chore.
A weaker Alleyn instalment.
Marsh usually devises really interesting methods of murder, but this one is that somebody is hit by a falling drainpipe? Most of the characters are also annoying, save for Percival Pyke Period, who really amused me. Not bad, but a bit of a chore.
May 5, 2013
I thought the butler did it. He didn't.
September 7, 2021
A fairly template Marsh story - long build up getting to know the semi-aristocratic families, relatively mundane murder and then Alleyn’s unravelling of murderer and motive.
Marsh’s writing here is as good as ever, witty, light-hearted at times and observant of human nature. That said, I found the build-up not as skilfully executed as usual and verging on irritatingly slow at times. For the half a book before the murder, you could tell exactly who the victim was going to be by the gradual building of motive against him by pretty much every other character.
Don’t get me wrong, an enjoyable read - but not a classic.
Marsh’s writing here is as good as ever, witty, light-hearted at times and observant of human nature. That said, I found the build-up not as skilfully executed as usual and verging on irritatingly slow at times. For the half a book before the murder, you could tell exactly who the victim was going to be by the gradual building of motive against him by pretty much every other character.
Don’t get me wrong, an enjoyable read - but not a classic.
March 13, 2022
Back to reading Alleyn. When I see the cast of characters listed in the front, I like to figure who will be the newly in love couple. Lol. I know right away they’re innocent! Many characters to detest in this mystery, as always. Nice escapism.
October 3, 2019
A readable Marsh with a very good mystery. However her description of a Cockney character is ridiculous in that his thievery is shown to be unbelievably stupid.
Read
August 9, 2022DNF
first 100 pages were fun but lost me as soon as the murder occurred and investigation started. might pick back up someday, but not likely.
first 100 pages were fun but lost me as soon as the murder occurred and investigation started. might pick back up someday, but not likely.
August 12, 2020
It was hard to not want to start singing The Smith's song Hand in Glove every time I picked up the book, haha. Enjoyable mystery. Love the Inspector Alleyn series. The early 1960's setting was fun.
September 24, 2019
2.5 stars. It had a veeeery slow start. By the time the investigation started the book was already almost half over. I will say, once the clues started coming together it was quite enjoyable, but I personally didn't like almost any of the characters and didn't find the detective himself to be that sympathetic. I have another one of Ngiao Marsh's books on my bookshelf and I'm definitely going to read it, but it wasn't quite the mystery fix that I was looking for
July 2, 2021
Originally published on my blog here in February 1999.
This is another Marsh novel which is very much in the rather unfortunate shadow of Agatha Christie. The cast of characters, upper class, Home Counties village dwellers, could come out of a number of Christie's novels, and there is not much of Marsh's personality in this book.
The plot itself is not particularly interesting; Mr Harold Carteret's dead body is found under a large, heavy pipe in a ditch being dug by workmen, following a party held by his ex-wife before and during which he quarreled with just about everyone in the village. Naturally, the question of who killed him is quickly and easily solved by Chief Inspector Alleyn.
The characters are very exaggerated. They include Pyke Period, incredibly camp - though no insinuations about his private life are made, this being 1959 and the crime novel, even then, an old-fashioned genre in the way it treated such things. He is not so unbelievable as the trio made up of Constance Cartell, an incredibly stupid middle-aged hearty spinster, her adopted niece Mary Ralston or "Moppet", and the young crook Leonard Leiss. He and Moppet together form an illustration of the thirties' idea of "a bad lot", male and female of the species. The two of them are very unpleasant, but this is matched by the unbelievable doting fondness of Constance for Moppet, her unwillingness to believe that she might ever have done something wrong.
For some reason, it is almost always the case, when Marsh uses an upper class background for her stories, that her cast consists of caricatures.
This is another Marsh novel which is very much in the rather unfortunate shadow of Agatha Christie. The cast of characters, upper class, Home Counties village dwellers, could come out of a number of Christie's novels, and there is not much of Marsh's personality in this book.
The plot itself is not particularly interesting; Mr Harold Carteret's dead body is found under a large, heavy pipe in a ditch being dug by workmen, following a party held by his ex-wife before and during which he quarreled with just about everyone in the village. Naturally, the question of who killed him is quickly and easily solved by Chief Inspector Alleyn.
The characters are very exaggerated. They include Pyke Period, incredibly camp - though no insinuations about his private life are made, this being 1959 and the crime novel, even then, an old-fashioned genre in the way it treated such things. He is not so unbelievable as the trio made up of Constance Cartell, an incredibly stupid middle-aged hearty spinster, her adopted niece Mary Ralston or "Moppet", and the young crook Leonard Leiss. He and Moppet together form an illustration of the thirties' idea of "a bad lot", male and female of the species. The two of them are very unpleasant, but this is matched by the unbelievable doting fondness of Constance for Moppet, her unwillingness to believe that she might ever have done something wrong.
For some reason, it is almost always the case, when Marsh uses an upper class background for her stories, that her cast consists of caricatures.
June 2, 2019
This was my first Marsh, or perhaps my second.
Parts of it seem dreadfully dated, don'tcha know, and others quite modern. Marsh was older than my grandmother, and I am not young; Marsh would have been 67 when this came out. "The writing style!" he ejaculated. "So many verbs that modern authors use more rarely," he exclaimed.
Annoying dogs. Gloves. The condolence notes. A Really Important Cigarette Case that made the Maltese Falcon look like a trifle. Endless references to all four. The plot might have been OK if this novella hadn't been padded to novel length by all the repetition of the above. Although the notes are a rather obvious contrivance, not far from the old switched-briefcase clunker.
Mostly annoying characters. A couple of REALLY annoying characters. I hope it was intentional.
This is balanced by a considerable amount of what we now call snark from the author. I enjoyed that part.
My Aeonian Press edition had two pairs of blank facing pages; that is, four pages that were where they should have been but had no words on them. Another page had a graphic, filling the bottom half of a page; it cut off a sentence that resumed at the top of the next page as if nothing had happened.
I'm glad I read this, and I'm glad I now know Inspector Alleyn. But I won't seek another.
Maybe I'll see how Lord Peter Wimsey has held up over time.
Parts of it seem dreadfully dated, don'tcha know, and others quite modern. Marsh was older than my grandmother, and I am not young; Marsh would have been 67 when this came out. "The writing style!" he ejaculated. "So many verbs that modern authors use more rarely," he exclaimed.
Annoying dogs. Gloves. The condolence notes. A Really Important Cigarette Case that made the Maltese Falcon look like a trifle. Endless references to all four. The plot might have been OK if this novella hadn't been padded to novel length by all the repetition of the above. Although the notes are a rather obvious contrivance, not far from the old switched-briefcase clunker.
Mostly annoying characters. A couple of REALLY annoying characters. I hope it was intentional.
This is balanced by a considerable amount of what we now call snark from the author. I enjoyed that part.
My Aeonian Press edition had two pairs of blank facing pages; that is, four pages that were where they should have been but had no words on them. Another page had a graphic, filling the bottom half of a page; it cut off a sentence that resumed at the top of the next page as if nothing had happened.
I'm glad I read this, and I'm glad I now know Inspector Alleyn. But I won't seek another.
Maybe I'll see how Lord Peter Wimsey has held up over time.
September 5, 2021
I read this book for the 2021 Reading Challenge Week 49: a book with an ensemble cast.
This book has it all: a handsome detective, an innocent young woman, a pretender, a go-by-the-book lawyer, a flamboyant society dame, two obnoxious hangers-on. Oh, Moppet and her ne'er do well boyfriend are most certainly in the frame for murder or was it the butler? These classic, golden age mysteries keep one on one's toes and even then, you will probably get it wrong. However, the atmosphere is delightful.
This book has it all: a handsome detective, an innocent young woman, a pretender, a go-by-the-book lawyer, a flamboyant society dame, two obnoxious hangers-on. Oh, Moppet and her ne'er do well boyfriend are most certainly in the frame for murder or was it the butler? These classic, golden age mysteries keep one on one's toes and even then, you will probably get it wrong. However, the atmosphere is delightful.
Read
January 6, 2015This is another Inspector Alleyn mystery, more or less set in a country house, with a cast
of over-the-top society characters. Published in 1962, it's set in the 50s. However, except
for one or two internal references, the story could just as well be set in the 20s. It's a
competent mystery but didn't engage me, not least because one of Marsh's writing tics---using the verb "ejaculate" instead of "exclaim" or the equivalent, over and over again---got to be very annoying very soon.
of over-the-top society characters. Published in 1962, it's set in the 50s. However, except
for one or two internal references, the story could just as well be set in the 20s. It's a
competent mystery but didn't engage me, not least because one of Marsh's writing tics---using the verb "ejaculate" instead of "exclaim" or the equivalent, over and over again---got to be very annoying very soon.
March 26, 2018
I just didn't like anyone in the story. The nice young lovers are irrelevant, the bad young lovers are irritating, and everyone else is full of themselves, and I don't like genetic determinism and classicism (Surrounding the bad young girl's start in an orphanage because she's obviously the spawn of a prostitute, and nothing the love a good mother can do). The problem is interesting, nothing else is.
January 14, 2016
A period piece with characters drawn larger than life - the pretence of class showing in the stiffness of the characters. Who has killed a stuffy, pernickety and fussy lawyer? Alleyn must discover the murderer whilst pondering on the importance of a dog called Pixie. Great fun!
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