Silver Dagger

by David Benson French

Steve Marsh is a mystery writer, the protagonist of David French’s gripping thriller, Silver Dagger. Soon after his third novel is published, Marsh’s wife receives a series of phone calls and letters that threaten to destroy their marriage. Adultery, blackmail, murder, a figure lurking in the rain. All these classic elements of Marsh’s fiction soon become part of his life.

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

David Benson French, OC was a Canadian playwright, most noted for his "Mercer Plays" series.

Reviews

[Dr. Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun murder-mystery play. Twisty, thrilling, funny.

Tony is my favourite character, but this is a play driven by the women in the main character's life.

Love the conniving and the schemes.

[Lucile Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

3. Silver Dagger by David French
A murder mystery which twists around like a roller coaster. While French is better known for his Newfoundland based plays, he is now doing urban Toronto works. Steve Marsh, the protagonist, has just about everything, a Silver Dagger award, a beautiful rich English professor wife, Pam, who has just inherited a huge house, a cottage and lots of money. She also has an iron clad prenuptial agreement and a best friend lawyer. David wants out and wants the money as well. He is being blackmailed by the sister of a woman he has had an affair with. He enlists the help of his ex-con car mechanic, Tony, to solve some of his problems. They only get worse, of course, but each time it looks as if Steve is going to get caught, something saves him. Lots of fun and only one set.

[David Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever and well-written addition to the murder-mystery genre of plays, which I am not a great fan of, I must admit. There is a great deal of crossing and double-crossing, murders and faked murders. At what point does the audience's enthusiasm flag? Hard to say.

It is an entertaining read, nonetheless.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this play in the early 1990s when it played in Toronto. A crime novelist, his wife, his lover, her sister, and a mechanic-turned-sidekick - who's guilty and of what? This is a play in which the characters cross and double-cross each other at every opportunity. Great stuff. I liked all the Toronto references.