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Roderick Alleyn #2
Enter a Murderer
Listening Length 6 hours and 6 minutes
A classic Ngaio Marsh novel reissued - the second Roderick Alleyn Mystery. The crime scene was the stage of the Unicorn Theatre, when prop gun fired a very real bullet; the victim was an actor clawing his way to stardom using bribery instead of talent; and the suspects included two unwilling girlfriends and several relieved blackmail victims. The stage is set for one of Roderick Alleyn′s most baffling cases...
A classic Ngaio Marsh novel reissued - the second Roderick Alleyn Mystery. The crime scene was the stage of the Unicorn Theatre, when prop gun fired a very real bullet; the victim was an actor clawing his way to stardom using bribery instead of talent; and the suspects included two unwilling girlfriends and several relieved blackmail victims. The stage is set for one of Roderick Alleyn′s most baffling cases...
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 1935
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About the author
Ngaio Marsh
208 books826 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 595 reviews
July 16, 2018
Written in 1935, this was the second book for Ngaio Marsh, theater director and eventually one of the ‘greats’ in crime fiction writers. To write it, she drew upon her knowledge of theater and the many types that surround the performing arts. Her knowledge of setting and characters is evident, and I can’t say that I thought any of it felt unrealistic or poorly done.
It opens with an unpleasant scene between producer Joseph Saint (born Simes) and his nephew, Arthur Surbonadier (also born Simes), followed by an equally unpleasant scene with Surbonadier and leading lady Stephanie Vaughan. It primes the reader for the confrontation, and gives initial insight into further interactions of the three. The story continues with Nigel Bathgate, journalist, inviting his friend Detective Inspector Alleyn to a night at the theater and a chance to meet the crew before the show. It’s a fabulous set-up, allowing the reader a bit of insight Alleyn doesn’t know yet, but also priming the tension for what is to come. So many potential targets for so many reasons. The two men take their seats and production of The Rat and the Beaver.
I’m probably a gullible reader, because I was as surprised with the murder as the audience, expecting someone else to be a better candidate. Detective Alleyn gets to work, with the faithful yet equally gullible Nigel as his note-taking sidekick. The theater is examined, the company patted down, alibis checked. A significant portion of the story takes place within the theater, and this part works well. If the characters seem a bit daffy, it’s only because they are acting types, professionally inclined to perform:
“The players walked through the wings and stood quietly in a semi-circle. They looked attentive and businesslike. It was almost as though they had needed the stage and the lights to give them full solidity. They no longer seemed preposterous or even artificial. They were in their right environment and had become real.”
I enjoyed the writing style. I noted the occasional interesting vocabulary word and but didn’t take the time to write any of them down. ‘Het up’ sticks out in my mind, as I believe the savoir and polished Alleyn used it (settle down: I’ve since looked it up and discovered it’s Scottish origins in the mid-19th c.), but it was interesting, as at least one reviewer was bothered by it. I’m not a period reader, so I couldn’t say what’s appropriate or not, but the colloquialisms seemed less ‘proper’ than expected. Still, Marsh is great at setting a scene and creating a mood.
Characters were fun, with Marsh generally stressing the larger-than-life theater type personality. Alleyn still struggles a bit, and I find my 2o18 enculturation stressed by the concept of detection mid-century. Most of it I could likely have forgiven had I been able to understand Alleyn’s personality. I think Marsh was going for a sort of Cary Grant daffy charm crossed with a know-all copper, but it didn’t work. It just felt too inconsistent to have him seriously questioning a witness, telling Bathgate he must leave, allowing him to stay, challenging Bathgate’s incorrect assumptions, and merrily baiting Fox.
Too bad about the plot, though. She keeps suspense going until the very end (literally the last six pages of my book), and perhaps that explains why I found it only mildly satisfying. The beauty of good Christie is that when the hand is shown, I say, ‘oh yes, of course; that makes sense.’ When the denouement occurs, I thought, ‘what?’ and read the motive paragraph again, whereupon I was left with a different but equally unsatisfied feeling. It also failed to explain some of the red herrings and equally odd behavior by another character.
Still, up until that last bit, I enjoyed it. The first part of the book was quite riveting, so I’ll try to focus on that instead of the unsatisfying end. I’ll certainly continue to the next.
It opens with an unpleasant scene between producer Joseph Saint (born Simes) and his nephew, Arthur Surbonadier (also born Simes), followed by an equally unpleasant scene with Surbonadier and leading lady Stephanie Vaughan. It primes the reader for the confrontation, and gives initial insight into further interactions of the three. The story continues with Nigel Bathgate, journalist, inviting his friend Detective Inspector Alleyn to a night at the theater and a chance to meet the crew before the show. It’s a fabulous set-up, allowing the reader a bit of insight Alleyn doesn’t know yet, but also priming the tension for what is to come. So many potential targets for so many reasons. The two men take their seats and production of The Rat and the Beaver.
I’m probably a gullible reader, because I was as surprised with the murder as the audience, expecting someone else to be a better candidate. Detective Alleyn gets to work, with the faithful yet equally gullible Nigel as his note-taking sidekick. The theater is examined, the company patted down, alibis checked. A significant portion of the story takes place within the theater, and this part works well. If the characters seem a bit daffy, it’s only because they are acting types, professionally inclined to perform:
“The players walked through the wings and stood quietly in a semi-circle. They looked attentive and businesslike. It was almost as though they had needed the stage and the lights to give them full solidity. They no longer seemed preposterous or even artificial. They were in their right environment and had become real.”
I enjoyed the writing style. I noted the occasional interesting vocabulary word and but didn’t take the time to write any of them down. ‘Het up’ sticks out in my mind, as I believe the savoir and polished Alleyn used it (settle down: I’ve since looked it up and discovered it’s Scottish origins in the mid-19th c.), but it was interesting, as at least one reviewer was bothered by it. I’m not a period reader, so I couldn’t say what’s appropriate or not, but the colloquialisms seemed less ‘proper’ than expected. Still, Marsh is great at setting a scene and creating a mood.
Characters were fun, with Marsh generally stressing the larger-than-life theater type personality. Alleyn still struggles a bit, and I find my 2o18 enculturation stressed by the concept of detection mid-century. Most of it I could likely have forgiven had I been able to understand Alleyn’s personality. I think Marsh was going for a sort of Cary Grant daffy charm crossed with a know-all copper, but it didn’t work. It just felt too inconsistent to have him seriously questioning a witness, telling Bathgate he must leave, allowing him to stay, challenging Bathgate’s incorrect assumptions, and merrily baiting Fox.
Too bad about the plot, though. She keeps suspense going until the very end (literally the last six pages of my book), and perhaps that explains why I found it only mildly satisfying. The beauty of good Christie is that when the hand is shown, I say, ‘oh yes, of course; that makes sense.’ When the denouement occurs, I thought, ‘what?’ and read the motive paragraph again, whereupon I was left with a different but equally unsatisfied feeling. It also failed to explain some of the red herrings and equally odd behavior by another character.
Still, up until that last bit, I enjoyed it. The first part of the book was quite riveting, so I’ll try to focus on that instead of the unsatisfying end. I’ll certainly continue to the next.
July 15, 2025
A compact, closed-room mystery, Enter a Murderer, is written by an author well-versed in the theater. A murder that takes place on stage actually happens. Unfortunately for the assassin, the best detective in the London force is in the audience.
September 19, 2019
Ngaio Marsh is a mystery writer with style, and in this early book she and Inspector Alleyn are in their element--the theatre. Her character sketches of the members of the theatre troupe are particularly fine.
February 13, 2018
4.5★
Well here's a surprise!
I've never been a whole hearted, absolute Marsh fan - although I did like Death At The Dolphin (read pre joining GR) & Tied Up In Tinsel very much. I find Marsh annoyingly arch & twee & if she wasn't a snob herself, she seemed to delight in creating snobbish characters But I enjoyed this book very much.
The books main strengths come from Marsh's own theatrical background & her sly depictions of the actors all seeing themselves in turns of a performance.
Well here's a surprise!
I've never been a whole hearted, absolute Marsh fan - although I did like Death At The Dolphin (read pre joining GR) & Tied Up In Tinsel very much. I find Marsh annoyingly arch & twee & if she wasn't a snob herself, she seemed to delight in creating snobbish characters But I enjoyed this book very much.
The books main strengths come from Marsh's own theatrical background & her sly depictions of the actors all seeing themselves in turns of a performance.
I used to love the old black & white movies!♫ I could hear the old music in the background. ♫
How authentic this book is in showing 1930s police procedures I wouldn't know. I know I swallowed it all in my younger years & I think pre telephones & computers things were done differently.
And it was so nice reading London addresses from a time when people lived in houses!
I did guess the murderer quite easily, but I won't write this entertaining mystery down because of that. What I found a little clumsy was Clearly something she wasn't comfortable with & knew little about.
But in this book Marsh & theatre = awesome!
January 13, 2018
This is the second book featuring Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn. In this mystery, Alleyn is invited to the theatre by journalist friend, Nigel Bathgate, who he met in the first adventure, “A Man Lay Dead.” Again, Bathgate knows one of the principal characters, in this case the leading man, Felix Gardener. During the play, Gardener is supposed to pretend to shoot Arthur Surbonadier, fellow actor, nephew of the theatre owner, disgruntled loser of the leading part and rival for the hand of leading lady, Stephanie Vaughan. However, the gun goes off for real and both Alleyn and Bathgate watch fiction become reality as the body slumps to the stage.
Author Ngaio Marsh was, herself, very involved in the theatre and was an acclaimed Shakespearian producer and this novel is full of her knowledge of the world of actors and backstage rivalries. It is humorous when Alleyn is annoyed by the actors hamming it up and you do wonder if she is having a sly dig for her own amusement. Overall, though, the theatre setting gives the book an interesting background. There are lots of interesting suspects and motives, before the final reconstruction when the murderer is revealed in their true colours. This is a delightful Golden Age mystery, with a fun plot and cast of characters and Alleyn is a wonderful detective. The next book in the series is “The Nursing Home Murder.”
Author Ngaio Marsh was, herself, very involved in the theatre and was an acclaimed Shakespearian producer and this novel is full of her knowledge of the world of actors and backstage rivalries. It is humorous when Alleyn is annoyed by the actors hamming it up and you do wonder if she is having a sly dig for her own amusement. Overall, though, the theatre setting gives the book an interesting background. There are lots of interesting suspects and motives, before the final reconstruction when the murderer is revealed in their true colours. This is a delightful Golden Age mystery, with a fun plot and cast of characters and Alleyn is a wonderful detective. The next book in the series is “The Nursing Home Murder.”
April 15, 2018
Yes, good question , what did I think ? I've now read the first 2 Alleyn mysteries consecutively in about week and Ive really enjoyed them both. The only reason Ive read 2 in succession is to catch up in my challenge. I'm still behind, but getting there. This was another intriguing case for D.C.I. Alleyn and his cohorts, including Nigel the journalist, with an abundance of red herrings and hidden clues, brought to a successful conclusion in time honoured denouement fashion.
(As an aside I do think reading them in quick succession is not recommended as one loses track of which investigation one is in. I was going to go directly onto number 3 but feel that would be a little too much, so might have a break and read something completely different).
(As an aside I do think reading them in quick succession is not recommended as one loses track of which investigation one is in. I was going to go directly onto number 3 but feel that would be a little too much, so might have a break and read something completely different).
May 5, 2019
I always think a good test of a book is to read several in parallel – it soon becomes clear to which one you gravitate and presumably, therefore, enjoy the most.
As a reader I am a ‘journey person’ rather than a ‘destination person’ – that is to say, I’m happy to trundle along, settled in a cosy if rattling first-class carriage, swaying with the twists and turns, eavesdropping upon the likes of Holmes & Watson, Poirot & Hastings, and Morse & Lewis. I’m in no great hurry to reach the platform signposted ‘Denouement’.
In both ‘Enter a Murderer’ (1935) and its forerunner ‘A Man Lay Dead’ (1934) the emphasis lies squarely with the crime scene. It is examined in the minutest detail, and suspects are grilled to the nth degree about their movements and observations. Relatively little investigation takes place elsewhere.
This is reflected in that the plot of ‘Enter a Murderer’ can be captured as follows: an actor is shot dead on stage with a prop that should fire blanks; who could have substituted the live shells?
Rather than being asked to form subjective judgements about the character and motivation of each of the suspects, the author demands of the reader a prodigious memory for many small details. The journey, if there is one, is spent head down, poring over a detailed jigsaw of circumstantial evidence.
Having now read the first two of thirty-two ‘Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn’ novels, I think I have to recalibrate my ambition to consume the whole series in sequence. Not wishing to give up entirely, I think I may jump forward, perhaps to the 1940s, in the hope of a change of style.
As a reader I am a ‘journey person’ rather than a ‘destination person’ – that is to say, I’m happy to trundle along, settled in a cosy if rattling first-class carriage, swaying with the twists and turns, eavesdropping upon the likes of Holmes & Watson, Poirot & Hastings, and Morse & Lewis. I’m in no great hurry to reach the platform signposted ‘Denouement’.
In both ‘Enter a Murderer’ (1935) and its forerunner ‘A Man Lay Dead’ (1934) the emphasis lies squarely with the crime scene. It is examined in the minutest detail, and suspects are grilled to the nth degree about their movements and observations. Relatively little investigation takes place elsewhere.
This is reflected in that the plot of ‘Enter a Murderer’ can be captured as follows: an actor is shot dead on stage with a prop that should fire blanks; who could have substituted the live shells?
Rather than being asked to form subjective judgements about the character and motivation of each of the suspects, the author demands of the reader a prodigious memory for many small details. The journey, if there is one, is spent head down, poring over a detailed jigsaw of circumstantial evidence.
Having now read the first two of thirty-two ‘Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn’ novels, I think I have to recalibrate my ambition to consume the whole series in sequence. Not wishing to give up entirely, I think I may jump forward, perhaps to the 1940s, in the hope of a change of style.
March 15, 2017
He estado a punto de ponerle 5 estrellas porque me la coló hasta el fondo, pero creo que sería exagerado. Al fin y al cabo, es una historia bastante simple, un "murder mistery" o "whodunit" de lo más clásico, sí, entretenido, sin duda, y bien escrito, pero que no pasa de ser un divertimento.
Ahora, como pasatiempo es fantástico. El puzle tal vez no sea tan elaborado como en otras novelas del género, pero es lo es lo suficiente para engañar al lector. O al menos a mí me ha tenido en vilo. Aunque me avergüence admitirlo.
No hay mucha descripción, al menos de lugares. La mayor parte de la novela está compuesta por diálogos y acciones, sobre todo diálogos, que son ágiles, ligeros, y tratan de ser divertidos la mayoría de las veces. Este libro no va por el drama introspectivo, es un ejemplo del género en su época dorada, donde reinaban las grandes Reinas del Crímen (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham y la propia Ngaio Marsh). Como tal, no tiene tacha, y de hecho me gusta más que la anterior novela de la autora que leí "Un hombre muerto", creo que está más pulida, es más interesante y más compleja, o al menos con un misterio más elaborado.
Todo fan de este género debería leer este libro, porque sin duda lo disfrutará y pasará un buen rato.
Ahora, como pasatiempo es fantástico. El puzle tal vez no sea tan elaborado como en otras novelas del género, pero es lo es lo suficiente para engañar al lector. O al menos a mí me ha tenido en vilo. Aunque me avergüence admitirlo.
No hay mucha descripción, al menos de lugares. La mayor parte de la novela está compuesta por diálogos y acciones, sobre todo diálogos, que son ágiles, ligeros, y tratan de ser divertidos la mayoría de las veces. Este libro no va por el drama introspectivo, es un ejemplo del género en su época dorada, donde reinaban las grandes Reinas del Crímen (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham y la propia Ngaio Marsh). Como tal, no tiene tacha, y de hecho me gusta más que la anterior novela de la autora que leí "Un hombre muerto", creo que está más pulida, es más interesante y más compleja, o al menos con un misterio más elaborado.
Todo fan de este género debería leer este libro, porque sin duda lo disfrutará y pasará un buen rato.
April 30, 2021
A good mystery with the murderer one of the actors. Alleyn is in the audience when Felix Gardener shoots dead an actor not liked by anyone. He is a blackmailer, drug addict and cad in every way. Most of the cast have a motive for murder. Nigel Bathgate gets access to the investigation that journalists only dream of nowadays.
The Unicorn theatre is the setting of the murder and most of the investigation. Alleyn in this early book of the series set in 1935 and Marsh is still developing the character. In this story he is sarcastic and quite pompous.
An easy read with enough clues to figure out who the murderer is likely to be.
The Unicorn theatre is the setting of the murder and most of the investigation. Alleyn in this early book of the series set in 1935 and Marsh is still developing the character. In this story he is sarcastic and quite pompous.
An easy read with enough clues to figure out who the murderer is likely to be.
September 2, 2022
Call it 4.5 out of 5. Enjoyed this second book in the Inspector Alleyn series. The Murder takes place on stage. In the audience is Inspector Alleyn....
May 19, 2017
1935, #2 Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, London; first of her eight theatre-centered novels, old-fashioned but nicely sly; classic theatre mystery - really three-and-a-half stars, not four.
Arthur Surbonadier was a rotter who happened to also be a pretty good, not great, actor. Passed over for a role that he thought was his, *ought* to have been his, he resorts to several nefarious methods to push out the Nice Guy actor Felix Gardiner, who did get the role. And both of them are "interested" in the same woman, lovely Leading Lady Stephanie Vaughan. Lots of scope for mischief there, yep. So when the unlovely Arthur gets himself murdered on-stage in front of a full audience during one night's performance, members of the cast and their friends are shocked, but not truly surprised. The problem is, it looks like Nice Guy Felix did it, and everybody truly *likes* Felix!
Another large problem (for the murderer, that is) is that Detective Inspector Alleyn was in the audience that night, and saw the whole thing, even though it's a rather complex murder and not easily - nor immediately - identifiable just exactly what did happen, even by an alert and intelligent policeman. Arthur got shot, yes, and it does appear that Felix shot him. So far, so good. But appearances can be deceiving, especially on-stage.
This is a juicy, nicely convoluted "mystery tale of the theatre", told by a writer who would become a master at this sub-genre and who, even at this early point in her career, was awfully good at spinning a web. There are a few tropes and awkward bits here certainly, but most of them only reflect the period in which the novel was written, and don't affect the essentially good plot, the fairly good pacing, and the superb characterizations.
Marsh worked extensively in the theatre and obviously loved Theatre Folk and all their trappings, methods, and moods. She's nicely biting here with beautifully sharp remarks about Actors and the profession, about hubris and talent - or the lack of it when coupled with a large ego. All together the mix is a lot of fun, if a bit slow in spots, and there are a couple of little niggle-y bits that bugged me.
Firstly, the character of Nigel Bathgate, semi-literate Watson (and budding newspaperman) is front and center, occupying a good portion of the activity, as he accompanies Alleyn along on most of his interrogations and investigations. I've never much liked this character, as he's sweet, wimpy-ish, and a total waste of space IMO - her time would have been better served giving us more of the delightful Mr. Fox or Bailey the fingerprint expert, as she does in later novels. Fox and Bailey are truly interesting and almost real people, where Mr. Bathgate is a pure caricature - the Nice Oxford Chap thrust into The Real World to Make His Way, often relying upon Those In The Know that he knows... you know what I mean. That sort of stock character may have been entertaining in the 1930s but he's boring now, and slows down almost every scene that he's in.
And there's the almost obligatory (for mysteries of the period) love-connection between Alleyn and a suspect! *Totally* unusual for this series over its long run, as Marsh rarely used this bit again except for Alleyn's initial meeting with Troy, who would later play such a large role in his life and in the series, and with the Troy first encounter the bit "works". One of the things I enjoy most about Marsh's writing is that in most of the novels there is a lack of both a sappy Watson character and of the lead policeman endlessly falling in love with totally unsuitable types; unfortunately both are quite present in this early novel.
Marsh becomes a much better, and a cleaner writer, with her future novels, thankfully, and is one of my very favorite writers from the period. IMO she's a smoother, more purely enjoyable writer than Christie, although Christie was a far superior plotter and tended to "do up" differing environments/settings far better. But Marsh "did" people far better, with concise, precise characterizations filled with nicely sharp bits, often slipping the edge of the knife in very gently, subtly, perfectly. So if you tend to enjoy literate, kindly detection with a nicely wicked psychosocial edge to it, then Marsh is the one to read.
This early Marsh novel is a good, not great, story, and although it's one of her lesser novels IMO, it's still an entertaining read.
Arthur Surbonadier was a rotter who happened to also be a pretty good, not great, actor. Passed over for a role that he thought was his, *ought* to have been his, he resorts to several nefarious methods to push out the Nice Guy actor Felix Gardiner, who did get the role. And both of them are "interested" in the same woman, lovely Leading Lady Stephanie Vaughan. Lots of scope for mischief there, yep. So when the unlovely Arthur gets himself murdered on-stage in front of a full audience during one night's performance, members of the cast and their friends are shocked, but not truly surprised. The problem is, it looks like Nice Guy Felix did it, and everybody truly *likes* Felix!
Another large problem (for the murderer, that is) is that Detective Inspector Alleyn was in the audience that night, and saw the whole thing, even though it's a rather complex murder and not easily - nor immediately - identifiable just exactly what did happen, even by an alert and intelligent policeman. Arthur got shot, yes, and it does appear that Felix shot him. So far, so good. But appearances can be deceiving, especially on-stage.
This is a juicy, nicely convoluted "mystery tale of the theatre", told by a writer who would become a master at this sub-genre and who, even at this early point in her career, was awfully good at spinning a web. There are a few tropes and awkward bits here certainly, but most of them only reflect the period in which the novel was written, and don't affect the essentially good plot, the fairly good pacing, and the superb characterizations.
Marsh worked extensively in the theatre and obviously loved Theatre Folk and all their trappings, methods, and moods. She's nicely biting here with beautifully sharp remarks about Actors and the profession, about hubris and talent - or the lack of it when coupled with a large ego. All together the mix is a lot of fun, if a bit slow in spots, and there are a couple of little niggle-y bits that bugged me.
Firstly, the character of Nigel Bathgate, semi-literate Watson (and budding newspaperman) is front and center, occupying a good portion of the activity, as he accompanies Alleyn along on most of his interrogations and investigations. I've never much liked this character, as he's sweet, wimpy-ish, and a total waste of space IMO - her time would have been better served giving us more of the delightful Mr. Fox or Bailey the fingerprint expert, as she does in later novels. Fox and Bailey are truly interesting and almost real people, where Mr. Bathgate is a pure caricature - the Nice Oxford Chap thrust into The Real World to Make His Way, often relying upon Those In The Know that he knows... you know what I mean. That sort of stock character may have been entertaining in the 1930s but he's boring now, and slows down almost every scene that he's in.
And there's the almost obligatory (for mysteries of the period) love-connection between Alleyn and a suspect! *Totally* unusual for this series over its long run, as Marsh rarely used this bit again except for Alleyn's initial meeting with Troy, who would later play such a large role in his life and in the series, and with the Troy first encounter the bit "works". One of the things I enjoy most about Marsh's writing is that in most of the novels there is a lack of both a sappy Watson character and of the lead policeman endlessly falling in love with totally unsuitable types; unfortunately both are quite present in this early novel.
Marsh becomes a much better, and a cleaner writer, with her future novels, thankfully, and is one of my very favorite writers from the period. IMO she's a smoother, more purely enjoyable writer than Christie, although Christie was a far superior plotter and tended to "do up" differing environments/settings far better. But Marsh "did" people far better, with concise, precise characterizations filled with nicely sharp bits, often slipping the edge of the knife in very gently, subtly, perfectly. So if you tend to enjoy literate, kindly detection with a nicely wicked psychosocial edge to it, then Marsh is the one to read.
This early Marsh novel is a good, not great, story, and although it's one of her lesser novels IMO, it's still an entertaining read.
February 11, 2024
Alleyn Does It Again
Enter a Murderer is the second mystery novel by the New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh, and it was published one year after her first novel, i.e. in 1935. And yet again, her protagonist, Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, resorts to the same trick to make the murderer give themselves away – the good old re-enactment of the crime.
The crime, in this case, is a murder onstage, in front of an audience amongst whom Alleyn himself and his friend Nigel Bathgate, whom we surely remember from Marsh’s first novel A Man Lay Dead, have sat down to enjoy the show. However, the man who shot the unsavoury actor Arthur Surbonadier dead and who did this in plain view of everybody, is an actor himself, Felix Gardener, and he pulled the trigger because the script of the play told him so. Only this time, there were no duds in the barrel, but live bullets, and as Surbonadier had loaded the weapon himself on stage a few minutes before, the matter is rather complex. Was it a particularly mean method of suicide on the part of Surbonadier, who had some bones to pick with Gardener over their rivalry for the fair thespian Stephanie Vaughan? Or was it murder after all, and if so, who exchanged the blank cartridges for the deadly ones? Apart from Gardener, there are also other suspects who have something to gain by the victim’s death, for example his own uncle Jacob Saint, owner of the theatre the murder occurred in, and – as some people say – constantly blackmailed by his nephew, or Miss Janet Emerald, another member of the acting crew, who, being Saint’s lover, would one day come into a more lavish inheritance, once Surbonadier was out of the way.
The first half of the mystery is a bit heavy-going because Alleyn grills all the people working on and behind the stage, and a lot of details crop up you as a reader somewhat feel obliged to remember. In the second half, however, the plot finally moves on more quickly, and one starts to work out the clues – this being, by the way, one of the few whodunnits I was able to see through before the final chapter. Interestingly, it was once again Nigel Bathgate whom I found much more likeable than Alleyn, who is an incongruous mixture of a dandy, a bully, and a pedant. I still have four more Roderick-Alleyn-novels lying around, and I truly wonder whether the protagonist will start to grow on me one day. The novel clearly displays Marsh’s soft spot for and experience with the world of the theatre, for example when we witness several actors use all their histrionic skills and routines in real life scenes, as when Stephanie Vaughan is often described to weep in a beautiful way, which makes her even more endearing, or when the narrator gives us this paragraph when the actors go on stage for the final re-enactment of the murder:
Last not least, it can be said that the follow-up novel to A Man Lay Dead is better than its predecessor in that the solution to the murder is much more credible and in that the restaging of the crime makes a lot more sense because it involves a clever trap set by the inspector. The first part of the book, though, was a bit heavy-handed but maybe the writing will improve in the third novel of the series.
Enter a Murderer is the second mystery novel by the New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh, and it was published one year after her first novel, i.e. in 1935. And yet again, her protagonist, Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, resorts to the same trick to make the murderer give themselves away – the good old re-enactment of the crime.
The crime, in this case, is a murder onstage, in front of an audience amongst whom Alleyn himself and his friend Nigel Bathgate, whom we surely remember from Marsh’s first novel A Man Lay Dead, have sat down to enjoy the show. However, the man who shot the unsavoury actor Arthur Surbonadier dead and who did this in plain view of everybody, is an actor himself, Felix Gardener, and he pulled the trigger because the script of the play told him so. Only this time, there were no duds in the barrel, but live bullets, and as Surbonadier had loaded the weapon himself on stage a few minutes before, the matter is rather complex. Was it a particularly mean method of suicide on the part of Surbonadier, who had some bones to pick with Gardener over their rivalry for the fair thespian Stephanie Vaughan? Or was it murder after all, and if so, who exchanged the blank cartridges for the deadly ones? Apart from Gardener, there are also other suspects who have something to gain by the victim’s death, for example his own uncle Jacob Saint, owner of the theatre the murder occurred in, and – as some people say – constantly blackmailed by his nephew, or Miss Janet Emerald, another member of the acting crew, who, being Saint’s lover, would one day come into a more lavish inheritance, once Surbonadier was out of the way.
The first half of the mystery is a bit heavy-going because Alleyn grills all the people working on and behind the stage, and a lot of details crop up you as a reader somewhat feel obliged to remember. In the second half, however, the plot finally moves on more quickly, and one starts to work out the clues – this being, by the way, one of the few whodunnits I was able to see through before the final chapter. Interestingly, it was once again Nigel Bathgate whom I found much more likeable than Alleyn, who is an incongruous mixture of a dandy, a bully, and a pedant. I still have four more Roderick-Alleyn-novels lying around, and I truly wonder whether the protagonist will start to grow on me one day. The novel clearly displays Marsh’s soft spot for and experience with the world of the theatre, for example when we witness several actors use all their histrionic skills and routines in real life scenes, as when Stephanie Vaughan is often described to weep in a beautiful way, which makes her even more endearing, or when the narrator gives us this paragraph when the actors go on stage for the final re-enactment of the murder:
”The players walked through the wings and stood quietly in a semi-circle. They looked attentive and business-like. It was almost as though they had needed the stage and the lights to give them full solidity. They no longer seemed preposterous or even artificial. They were in their right environment and had become real.”
Last not least, it can be said that the follow-up novel to A Man Lay Dead is better than its predecessor in that the solution to the murder is much more credible and in that the restaging of the crime makes a lot more sense because it involves a clever trap set by the inspector. The first part of the book, though, was a bit heavy-handed but maybe the writing will improve in the third novel of the series.
March 15, 2017
Continuing with my quest to sample the great mystery and detective writers of yesteryear, I now turn my attention to Ngaio Marsh, often mentioned as one of the “Queens of Crime” alongside the likes of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. She is known mostly for her detective series which contains 32 novels featuring Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn (later Chief Superintendent) of the Criminal Investigation Department, Metropolitan Police, London. However, she is also well recognized for her extensive activities as a theater director and it is this background upon which this particular novel is built.
“Enter a Murderer” is the second novel in the Inspector Alleyn series and it boasts an absolutely classic whodunit plot. Alleyn is given a complimentary ticket to see a play and he, along with the rest of the audience witnesses a murder when a prop gun is discharged with real bullets instead of blanks. My first thought: hasn’t this plot been done before? But then I realized this novel was written in 1935 so perhaps all others actually stemmed from this one. As inspector Alleyn methodically investigates the crime, I was happy to see some surprises thrown in here and there, many false leads and ultimately, a final denouement wherein Alleyn reveals the culprit. As often seems to be the case with these sorts of mystery novels, virtually every person involved had a reason to commit the crime.
This was quite a complex plot…perhaps too complex. I always prefer a mystery plot where I have a possibility of figuring out the identity of the murderer on my own but to do so this time would have required me to keep extensive notes myself and perhaps build a replica of the theater/stage so as to fully understand where each suspect was at what time. But nevertheless, it was fun to watch Alleyn and the others do the legwork for me and simply be part of the large group to be surprised when the murderer is revealed.
I plan to read two more from this series this year, one from the middle and one from near the end. That should satisfy my need to adequately sample this author’s work. However, given my enjoyment of this one, I may well read many more than that.
“Enter a Murderer” is the second novel in the Inspector Alleyn series and it boasts an absolutely classic whodunit plot. Alleyn is given a complimentary ticket to see a play and he, along with the rest of the audience witnesses a murder when a prop gun is discharged with real bullets instead of blanks. My first thought: hasn’t this plot been done before? But then I realized this novel was written in 1935 so perhaps all others actually stemmed from this one. As inspector Alleyn methodically investigates the crime, I was happy to see some surprises thrown in here and there, many false leads and ultimately, a final denouement wherein Alleyn reveals the culprit. As often seems to be the case with these sorts of mystery novels, virtually every person involved had a reason to commit the crime.
This was quite a complex plot…perhaps too complex. I always prefer a mystery plot where I have a possibility of figuring out the identity of the murderer on my own but to do so this time would have required me to keep extensive notes myself and perhaps build a replica of the theater/stage so as to fully understand where each suspect was at what time. But nevertheless, it was fun to watch Alleyn and the others do the legwork for me and simply be part of the large group to be surprised when the murderer is revealed.
I plan to read two more from this series this year, one from the middle and one from near the end. That should satisfy my need to adequately sample this author’s work. However, given my enjoyment of this one, I may well read many more than that.
December 1, 2021
Review of the audiobook narrated by James Saxon
This second Roderick Alleyn book was poorly narrated by James Saxon, whose work I have enjoyed in other Alleyn books. Perhaps he was still trying to perfect his voices, but they were quite unpleasant. The plot was rather silly, as well.
This second Roderick Alleyn book was poorly narrated by James Saxon, whose work I have enjoyed in other Alleyn books. Perhaps he was still trying to perfect his voices, but they were quite unpleasant. The plot was rather silly, as well.
September 18, 2023
El detective Allyen es invitado por su amigo el periodista George a ver una obra de teatro 🎭, pero lo que planeaba ser una noche divertida se convierte en un caso de lo más extraño.
Mediante esta historia, la escritora nos invita a ver los entre telones del teatro, qué pasa atrás y lo hace con mucha veracidad debido a que ella misma trabajó en la dirección de escena de muchas obras.
No falta la femme fatale encarnada en el personaje de la actriz Stephanie Vaughan asediada por varios de sus compañeros, entre ellos los antagonistas de la obra, Félix Gardener el personaje principal, y Arthur Surbonadier quien generalmente actúa en roles secundarios y es sobrino del productor de la obra Jacob Saint.
En medio de un ambiente sórdido, competitivo, lleno de chantajes, habladurías y drogas, Allyen trata de diferenciar entre las actuaciones y las reacciones verdaderas, entre los móviles que podrían llevar a un asesinato a sangre fría y desenmascarar al autor capaz de hacerlo ante millares de espectadores.
Hay un juego tipo Holmes-Watson entre Allyen y George que le da cierto humor a la historia, la acción se va volviendo trepidante y el final es bastante bueno.
Una historia de detectives al más puro estilo británico, cumple con creces las expectativas de los que somos aficionados al genero.
Mediante esta historia, la escritora nos invita a ver los entre telones del teatro, qué pasa atrás y lo hace con mucha veracidad debido a que ella misma trabajó en la dirección de escena de muchas obras.
No falta la femme fatale encarnada en el personaje de la actriz Stephanie Vaughan asediada por varios de sus compañeros, entre ellos los antagonistas de la obra, Félix Gardener el personaje principal, y Arthur Surbonadier quien generalmente actúa en roles secundarios y es sobrino del productor de la obra Jacob Saint.
En medio de un ambiente sórdido, competitivo, lleno de chantajes, habladurías y drogas, Allyen trata de diferenciar entre las actuaciones y las reacciones verdaderas, entre los móviles que podrían llevar a un asesinato a sangre fría y desenmascarar al autor capaz de hacerlo ante millares de espectadores.
Hay un juego tipo Holmes-Watson entre Allyen y George que le da cierto humor a la historia, la acción se va volviendo trepidante y el final es bastante bueno.
Una historia de detectives al más puro estilo británico, cumple con creces las expectativas de los que somos aficionados al genero.
February 15, 2023
Secondo volume della serie di mystery scritti da Ngaio Marsh, che nonostante venga dalla Nuova Zelanda è considerata una delle regine del giallo classico all'inglese.
Siamo ancora ben lontani dai fasti di una Agatha Christie, ma con questo romanzo mi sembra che le cose comincino ad ingranare meglio rispetto all'esordio, infatti lo svolgimento è più fluido e meno schematico e soprattutto stavolta la soluzione è logica e ben congegnata. Certo per gli appassionati di mystery non sarà niente di nuovo o di sconvolgente, ma la curiosità di arrivare alla fine c'è sempre e in fondo è questa la cosa più importante in un giallo.
L'ambientazione teatrale è particolarmente suggestiva, perché sfuma il confine tra finzione e realtà accrescendo l'aura di mistero.
I protagonisti sono tutti ambigui quanto basta mentre il nostro poliziotto di fiducia Roderick Alleyn qui comincia finalmente ad avere una personalità ben definita, che non mi ha conquistato a dire la verità ma a cui sono più che disposta a dare la possibilità di farsi conoscere meglio; possibilità che mi sento di concedere all'intera serie di romanzi, sperando che continuino a migliorare volume dopo volume.
Siamo ancora ben lontani dai fasti di una Agatha Christie, ma con questo romanzo mi sembra che le cose comincino ad ingranare meglio rispetto all'esordio, infatti lo svolgimento è più fluido e meno schematico e soprattutto stavolta la soluzione è logica e ben congegnata. Certo per gli appassionati di mystery non sarà niente di nuovo o di sconvolgente, ma la curiosità di arrivare alla fine c'è sempre e in fondo è questa la cosa più importante in un giallo.
L'ambientazione teatrale è particolarmente suggestiva, perché sfuma il confine tra finzione e realtà accrescendo l'aura di mistero.
I protagonisti sono tutti ambigui quanto basta mentre il nostro poliziotto di fiducia Roderick Alleyn qui comincia finalmente ad avere una personalità ben definita, che non mi ha conquistato a dire la verità ma a cui sono più che disposta a dare la possibilità di farsi conoscere meglio; possibilità che mi sento di concedere all'intera serie di romanzi, sperando che continuino a migliorare volume dopo volume.
December 9, 2013
Ngaio Marsh is very famous but, although her plots are well conceived, her dialogue is so over the top and pretentious that it makes her books difficult to read. Surely, even in the 1930's people just did not talk like this.
August 10, 2021
How did an old Cambridge friend not know about the lawbreaker life of the other friend during the undergraduate degree? Scribd.com English text, and translation for Portuguese + audio in English from Google Translate.
October 23, 2017
Having read Alleyn 3 before this one, Enter a Murderer was a bit of a let-down. I thought I had wandered into an episode of "Murder, She Wrote", stilted dialogue, unbelieveable wrap, and all. (How much did she actually know about heroin addicts?) Yes, I know, it's a vintage cosy. But if I had read this before "The Nursing Home Murder" I would have given up on Marsh without a backward glance. Fortunately in vol. 3 there is a decided improvement in voice, devices and plotting.
ETA: I just listened to this on audiobook, and had completely forgotten everything except the name and MC of the play! That's how forgettable this was. I still had the same issues with the fabric of the text.
ETA: I just listened to this on audiobook, and had completely forgotten everything except the name and MC of the play! That's how forgettable this was. I still had the same issues with the fabric of the text.
December 14, 2018
Underwhelming and ultimately disappointing for me. An early novel by Marsh and the development of her detective is somewhat sketchy. I didn't care for any of the characters. I struggled each time I put it down to go back to it, but perhaps that was my personal state of mind at work. Perhaps I'll give it another go when I've read more of her later works.
May 13, 2020
Loved this book! I'm really enjoying Ngaio Marsh Books.
Her stories are witty with the perfect amount of menace and drama.
A great classic crime writer who is now up there with Agatha Christie on my MUST read list.
Her stories are witty with the perfect amount of menace and drama.
A great classic crime writer who is now up there with Agatha Christie on my MUST read list.
July 31, 2017
An average murder mystery. Murder committed during a play. My first Ngaio Marsh. Not impressed with inspector Allyn. And the layout of the stage, the dressing room and the numerous passages, I did not get which was crucial to the mystery. May try out more from this author but not too soon.
February 13, 2018
Alleyn and Bailey were on their knees by the prompt box. Bailey was busy with an insufflator and the inspector seemed to be peering at the floor through a magnifying glass. Beside him, opened, was the bag they had brought him from the Yard. Nigel looked into it and saw a neat collection of objects, among which he distinguished magnifying glasses, tape, scissors, soap, a towel, an electric torch, rubber gloves, sealing wax, and a pair of handcuffs.
"What are you doing?" asked Nigel.
"Being a detective. Can't you see?"
Inspector Roderick Alleyn's journalist pal Nigel Bathgate is friends with Felix Gardener, leading man in the up-and-coming London play The Rat & the Beaver. Felix gives Nigel two tickets to a second week performance and, since Nigel's best girl is out of town, the journalist decides to ask Alleyn if he'd like to join him. In the play, Gardener plays the Rat who "shoots" his fellow actor Arthur Surbonadier (aka the Beaver). The gun is normally loaded with dummies--not just blanks, because the shooting takes place at close range and would still ruin Surbonadier's costume. But tonight--somebody has replaced the dummies with the real thing and Surbonadier's death scene becomes the final performance of his life.
Off-stage, Surbonadier is the nephew of the theatre owner, but even his relationship to the owner couldn't give him the part he coveted--that of the Rat. The rivalry between the two men wasn't limited to their roles, however. They were also rivals for the attentions of the leading lady, Stephanie Vaughn. So, when murder happens, it's not too surprising. But everyone in the play would have been less surprised if Surbonadier had shot Gardener--after all, he thought Gardener had stolen his part and the affections of the actress. And the disgruntled actor was more the murderous type than the well-liked Gardener.
But did Gardener load the pistol with real bullets? Or did someone else do the switch and let Gardener do their dirty work for them? That's what Alleyn will have to determine. And it soon becomes apparent that plenty of people had good reason to want Surbonadier out of the way--everyone from his rival to the props man to his own uncle to the other actress he had made advances to. But who had the nerve...and the opportunity...to make the switch and change a prop into a real murder weapon?
Marsh's second novel is as entertaining as the first. Having such a love and interest in the theater, she provides a very realistic portrayal of the quirks and foibles of the actors, actresses, and sundry supporting backstage folk. Bathgate is a bit more annoying in this one--primarily because his friend Gardener is in the hot seat. I was relieved to see that Inspector Fox plays a larger role and I look forward to future installments when he will play "Watson" to Alleyn instead of Bathgate. Alleyn is also more flippant (and, at times, bordering on ridiculous) this time out, particularly in the beginning, but his character seems to settle down towards the end. I will be interested to see how Marsh presents him in the third novel.
The plot is intricate--in that it relies on who had access to the desk where the gun and bullets were kept and who was where during the crucial time period. And Marsh ends the story in grand dramatic style most suitable to its theatrical setting.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
"What are you doing?" asked Nigel.
"Being a detective. Can't you see?"
Inspector Roderick Alleyn's journalist pal Nigel Bathgate is friends with Felix Gardener, leading man in the up-and-coming London play The Rat & the Beaver. Felix gives Nigel two tickets to a second week performance and, since Nigel's best girl is out of town, the journalist decides to ask Alleyn if he'd like to join him. In the play, Gardener plays the Rat who "shoots" his fellow actor Arthur Surbonadier (aka the Beaver). The gun is normally loaded with dummies--not just blanks, because the shooting takes place at close range and would still ruin Surbonadier's costume. But tonight--somebody has replaced the dummies with the real thing and Surbonadier's death scene becomes the final performance of his life.
Off-stage, Surbonadier is the nephew of the theatre owner, but even his relationship to the owner couldn't give him the part he coveted--that of the Rat. The rivalry between the two men wasn't limited to their roles, however. They were also rivals for the attentions of the leading lady, Stephanie Vaughn. So, when murder happens, it's not too surprising. But everyone in the play would have been less surprised if Surbonadier had shot Gardener--after all, he thought Gardener had stolen his part and the affections of the actress. And the disgruntled actor was more the murderous type than the well-liked Gardener.
But did Gardener load the pistol with real bullets? Or did someone else do the switch and let Gardener do their dirty work for them? That's what Alleyn will have to determine. And it soon becomes apparent that plenty of people had good reason to want Surbonadier out of the way--everyone from his rival to the props man to his own uncle to the other actress he had made advances to. But who had the nerve...and the opportunity...to make the switch and change a prop into a real murder weapon?
Marsh's second novel is as entertaining as the first. Having such a love and interest in the theater, she provides a very realistic portrayal of the quirks and foibles of the actors, actresses, and sundry supporting backstage folk. Bathgate is a bit more annoying in this one--primarily because his friend Gardener is in the hot seat. I was relieved to see that Inspector Fox plays a larger role and I look forward to future installments when he will play "Watson" to Alleyn instead of Bathgate. Alleyn is also more flippant (and, at times, bordering on ridiculous) this time out, particularly in the beginning, but his character seems to settle down towards the end. I will be interested to see how Marsh presents him in the third novel.
The plot is intricate--in that it relies on who had access to the desk where the gun and bullets were kept and who was where during the crucial time period. And Marsh ends the story in grand dramatic style most suitable to its theatrical setting.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
March 9, 2018
A very good mystery with a twist at the end. This Golden Age mystery focused on the puzzle - figuring out "whodunit".
Inspector Alleyn accepts a friend's invitation to the theater on what was supposed to be a night off. The fake shooting in the final act turns out to be real and Alleyn is on the scene. This one has the classic elements, including a small cast of suspects, many with motives. The fact that most of the suspects are actors adds to the red herrings- Is the response real or just acting? The clues are there and I narrowed down the suspects but I wasn't sure who the culprit was until the big reveal... Yes, there is a classic scene at the end where Alleyn gathers all the suspects at the scene of the crime. You can just picture it.
This style has often been copied. It's great to read one of the originals. Definitely continuing with this series.
Inspector Alleyn accepts a friend's invitation to the theater on what was supposed to be a night off. The fake shooting in the final act turns out to be real and Alleyn is on the scene. This one has the classic elements, including a small cast of suspects, many with motives. The fact that most of the suspects are actors adds to the red herrings- Is the response real or just acting? The clues are there and I narrowed down the suspects but I wasn't sure who the culprit was until the big reveal... Yes, there is a classic scene at the end where Alleyn gathers all the suspects at the scene of the crime. You can just picture it.
This style has often been copied. It's great to read one of the originals. Definitely continuing with this series.
September 4, 2018
Roderick Alleyn has been invited to the theatre by Nigel Bathgate, during the performance what should have been a fake shooting turns into the real thing and Scotland Yard (in the person of Alleyn) needs to track through blackmail, bribery and lies to find out the truth behind the killing.
Marsh is still finding her feet as a author but Alleyn is becoming a more believable character in this the second book.
Marsh is still finding her feet as a author but Alleyn is becoming a more believable character in this the second book.
January 7, 2023
This year I've decided to read the Roderick Alleyn books by Ngaio Marsh for a challenge of 'catching up on a mystery series' by reading an installment each month.
I have read book one and six previously, so I was already familiar with the character of Alleyn and I like him immensely. Even though it probably bears little resemblance to what Marsh describes, I have such a clear picture of what I believe him to look like, and his mannerisms, in my mind as I'm reading.
In this mystery, Marsh uses her knowledge of the theatre (she was a producer) to set a murder on the stage. The one problem with these older mysteries is that their plots have been copied so many times, you get a sense of familiarity/deja vu. I felt this with the set up of murderer replacing prop bullets with real ones during a shooting scene of a play. I guessed whodunnit quite quickly and I'll assume this was due to the many times I've seen the plot done since.
Given the theatre setting, Marsh was able to include a plethora of eclectic characters. There was also the constant question of how truthful the witnesses were being. After all, when giving their statements and answering Alleyn's questions, they could be simply acting.
Marsh also once again included the journalist character, Nigel Bathgate. I quite liked him as the sidekick and will be interested as to how many times he features in the future (I say this as I feel like no one ever seems to refer to him as they would Watson, for example).
For a book written in 1935, I didn't find the language too difficult to follow. Most of the slang terms I've heard with, perhaps, the exception of 'tight' meaning drunk.
The only hiccup I found was Alleyn's sexual tension with the play's leading lady. It felt forced and seemed to crop up out of nowhere. He also doesn't seem to be the type who would fall for the cloying damsel in distress, so to speak. I wondered if this plotline was included as some sort of request by Marsh's publisher. *shrug*
4 out of 5 and I now have to resist picking up book three until February!
I have read book one and six previously, so I was already familiar with the character of Alleyn and I like him immensely. Even though it probably bears little resemblance to what Marsh describes, I have such a clear picture of what I believe him to look like, and his mannerisms, in my mind as I'm reading.
In this mystery, Marsh uses her knowledge of the theatre (she was a producer) to set a murder on the stage. The one problem with these older mysteries is that their plots have been copied so many times, you get a sense of familiarity/deja vu. I felt this with the set up of murderer replacing prop bullets with real ones during a shooting scene of a play. I guessed whodunnit quite quickly and I'll assume this was due to the many times I've seen the plot done since.
Given the theatre setting, Marsh was able to include a plethora of eclectic characters. There was also the constant question of how truthful the witnesses were being. After all, when giving their statements and answering Alleyn's questions, they could be simply acting.
Marsh also once again included the journalist character, Nigel Bathgate. I quite liked him as the sidekick and will be interested as to how many times he features in the future (I say this as I feel like no one ever seems to refer to him as they would Watson, for example).
For a book written in 1935, I didn't find the language too difficult to follow. Most of the slang terms I've heard with, perhaps, the exception of 'tight' meaning drunk.
The only hiccup I found was Alleyn's sexual tension with the play's leading lady. It felt forced and seemed to crop up out of nowhere. He also doesn't seem to be the type who would fall for the cloying damsel in distress, so to speak. I wondered if this plotline was included as some sort of request by Marsh's publisher. *shrug*
4 out of 5 and I now have to resist picking up book three until February!
January 3, 2026
eigenlijk best wel zaai deze, heel geschikt als inslaapboek dus
April 25, 2021
The second outing for Roderick Alleyn and it still feels like an early book. This story was not as improbable as the first book in the series but it still has a sense of “author finding her characters” to it.
I really liked the story and loved the theatrical setting. I did have a hard time with Alleyn in this. He seemed rather pompous. There were even scenes of his subordinates admiring him in this story that badly reminded me of Alexander Wilson’s thriller series, in which the police’s hero worship was one of the many factors to that led me to DNF both books I tried in the series.
There were a few elements in the plot that struck me as gaffes in the author’s research, although I have no doubt that these would have excited the mystery-loving reader in 1935, when the book was published.
Still, I very much enjoyed the suspense of the story and the “let me tell you why I have gathered you all together here” ending. I’m a sucker for a Poirot-style solution. Especially, when it reminds me of one of my favourite Poirot novels, which happened to be published a year before Enter a Murderer.
I really liked the story and loved the theatrical setting. I did have a hard time with Alleyn in this. He seemed rather pompous. There were even scenes of his subordinates admiring him in this story that badly reminded me of Alexander Wilson’s thriller series, in which the police’s hero worship was one of the many factors to that led me to DNF both books I tried in the series.
There were a few elements in the plot that struck me as gaffes in the author’s research, although I have no doubt that these would have excited the mystery-loving reader in 1935, when the book was published.
Still, I very much enjoyed the suspense of the story and the “let me tell you why I have gathered you all together here” ending. I’m a sucker for a Poirot-style solution. Especially, when it reminds me of one of my favourite Poirot novels, which happened to be published a year before Enter a Murderer.
March 29, 2018
I love English mysteries, where else do you get to read phrases like, “you fatuous old bag of tripe!”
December 7, 2025
Not my cup of tea. I found the detective, Chief Inspector Alleyn unbelievably jolly and smug and most of the other characters forgettable.
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