Death Goes on Skis: Introduced by Sandi Toksvig - 'Her detective novels are hilarious'

DuVivien & Birdseye #4

by Nancy Spain, Sandi Toksvig (Introduction)

'Her detective novels are hilarious - less about detecting than delighting, with absurd farce and a wonderful turn of phrase . . . Nancy Spain was bold, she was brave, she was funny, she was feisty. I owe her a great deal' Sandi ToksvigMiriam Birdseye is daring, brilliant - and a long way from The Ivy. Our dashing heroine, a famous revue artist, takes to the slopes with her coterie of admirers. Champagne flows and wherever Miriam goes she leaves a trail of gossip in her wake.Fellow ski-resort guests include the celebrated Russian ex-ballerina, Natasha Nevkorina, whose beauty is matched only by her languor, Natasha's burly husband, nightclub owner Johnny DuVivien, and the wealthy Flahertés, a family who have made their money importing handsome playboy Barney, his wife Regan, their two obnoxious children and the governess, Rosalie. Unbeknownst to Regan, Barney's mistress, a film star, is also there with her husband.When secrets start to unravel, tensions rise, and soon amateur sleuths Miriam and Natasha have not one but two murders to solve. In the hands of Nancy Spain, for whom farce and humour are a lot more fun than a conventional detective novel, the result is a deliciously wild ride.'An either intense or sombre approach to crime is to Miss Spain in her world an inspired craziness rules . . . Her wit, her zest, her outrageousness, and the colloquial stylishness of her writing are quite her own' Elizabeth Bowen

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Classics, Detective, Modern Classics, Humor

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Nancy Spain was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1917, the great-niece of the legendary Mrs Beeton.

She began her career as a journalist and occasional actor in radio plays. After the Second World War she published a very successful memoir of her time working as a driver and in the press office of the WRNS. She later wrote columns for the Daily Express and She magazine, made many radio and television appearances, and published a series of detective novels.

She and her partner Joan Werner Laurie were killed in a plane crash in 1964.

Reviews

[Rhian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing. These characters were shallow, stupid, uninteresting or just plain nasty, and not in a fun way. There were too many at first too, and I had a hard time keeping track of them, or being interested enough to try to. I think the humour is supposed to come from laughing at these nasty fucked up people making each other miserable? Not sure. Perhaps it would have worked if the plot was more interesting or the setting was beautiful or something like that but uh... nope. There was very little tension in the murder or the solving thereof. That's about it, really.

[Adam Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set on a skiing holiday in the fictional country of Schitzo-Frenia with a number of family groups and a couple of murders.

There was something about this book that didn't quite click with me. On the one hand, it was a light and easy read. The humorous and witty writing style had me chuckling at times and I was certainly never bored. It doesn't feel like a 40s book, with a pretty modern style of writing, and some themes that wouldn't be out of place today.

On the negative side, pretty much all of the characters were deeply unlikable in their own way. It lacked that one person to really root for, and you were left with a sense of feeling that justice wasn't done, and things unexplained. People and place names are also frankly ridiculous - designed I suspect to get a laugh, but completely missing the mark for me.

It's certainly not awful, but it isn't as well executed as, say, later Georgette Heyer's with irritating characters. It is a snowy winter read though, 2.5 stars.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found out about Nancy Spain from Sandi Toksvig, and immediately bought a few of her books, because Sandi Toksvig can do no wrong.

Death Goes On Skis, a murder mystery set in a European ski resort in Skizophrenia, was the first of them. And I really hate that it's categorically awful.

Characters? Dreadful, broad, nonsensical and histrionic.

Plot? Demented - and not in the good way.

Admittedly, there are fun things IN it - loathesome children, particularly. But for the most part, it's a stream of non-sequitur plot elements and people you'd rather stab yourself in the face than be stuck with in a ski hotel.

As I say, I hate that, because I work on the general principle that Sandi Toksvig can do no wrong. Ever. But this time, there are better murder mysteries, better comedies, better books of every single kind. Death may go on skis, but here, the death of interest goes with it.

[Jacqueline Langille · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really have to stop reading British novelists from the first half of the twentieth century. While the writing style can scintillate at times, the list of -isms runs long with this one: racism, elitism, sexism, ableism, etc. I read all the way through because I had a hunch about whodunnit and wanted to know if I was right. No spoilers, but I don't recommend this book. Supposedly a comedy but I felt despair for humanity (even more than usual) after reading it. Maybe it's just me. 🤷‍♀️

[Jan Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit to being a little disappointed with this book. I didn't find it 'hilarious' as Sandi Toksvig insists - mildy amusing at best. In many ways it is a classic farce that could have worked but for the extensive cast - all of whom were equally obnoxious (including the two children). Had there not been a handy character list at the front of the book (which I refered to often) I would have been hopelessly lost.
Of its time. Mildy amusing. Nancy Spain is able to write, but not something I would read again, nor will I seek out others by the same author.

[Michelle Le Grand · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it was good in its day but I found the writing dated and I found all the character names really confusing and I couldn't keep up with who was who. I also found the setting claustrophobic and I gave up after a few chapters.

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Odd and over long.

[Lou Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not part of the British Crime Classics series, but probably could be. Amusing murder story set on the ski slopes, not exactly a Christmas tale, but snowy anyway!

[Fleur Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun! Like an Agatha Christie but with humour

[Mike Clarke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Off piste: Death Goes On Skies, if representative of the Nancy Spain oeuvre, suggests she is a far better chronicler of the upper class milieu than she is a writer of detective fiction. The plot barely sustains interest as it’s platitudinous and pedestrian in the extreme, but where she comes into her own is in the arch portrayal of her characters, a mass of chinless, inbred simpletons who bumble from glamorous après-ski to sophisticated cocktail party, set against a backdrop of exclusive hotels and expensive restaurants. All are in some way demented, crass or tedious, such as Teddy whose eyes “drifted off like small balloons” if anyone mentions the word integrity, or the photograph kept by one of the characters of her brother’s wedding: “An unpleasant picture of two people simpering in a high wind outside St Margaret’s, Westminster, half-obscured by an arch of swords.” Anyone who’s efficient, humourless or knows what they’re doing is almost invariably lower class.

Funny enough to make me spit my coffee out in places, I wanted to like Spain’s writing as she was certainly an estimable person and from a rather more modest background than the demi-monde who take centre stage in her books. She was one of that group of rather pioneering women in postwar Britain who carved careers for themselves as the token women on radio panel shows and the press, but who were quietly outrageous or outspoken (the others being Anona Wynn, Katherine Whitehorn and Renée Houston, but not Lady Isobel Barnett). An out lesbian, who didn’t bother to conceal her relationship with magazine editor Joan Laurie, her early death in a plane crash in 1964 was terrifically sad, and one wonders what she’d have had to say about gay liberation or the queer bashing politics of the 1980s Conservative government. Despite the disappointments - Death Goes On Skies swings between arch and camp and never quite decides what it wants to be - she may be worth persisting with.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know how I feel about this book. It’s less of a murder mystery than I thought. Everybody’s a detective basically and I don’t even know whose perspective where following as Miriam Birdseye is meant to be our detective but she doesn’t appear till a couple chapters in. I was surprised by the murder as I thought there’d only be one but there two technically three. I thought Rosalie Lexington had done them all so the reveal that Kathleen had pushed Regan out of the window was a surprise. However, about a third of the way through I was ready for the whole thing to be wrapped up. It felt more like a story with a sprinkling of murder and honestly at points in time I just felt like I wasn’t really following the plot as some parts I didn’t really care about. Like the romance between Natasha and Barny or Miriam and her friends. I liked Ted up to a point until he kissed Pamela and then I thought nah. It did feel a little out of character for someone who would give his wife the world to eventually just not care that she was dead. This book I guess, in the end, made it feel like nothing was meaningful.

[Amelia Heminway · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was super excited to start this, but there were too many characters, it couldn't decide if it was humours or serious. Despite that a relatively terrifying ending !

[Rhona McGrath · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor book - clunky writing and weak plot. Struggled to finish.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scrapped a three. Just didn’t get the jokes.

[Misha Herwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny in places but did not relate to any of the characters, so really didn't care who murdered whom and why.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A republished gem in the Virago Modern Classics series, Death Goes on Skis, is a 1949 farce or murder mystery set in a ski resort in a mysterious European country. There is a quite a group of British based tourists who find themselves in the Water Station Hotel, owned by the misguided M Lapatronne with Trudi and Nelli as chambermaids. The British party include the family of Barny Flaherte, perfume manufacturer, which is extended to include two of his cousins, his mistress Fanny Mayes and her hapless husband, and the governess of his two children, Miss Rosie Leamington. Natasha, a retired Russian ballet dancer, her husband and step daughter are also in residence, with the remarkable Miriam Birdseye and her two associates. When a suspicious death occurs, more than one of the guests decide that it needs investigating, despite the official line.
As Sandi Toksvig points out in her informative Introduction, the humour in this novel works on various levels, with in jokes for those who are aware of the context in which it originally appeared, as well as the somewhat obvious humour of murder mystery set in a confined community. Some of the former humour could be now seen as dubious in the twenty first century, but is no more controversial than many authors’ work produced at the time. Indeed, Spain’s somewhat outrageous personality adds a knowing tone to a book which was very self aware even in its day. As a slice of social history it is revealing, as a postwar read it is lively and funny, and as a simple historical murder mystery with a comic theme it is just enjoyable. I found it an entertaining read and recommend it as such.
I was glad to find a list of characters in the front of this book, as when the story begins to unfold it is useful unless you have previous knowledge of Spain’s novels, where some of the characters are featured in other investigations, as they refer to themselves throughout. Book One “The Journey”, sets up the characters as they travel to the ski resort. Kathleen, a young woman, is described with her hair in a “black page-boy bob (which) flew behind her in elf locks. The effect was hysterical”. Her sister, Toddy, is described as “a tough, gentlemanly young woman…with a polished Eton crop”. Spain’s flair for description flows throughout the novel, as Pamela is later described “she seemed detached, intelligent and amiable”, whereas a room is described as “turbulent with the effects of someone who had dressed in a hurry for dancing without the help of a lady’s maid”. She uses the dialogue to further story and reveal much about the character of the speaker; “It is not money that I mind people stinking of” said Natasha, and moved gently away.”
It is difficult to summarise what exactly this makes this book so memorable; the murder mystery among a small group of potential suspects, romance and attraction among the strangest people, two pairs of people: Roger and Morris who are devoted to Miriam, two appalling little girls who nobody finds likeable. The setting, of a ski resort which allows some characters to show off their skills, others to discover a talent, and the rest to shun skiing with determination. The currency limitation for the British abroad is an issue for some, while others rise above it, and yet others will bet on anything. Overall, this is a book for those interested in women’s writing of the first half of the twentieth century, those who have an interest in murder mysteries written with little reverence for the rules, but most of all for those who enjoy an entertaining read. I will be reading more Nancy Spain books soon!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Nancy Spain book. I thought this would be more farcical, similar to Edmund Crispin, but the farce went in a different direction. There must have been several jokes that readers in the late 40s/early 50s would have recognized at once, that just don't connect in the 21st century. I wasn't sure which characters I liked or didn't- though that wasn't a deciding factor for me, as most of the characters felt like individuals (except the children), and I could easily remember who everyone was. The farce part of this was the detection- there wasn't any. The multiple murders? No real investigation, or justice, or anything. I was pleased with the events in the final chapter (about time, I thought), but otherwise found the plot a bit flat, and a majority of the characters lacked cohesive motivation or viewpoint. I might try another Spain novel if I get the chance, just to see if it was the plot, writing style, or characters I couldn't really root for. An entertaining read, but nothing magical about it.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Nancy Spain’s writing is described on the cover as ‘absurd farce’, and for me it lived up to that beautifully. The fun of it isn’t in clever Poirot-style mystery-solving, but in the comedy of the ludicrous cast of over-the-top characters. It’s also a lovely example of an LGBT+ writer in the first half of the 20th century finding little ways to weave her identity into her writing. The main downside to this book for me was that the writing is very much of-its-time, and that tips into offensive humour in a few places - most notably the setting of the whole book in a fictional country called ‘Schizo-Frenia’ which jarred every time it was repeated.

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I remember Nancy Spain from my childhood although I had been unaware of her writing novels. Having read this one, I can understand why she didn't make a reputation as a novelist, because it was truly awful. It was obviously intended to be humorous, but the humour was so laboured, and at times so obscure, that there were no laughs to be had to leaven the lump of the plodding storyline. There was not a single likeable character. The only surprise was the final chapter, and the only emotion I felt after reading the ridiculous ending was irritation that I had taken the trouble to finish the book.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Campy joy (all the way up until the genre swerve of the dark final chapter) - reads like Oscar Wilde doing an Agatha Christie parody. All the open-secret lesbian coding of one character is a lot of fun to read. Of its time in a number of ways that would get you cancelled today, and doesn't feel quite finished, but nevertheless I chuckled throughout, and literally cried laughing at Natasha's accidentally competitive descent of the mountain in the final act.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely falls into the 'amusing' category along with so many mid-20th Century comic novels. Not strictly a crime book (even with all the murders), as the sleuthing appears a little half-hearted, and comes in second to the general convoluted plot. But as I understand from Sandi Toksvig's useful introduction, that is no surprise as Nancy Spain simply liked to do the unexpected in her writing as well as her life. Fun and funny.

[Claire Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Christmas present from someone who thought it might be a quirky read. Sandi Toksvig’s introduction was certainly the best written part and most interesting part of the novel. Almost all the characters were just caricatures and not always in a good way - like others I was glad for the list of them. The story galloped along, some amusing parts so it was a quick read. I don’t think I will rush to read others.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man I had such high hopes for this one and it was just ???? Not great???? I think that you should be able to go into a series part way through and still know what's going on (especially with murder mysteries), but for this one I couldn't gel with the main characters at all! It felt like they were trying to get Mariam Birdseye to be the sleuth but ngl she didn't really do much at all? Idk I'm just very let down by this.

[Suzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light hearted murder mystery with the emphasis mostly on the what the characters are doing, minimally on the murders themselves. Maybe it could in fact be called a mid century witty book with a side of murder. Got to say most of the cast of characters are unlikable but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book. Lots of good detail on the surroundings which bring you right into the place and the events within them.

[Clare]

Yup, I read them totally out of order, so I read the first one last. This was slightly less comedic and affected than the subsequent volumes, with some psychological consideration of a murderer and a weak man. Despite the different tone, it was still great fun, with the idea of a ballerina suddenly becoming a winning skier very silly. I rather like Nancy Spain

[Davidg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second Nancy Spain book, though it actually precedes the first in sequence. It isn’t a conventional crime novel in that there are no real detectives and there is no legal punishment for the murderer(s). Though amusing at times, it is overlong and outstays it welcome a little. Not as much fun as I had hoped.

[Bodil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the enthusiastic introduction by Sandi Toksvig, a favorite of mine, I found this book uninteresting, full of uninteresting people (upper class brats essentially). I suppose it is a caricature and it does have it’s funny points, like being set in the alpine country Schitzo-Frenia. Although at one point the author alls it Switzerland.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mord på skidort på 50-talet och ett gäng överklassare som försöker lösa det.

Premissen är ju bra, men jag tyckte att karaktärerna var barnsliga (alla hatade varandra hela tiden) och svåra att tycka om. Dessutom hade författaren döpt skidorten till Schizo-Frenia, lite fånigt.

[Susanne (Pages of Crime) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing - it felt like it would be much better suited to being a radio play with actors performing the dialogue and a narrator to help the story along.

Not quite the fun and light reading experience I was hoping for.

[Kathleen Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quirky style and quite dated but overall I enjoyed it. A decent whodunnit.