What do you think?
Rate this book
Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime
Which was the real Ngaio Marsh - Dame of the British Empire or the dame who wrote detective novels?
One of the celebrated 1930s and 40s "Queens of Crime' Ngaio Marsh was probably our first million copy author. Her tightly written, stylish whodunits were perennial favorites, rating alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. She was also seriously in love with the theatre, and her triumphant return to New Zealand to establish the Court theatre in Christchurch saw her feted and honored with the title dame of the British Empire. With her coterie of 'luvvies' the handsome gay boys who were a part of her entourage and her proteges in many fields of the arts, and her impeccable landed gentry upbringing, Dame Ngaio dominated the News Zealand performing arts scene for many years before her death. A biography was produced to no great acclaim, and it was a tedious hagiography of Dame Ngaio the woman of stature. Dr Jo Drayton, award winning art historian and writer was awarded the Alexander turnbull fellowship for 2007 and has used the time to complete the research and writing of this her most exciting book to date. there was another story to be told, a much more textured, rich and fascinating story, of a young woman of ambiguous sexuality who reveled in the abandon of the Bohemian Riviera, whose spurned suitor committed suicide and whose scintillating murder mysteries all took their inspiration, setting or characters from the heady life she enjoyed as a member of the in set in England, where one moved between town house and country estate. In what will be one of the most read and most significant biographies of 2008, Ngaio Marsh comes to life and finally steps out from behind the cardboard cutout of respectability and decorum.
One of the celebrated 1930s and 40s "Queens of Crime' Ngaio Marsh was probably our first million copy author. Her tightly written, stylish whodunits were perennial favorites, rating alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. She was also seriously in love with the theatre, and her triumphant return to New Zealand to establish the Court theatre in Christchurch saw her feted and honored with the title dame of the British Empire. With her coterie of 'luvvies' the handsome gay boys who were a part of her entourage and her proteges in many fields of the arts, and her impeccable landed gentry upbringing, Dame Ngaio dominated the News Zealand performing arts scene for many years before her death. A biography was produced to no great acclaim, and it was a tedious hagiography of Dame Ngaio the woman of stature. Dr Jo Drayton, award winning art historian and writer was awarded the Alexander turnbull fellowship for 2007 and has used the time to complete the research and writing of this her most exciting book to date. there was another story to be told, a much more textured, rich and fascinating story, of a young woman of ambiguous sexuality who reveled in the abandon of the Bohemian Riviera, whose spurned suitor committed suicide and whose scintillating murder mysteries all took their inspiration, setting or characters from the heady life she enjoyed as a member of the in set in England, where one moved between town house and country estate. In what will be one of the most read and most significant biographies of 2008, Ngaio Marsh comes to life and finally steps out from behind the cardboard cutout of respectability and decorum.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 6, 2017
Ngaio Marsh is one of the big four ‘Queens of Crime,’ along with Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham. Although I have read most of Christie’s and Sayers work, I still have to explore much of Marsh and Allingham’s and, as I am planning to start reading Ngaio Marsh’s series next year, I thought it would be nice to read her biography. However, having finished this, I almost wish I hadn’t and I would urge you to leave this biography until after you have read her work – if you haven’t already read her books.
The book begins well, with the author in London , buying some notebooks, a pencil and sharpener and sitting down to write her first mystery. She wanted to create a believable, professional policeman and did so in Roderick Alleyn and the start of this biography sets the scene well. However, there are issues with this biography and these also involves the way that Ngaio Marsh, and many in her native New Zealand, saw the writing of detective fiction. For, although Marsh spend much of her life shuttling between New Zealand and England, and obviously felt at home in both countries; while her writing career took off, something that was so valued in England was obviously viewed as something as an embarrassment in her native country.
When she was young, Marsh wanted to be an artist and, throughout her life, she was very interested in working in the theatre. Certainly, in New Zealand, she was much better known for her theatre work and not her writing. Meanwhile, this biography constantly outlines both the plots of many of her mysteries (I have only read a couple, so if you haven’t read her work before, be warned that this book contains constant spoilers), and also continually tells you what the other ‘Queens of Crime,’ were doing at the same time that Marsh was working on something. While it was good to have their work put in context, I did fell that this was too fact based. However, we could really have done with some facts in the rest of the book…
The other really big issue with this book was that Ngaio Marsh was a very, very private person. This is, of course, fair enough and I understand that this was her obviously her right. It is, though, a problem when you are reading the story of someone’s life and the author doesn’t even really speculate based on the evidence. So, we hear she was fond of a young man who died in WWI, but would she have married him? Were her female friends companions, or lovers? Having finished this book, I don’t really feel I know anything more about Marsh, than I did at the beginning, really. There are some facts – but no real depth. I cannot really recommend this and did not really find it particularly interesting, or enjoyable. Saying that, I do look forward to discovering more of Ngaio Marsh’s mysteries next year.
The book begins well, with the author in London , buying some notebooks, a pencil and sharpener and sitting down to write her first mystery. She wanted to create a believable, professional policeman and did so in Roderick Alleyn and the start of this biography sets the scene well. However, there are issues with this biography and these also involves the way that Ngaio Marsh, and many in her native New Zealand, saw the writing of detective fiction. For, although Marsh spend much of her life shuttling between New Zealand and England, and obviously felt at home in both countries; while her writing career took off, something that was so valued in England was obviously viewed as something as an embarrassment in her native country.
When she was young, Marsh wanted to be an artist and, throughout her life, she was very interested in working in the theatre. Certainly, in New Zealand, she was much better known for her theatre work and not her writing. Meanwhile, this biography constantly outlines both the plots of many of her mysteries (I have only read a couple, so if you haven’t read her work before, be warned that this book contains constant spoilers), and also continually tells you what the other ‘Queens of Crime,’ were doing at the same time that Marsh was working on something. While it was good to have their work put in context, I did fell that this was too fact based. However, we could really have done with some facts in the rest of the book…
The other really big issue with this book was that Ngaio Marsh was a very, very private person. This is, of course, fair enough and I understand that this was her obviously her right. It is, though, a problem when you are reading the story of someone’s life and the author doesn’t even really speculate based on the evidence. So, we hear she was fond of a young man who died in WWI, but would she have married him? Were her female friends companions, or lovers? Having finished this book, I don’t really feel I know anything more about Marsh, than I did at the beginning, really. There are some facts – but no real depth. I cannot really recommend this and did not really find it particularly interesting, or enjoyable. Saying that, I do look forward to discovering more of Ngaio Marsh’s mysteries next year.
May 10, 2018
This is a perfect biography for anyone unfamiliar with the life or novels of Ngaio Marsh. It is ideal for anyone who is unfamiliar with the 32 crime novels that she wrote, as it both summarises the plots but also looks for people and places who served as inspiration for the novels.
You come away from Joanne Drayton's book with a strong sense that Ngaio Marsh was humble but at the same time tremendously talented. She was generous and incredibly hard working. Just reading about the amount of work she put into casting and directing plays, tutoring and encouraging the young actors, and then writing her novels, doing interviews and radio broadcasts, attending events and writing plays, you feel tired and shamed about your own lack of stamina.
Drayton has dug up many of the original book reviews from New Zealand, London and New York, and these lend a good deal of contemporary flavour to the survey of Marsh's long life and her own feelings about what she was writing.
Although Marsh wrote her autobiography 'Black Beech and Honeydew' in 1966, there is little about her personal life or her inner feelings. Some of her closest friends were left out of this book altogether and late in life she watched over the burning of her personal papers, photographs and memorabilia. When she left Christchurch for London, often away for months or years, she would lease out her house to friends or acquaintances and clear it of her cherished possessions. This probably also saw the destruction of material that might have given us a clearer picture of this remarkable woman.
You come away from Joanne Drayton's book with a strong sense that Ngaio Marsh was humble but at the same time tremendously talented. She was generous and incredibly hard working. Just reading about the amount of work she put into casting and directing plays, tutoring and encouraging the young actors, and then writing her novels, doing interviews and radio broadcasts, attending events and writing plays, you feel tired and shamed about your own lack of stamina.
Drayton has dug up many of the original book reviews from New Zealand, London and New York, and these lend a good deal of contemporary flavour to the survey of Marsh's long life and her own feelings about what she was writing.
Although Marsh wrote her autobiography 'Black Beech and Honeydew' in 1966, there is little about her personal life or her inner feelings. Some of her closest friends were left out of this book altogether and late in life she watched over the burning of her personal papers, photographs and memorabilia. When she left Christchurch for London, often away for months or years, she would lease out her house to friends or acquaintances and clear it of her cherished possessions. This probably also saw the destruction of material that might have given us a clearer picture of this remarkable woman.
Did Not Finish
November 25, 2019Was kind of losing interest ... and then came across a mention of "Lord Wimsey". Meaning Peter. Byeeee.
March 30, 2014
While this was doing interesting structural things for a biography - getting away from the linear life narrative - I'm not sure it entirely worked for me. It was good on the complexities of Marsh's emotional life and her friendship circles but I wish there'd been a little more about how these played out, or rather, didn't, in her fiction. Also, and this may be common to books on the Golden Age Queens of Crime, talks about her in relationship to the other three, whereas, possibly, in context, there were other significant figures in the field who have not survived so well into posterity? Perhaps they were all 4 writing in response to certain kinds of the mystery-as-intricate-puzzle (the sort of railway-timetable and ticket thing that Sayers did in Five Red Herrings, just to prove she could), but perhaps not.
Did Not Finish
September 17, 2011The first sentence is: "The rain beat incessantly against the window".
Well, at least it's not "It was a dark and stormy night".
Well, at least it's not "It was a dark and stormy night".
July 6, 2023
An extremely good biography with the major focus being on Marsh's work in the theatre as actor, writer, producer and primarily director. Quite fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2020
Having read this author's biography of the decidedly more controversial (and still living) Anne Perry, I decided to see what she had made of this other notable New Zealand detective author. And I enjoyed it very much.
Drayton was anticipated by Marsh's own autobiography, Black Beech and Honeydew (1966, rev. 1981), which I have not read. It seems, though, that Marsh herself was unhappy with it: it was "not the book I hoped it would be. I have been defeated by my own reticence." While it was rich in description of her childhood, she described very little of her adult personal life, mentioning little or nothing of the people she was close to. Contemporary reviewers (and also current ones) also complain that she did not write enough about her detective fiction.
This biography in many ways sets about to fill those gaps. In addition to reading Marsh's own works (not just the novels but the travel literature, etc.), and also working in depth with manuscripts and original letters, Drayton conducted 21 in-person interviews with surviving friends and contemporaries, or their families, in 2007-8. The result is, I think, a sympathetic and evidence-based account of a woman who strove mightily (and managed, it seems) to balance the two great driving forces in her career - theatre and detective fiction. If there is still relatively little of the most private Ngaio Marsh on display here, at least one can make the case that the private life was subordinated to an overwhelmingly busy public life! Moreover, the frequent citations from her voluminous correspondence really do give a good taste of her informal voice. The novels, especially the early ones, are discussed at length, not with redundant summaries, but in order to bring in interesting facts, or mention particular topics that have occupied the critics (how much of dark, feisty painter Agatha Troy is based on dark, feisty would-be painter Ngaio Marsh, for instance).
The biography has full apparatus of bibliography and notes, and an interesting insert of photographs, including many from Marsh's theatrical ventures, as well as one of her meeting with Agatha Christie in 1962.
Recommended for fans of golden age mysteries who enjoy a bit of context.
Drayton was anticipated by Marsh's own autobiography, Black Beech and Honeydew (1966, rev. 1981), which I have not read. It seems, though, that Marsh herself was unhappy with it: it was "not the book I hoped it would be. I have been defeated by my own reticence." While it was rich in description of her childhood, she described very little of her adult personal life, mentioning little or nothing of the people she was close to. Contemporary reviewers (and also current ones) also complain that she did not write enough about her detective fiction.
This biography in many ways sets about to fill those gaps. In addition to reading Marsh's own works (not just the novels but the travel literature, etc.), and also working in depth with manuscripts and original letters, Drayton conducted 21 in-person interviews with surviving friends and contemporaries, or their families, in 2007-8. The result is, I think, a sympathetic and evidence-based account of a woman who strove mightily (and managed, it seems) to balance the two great driving forces in her career - theatre and detective fiction. If there is still relatively little of the most private Ngaio Marsh on display here, at least one can make the case that the private life was subordinated to an overwhelmingly busy public life! Moreover, the frequent citations from her voluminous correspondence really do give a good taste of her informal voice. The novels, especially the early ones, are discussed at length, not with redundant summaries, but in order to bring in interesting facts, or mention particular topics that have occupied the critics (how much of dark, feisty painter Agatha Troy is based on dark, feisty would-be painter Ngaio Marsh, for instance).
The biography has full apparatus of bibliography and notes, and an interesting insert of photographs, including many from Marsh's theatrical ventures, as well as one of her meeting with Agatha Christie in 1962.
Recommended for fans of golden age mysteries who enjoy a bit of context.
June 25, 2011
I have read quite a number of Ngaio Marsh novels, although not all - I feel glad I still have many of them to look forward to. But as a fan of what Joanne Drayton calls the "Golden Age" of crime fiction - ie Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margary Allingham et al - I couldn't resist this biography.
Ngaio Marsh was a very private woman, and during her lifetime, kept her private life very private, destroying her own correspondence. Joanne Drayton makes some speculations about Ngaio's private life, as Ngaio had some very close friendships over many years with several women, and wore mannish" clothes. However this is only a minor strand to this interesting biography.
Ngaio Marsh became a driving force in the theatre of New Zealand during the mid 20th century. Her love of both theatre and her "teckery" writing, and her love of both NZ and England, meant she was often being pulled into two directions. It also meant she worked astonishingly hard - even into quite old age. Joanne Drayton allows to learn about Ngaio Marsh the dramatist and director, and Ngaio Marsh the detective writer, however Ngaio Marsh the woman, despite some tantalising glimpses remains something of an enigma.
Ngaio Marsh was a very private woman, and during her lifetime, kept her private life very private, destroying her own correspondence. Joanne Drayton makes some speculations about Ngaio's private life, as Ngaio had some very close friendships over many years with several women, and wore mannish" clothes. However this is only a minor strand to this interesting biography.
Ngaio Marsh became a driving force in the theatre of New Zealand during the mid 20th century. Her love of both theatre and her "teckery" writing, and her love of both NZ and England, meant she was often being pulled into two directions. It also meant she worked astonishingly hard - even into quite old age. Joanne Drayton allows to learn about Ngaio Marsh the dramatist and director, and Ngaio Marsh the detective writer, however Ngaio Marsh the woman, despite some tantalising glimpses remains something of an enigma.
March 29, 2014
Although - as the author points out several times - it is impossible for any biographer to produce much factual evidence of Marsh's private life and intimate relationships, as Marsh herself destroyed much of her correspondence and never spoke or wrote publicly on the subject - "Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime" does an excellent job of exploring Marsh through her work, highlighting her strengths, her faults, and the apparent contradictions that define her, like her adoration for London ("Home") and Anglo-centric views, which sat side-by-side with her deep love for New Zealand and desire to see the growth of a New Zealand cultural identity.
In fact, while the book does give a good amount of information on the young Ngaio, and her life before she became a Queen of Crime and a major force in New Zealand's theatre world, its interest really lies in two areas: firstly, how her own life, interests and experiences informed her Inspector Alleyn mysteries; and secondly how she helped to influence and shape Christchurch's performing arts and several generations of New Zealand actors.
In fact, while the book does give a good amount of information on the young Ngaio, and her life before she became a Queen of Crime and a major force in New Zealand's theatre world, its interest really lies in two areas: firstly, how her own life, interests and experiences informed her Inspector Alleyn mysteries; and secondly how she helped to influence and shape Christchurch's performing arts and several generations of New Zealand actors.
April 13, 2012
Great bio. I admit I wasn't as interested in her theatre work as in her crime writing, but this was a well-written, engaging biography that tried to give as much detail about the life of a woman who was obviously extremely private (to the point of burning correspondence with close friends). It has made me want to re-read her work - off to Unity Books in Wellington to buy some!
October 16, 2015
A good book about an amazing woman.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews