We have reached our fourth and final “Queen of Crime,” the New Zealander Ngaio (Ny-oh) Marsh. She stands out as the only one of the four whose first book was the first I read.
She begins her Inspector Alleyn series with A Man Lay Dead. It’s a typical country manor murder. An interesting mixture of characters gather in a fancy house, relationship dynamics develop, tensions rise, the titular man is found dead, the detective enters, etc.
Marsh does a great job with her characters. The plot is well done; I didn’t see the ending coming. I will absolutely be reading more in the series. Yet, she is my least favorite “queen.” Or maybe I should say her detective is the least intriguing, for she is an excellent writer. Inspector Alleyn is likable and charming, but he doesn’t have the same quirks and strength of personality that Poirot, Wimsey, and Campion have. Maybe I should take this as a sign that I have a few more quirks than are strictly necessary myself! I do enjoy Alleyn’s subtle sense of humor, though, and it is an interesting change to have a police detective as the hero.
I don’t want to go into too much detail, but suffice it to say, the ending wasn’t everything I’d hoped for. As I said above, I didn’t see it coming. However, I feel I should have. Not for the reason of an ingeniously placed clue that I overlooked—a la Christie—but because the culprit and motive were somewhat obvious and pedestrian in retrospect. Then again, most of our beloved detectives would hasten to remind us that things are often simpler than they appear.
What makes this book stand out to me is its secondary protagonist. Before Alleyn enters the picture, the viewpoint character is Nigel Bathgate. Besides enjoying the fact that he had the most British name on earth, I quickly became interested in this character. He proves an able “Watson” in this novel. Like Watson, Nigel is smart and willing, but a little more relatable than the detective. I enjoyed seeing Nigel react to the events of the story, especially since it involved a family member. I also enjoyed watching his romance with another character develop. Nigel Bathgate came alive better than Alleyn for me. The book left me wanting to hear more about him. I am glad to see that Nigel features in many of the Alleyn books.
A Few Random Observations
Marsh seems very fond of the phrase “on tenterhooks.” I believe she uses it at least three times in this book.
As I write these reviews, I realize that this book and The Crime at Black Dudley, by Margery Allingham, have similar premises. An unlikely group of people is invited to a party at a country estate. A valuable antique dagger is introduced, then a game is played which results in a murder using the dagger. Both books even deal with secretive groups involved in foreign intrigue! It is a testament to the greats of mystery that they can make such a formulaic genre provide a variety of stories and endings.
Conclusion
All in all, though Marsh ranks at the bottom of my personal hierarchy of the “Queens,” I’d heartily recommend this book. It is straightforward enough to be accessible to those just getting started with British mysteries, yet unique enough to add something to the repertoire of a seasoned fan. I look forward to reading more Inspector Alleyn books to see if my opinions change.
I hope you’ve all enjoyed my thoughts regarding the Queens of Crime. Rest assured; we haven’t heard the last of them. I hope to review more of their books and possibly film adaptations. So if you’re a British mystery buff, stick around.
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