Off With His Head / Singing in the Shrouds / False Scent: Book 7 (The Ngaio Marsh Collection)

great as always

I love every one of Ngaio Marsh's 32 Inspector Alleyn mysteries. But I especially like the ones that have to do with the backstage murders. Marsh, as a young woman left New Zealand for London to become an actress, so although you can tell that the subject of each of her books has been thoroughly researched, there is an authenticity to the theater mysteries. False Scent is one of her last books. And while it all takes place in the grand home of an aging actress, it still provides plenty of suspects. Singing in the Shrouds is a complicated plot. Alleyn comes in sooner than he usually does and is without Fox and the rest of the staff, trying to find a serial killer. Marsh traveled a great deal between London and her home country, New Zealand. So her boat novels are always very believable. Reading her boat mysteries is like taking a real vacation, although with a murderer on board. Off with his Head is about a family troupe of blacksmiths that keep a traditional medieval dance alive each December. Like Sayers' The Nine Tailors, there is more info in this novel than you need about something you know nothing about. However, the great thing about Marsh is that she can create scenery in a few sentences and you can picture it all without plowing through paragraphs. She can create characters that are so distinct from one another that you never have to go back to the list of characters asking yourself 'now who is that again', even though there might be fifteen or twenty of them. You meet a character once and you know them. Everyone acts suspiciously so that once you have decided on the culprit someone else distracts you with what has come to light about them. Her plots are complicated and surprising and sometimes very unique. Every clue in the 'reveal' makes sense even if you missed it when it was scooting past you. If you have not read any of these mysteries, I envy you coming to these books for the first time. By the way, there is a British TV series of Inspector Alleyn, starring Patrick Malahide, which was done in the 90's. There are only eight movies but they did one of my favorites, Death in a White Tie, with great actors, sets and costumes. And I love the actress that plays Agatha Troy. Brer Fox is also an excellent actor - exactly as I pictured him in the book. Worth a look. The two series are listed here on amazon - of course.

As I usually find that I've read at least one of the stories in the 'collection' series I feel I'm getting 2 for 3, but these were all new to me-and none disappointed. All three were up to the author's usual high standard. Although 'Off With His Head' was a bit gory, I couldn't put it down. 'Singing in the Shrouds' was quite sinister at times, and I felt a real sense of menace while reading it, 'False Scent' was much more frothy on first sight but had a real sting in tail. I have been a fan of Miss Marsh's for years- and while her novels are mostly set among the upper classes and maybe considered 'passe' in some quarters- I have always enjoyed them, and find they are a great bedtime read. The Ngaio Marsh Collection (7) - Off With His Head / Singing in the Shrouds / False ScentThe Ngaio Marsh Collection (7) - Off With His Head / Singing in the Shrouds / False Scent

Ngaio Marsh delivers every time! I have read the complete canon, and every one is a gem!

I first read her books years ago and then they seemed to disappear from the shelves of the library and the shops.It was a pity as I place her up with Agatha Christie.I have only just started to read them, and they are as good as I remember. This box set on kindle is excellent value.If you like Agatha Christie you should love