Vintage Murder Audiobook (Unabridged)

" I was glad there was a listing of characters in the front of the book as I kept forgetting who was who. "

" Set in New Zealand in a fictional city in the central North Island. Some of the attitudes are jarring with 21st century eyes but I suspect were true of the time period. "

" This was above average Marsh. Inspector Alleyn is on vacation, following a sick leave from Scotland Yard, it's hinted that he had a surgery of some sort. New Zealand is the place, Marsh knows it pretty well since it's her country where a Theater Company on tour finds itself with a huge problem. The Company's manager dies after getting bashed on the head with a vintage champagne bottle. Alleyn tries to play it safe and not interfere with the local investigation but once a detective always a detective. The plot is entertaining, I found myself questioning Alleyn's camaraderie with the Maori doctor (my slash glasses were on I guess). Overall a nice mystery that you can't solve even if you try very hard because there are a few things the reader is never told. But I find that I don't really read Marsh for the mystery but more for the interaction of the characters. Yes, the plot has to make some sense but I don't need it to be all that fancy to please me. "

" Another fine mystery from Ngaio Marsh proves why she is one on the greatest mystery writers. "

" Another great Inspector Alleyn mystery. I think I'll have to read some more. This one took place in New Zealand behind the scenes of a traveling comedy company whose producer was murdered. "

" My favorite Marsh titles are the ones, like this, with a theatre setting. "

" I recommend this book not because of its merits as a work of mystery fiction (although it certainly meets the mark!), but because of the lovely colours of New Zillund and the Maori. (Also, I've never been too keen on M. Bathgate and he's conveniently left out in this book.) "

" The plot and the story were good but far too much time was spent with who was where and when as well as with whom. "

" read by James Saxon. I didn't like his voice. "

" No one was cleverer at finding creative ways to kill her victims than Dame Ngaio. "

" A book that will please fans of the puzzle mystery, with some of that witty Golden Era dialogue, but the best part is Marsh's descriptions of the New Zealand countryside. "

" Well plotted, although the characterizations leading up to the murder drag on. Once the detective shows up, the book brightens. Good reads. "

" She knows her settings, but she's far better at describing New Zealand than the mechanism of the murder weapon or the arrangement of the theatre. Even with diagrams I was lost. "

" Another interesting mystery, made good not by the mystery itself but by Marsh's laudable, if less consistent than I'd like, ability to sketch characters, attitudes and society's ills and graces. "

" Ngaio Marsh, A New Zealander, I understand is One of the "Great Ladies" of the English mystery's golden age, including Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers. First taste of her book, relaxed reading, old school deductive novel "

" Vintage Murder (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) by Ngaio Marsh (1999) "

" One of the better. 3.5. "

" I enjoyed this very much. Love Ngaio Marsh's descriptive powers. You can tell how much she loved her native country of New Zealand. "

" I just never could get really involved in this book. I like Marsh, but this one seemed detached and odd, and the racist undercurrents at a few places were ugly. "

" One of her many books set in Australia/New Zealand - get a bit of tourism in while solving a crime. "

" Quite enjoyable, although there were possibly a few too many characters to keep track of. Nice detail about the theatre, where the murder took place. Evocative details about New Zealand. "

" This was great! I'm very happy to have found a new old mystery writer. "

" Ngaio Marsh is a wonderful writer and while it was not written as historical fiction it certainly is considered that now. Not one of my favorites but very good. "

" I always enjoy her mysteries of murder. "

" I've tried to read her multiple times but I just can't get into her novels. "

" It was ok. Nothing special. The murderer is pretty obvious from the beginning so there-s no real mystery. "

" Read over the course of a Sunday afternoon/evening. I find myself enjoying Marsh's Alleyn more and more. He has the wit of Poirot without the oddities. Nice way to spend a fall afternoon. "

" The language and attitudes of this book are very period and I found that off-putting for a while. The stage detail was well done and the actor characterizations sharp. I guessed the killer at the beginning but this is one of the Dames - good to get educated in the classics. "

" This book by Ngaio Marsh, a classic mystery writer, is about a murder during a play at the Unicorn Theater in London. This book is very suspenseful, and has some action scenes. I believe this book needs more action, but it is still a book i like, and i would recommend to mystery fans. "

" similar in style to Agatha Christie....my favorite type of British mystery! "

" An improvement on the first Marsh -- she clearly flexes herself more freely in the world of theatre than that of upper class house parties. She exchanges drug fiends for Russian subversives -- which makes the plot slightly less silly. Unfortunately we still have to put up with Nigel Bathgate. "

" Excellent, although not my favorite of the ones set in a theater. "