Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Death of a Peer

I've seen some of the Inspector Alleyn Mystery episodes, but I don't recall having read any of Ngaio Marsh's books. Death of a Peer was an interesting read. I liked the way the characters were introduced and developed -we first see Alleyn towards the end of Chapter 7. The plot moves along nicely with some twists and turns and a bit of witchcraft to add an eerie tone. Alleyn is strictly a down-to-earth detective and cuts to the heart of the matter with ease.

from the back of the book:

The Lampreys were a charming, eccentric, happy-go-lucky family, teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Until the gruesome murder of their uncle-an unpleasant Marquis, who met his untimely death while leaving the Lamprey flat-left them with a fortune. Now it's up to Inspector Roderick Alleyn to sift through the alibis to discover which Lamprey hides a ruthless killer behind an amiable facade...


Death of a Peer is on the list of 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century as selected by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association's online members.

2 comments:

  1. The suave Inspector Alleyn was always one of my favourites. Right up there with Morse and Sherlock in fact. Ed - The Music Man

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  2. I got to know Alleyn and Morse from their tv shows, so when I read the books I always picture them as they appeared on screen. I wonder how I would picture them if my first exposure had been from the books.

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