Please convince me that Ngaio Marsh isn't awful: a plea

[Patrick Gore]

Originally Posted by Keith
Does anyone agree with me that Ngaio Marsh is much overrated and doesnt really play fair as there are almost no clues given to the reader.And she uses the same plot device again and again whereby the first obvious suspect is exonerated only to be found the murderer at the end of the book.Death in a White Tie is an exception and is an all-time favourite of mine but too many of the rest are just interrogation to establish where people were etc.
Also the murders do not generally occur until halfway through the book.I like mine done in the first couple of chapters otherwise Idont feel the book has really started until the first body turns up.

Per Keith's advice (in another, non-Marsh thread) I just read Death in a White Tie. Well, Keith's criticism of other Marshes -- that the murder happens late in the game -- in fact applies to this one. When the murder happens late you need an interesting cast of characters, an interesting setting, or something to sustain interest other than the promise of a murder. This one didn't have that. (Also, Alleyn shouting "Wonder of the world!" when Agatha Troy says she loves him was pretty damn cheesy.)

Here are the Marshes I've read:
A Man Lay Dead
Enter a Murderer
Death in a White Tie
Final Curtain
False Scent

In my opinion, except for Final Curtain, each of these featured uninteresting characters involved in an uninteresting crime, solved by a tedious investigation carried out by an uninteresting detective. (In addition to these faults, False Scent features a stupid, laughable murder method.)

I should qualify this to say that Enter a Murderer at least features an interesting crime, but the solution is too transparent.

Since (as Keith rightly points out) there are few clues, there isn't really the pleasure of working out the puzzle. At least in the Queen novels, for example, which have very poor characterization and motivation in my opinion, there's always the compensation of solving the riddle.

So I've yet to read a Marsh I liked (if you except Final Curtain, but that was fifteen years ago and I would need to reread it to make sure that it wasn't a case of youthful enthusiasm).

I'm giving Marsh one last chance to prove to me that she indeed deserves to have Christie compared to her or whatever it is the New York magazine said. Any suggestions from Marsh fans? I was thinking Night at the Vulcan, since allegedly she's at her best in theatrical milieux.

PG

[Bastian]

Death at the Bar, Overture to Death and Colour Scheme are good. Death of a Peer/ Surfeit of Lampreys also worth reading.

[Bastian]

My favorite Marsh book is Death at the Bar, i recommended that book to 4 friends, and they were not dissapointed

[Patrick Gore]

I have stayed away from Bar because I was tipped off that the solution is very close to a certain early Marsh I already read. But I'll give it a shot.

But I have heard from many people that Surfeit of Lampreys is a big snore!

PS: Dave, any chance of moving this thread to the new Ngaio Marsh forum?

[Bastian]

Well......i have found none of Ngaio Marsh is really exciting. But she is not an awful writer either, i can say that her books are enjoyable.(there are some to avoid though like Scales of Justice or Spinsters in Jeopardy).

And another thing about Marsh for me is......i found the English in her books is more difficult than many other English writer (especially in Light Thickens). I'm from Indonesia, English is my 4th language, i speak Indonesian and another 2 local/ethnic languages. So maybe its just me who find it difficult.......

BTW, for Golden Age Mysteris i only read Christie, Marsh, Sayers, Tey and Wilkie Collins. I'm more a fan of modern mysteries especially Ruth Rendell.

cheers
Bastian