Publication
New York : Felony & Mayhem Press, 2011.
Collection
Call number
Fiction M
Physical description
224 p.; 21 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: For one unfortunate British politician, murder is the worst medicine: "An ingenious, logical, and sparkling tale." �??The New York Times For Member of Parliament Sir Derek O'Callaghan, a simple visit to the hospital proves fatal. But as Inspector Alleyn will discover, any number of people had reason to help the gentleman to his just reward, including a sour surgeon, a besotted nurse, a resentful wife, and a cabinet full of political rivals, in this classic of detection by the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. "A peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery." �??Kirkus Reviews "It's time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." �??New York Magazine
Series
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Sir Derek O'Callaghan is in the middle of pushing through an important bill when he becomes ill with appendicitis. The surgery appears to be a success, but he dies soon after.
It sounds like an accident, but his widow is convinced that his enemies got him. The police aren't convinced - until the
Inspector Alleyn is on the job. I really enjoyed this one and was stumped as to how it was done. Fox was also in this one, and I like him.
CMB
It sounds like an accident, but his widow is convinced that his enemies got him. The police aren't convinced - until the
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post-mortem. And after they begin to invesigate, they find no shortage of enemies to choose from. Inspector Alleyn is on the job. I really enjoyed this one and was stumped as to how it was done. Fox was also in this one, and I like him.
CMB
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
I felt a little let down at the solution of this one. Not sure why. Not exactly blind-sided, I don't think the author was unfair. Perhaps I wanted more drama.
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
Another early book, published after Enter a Murderer, because it refers us back to this book as well as to A Man Lay Dead, which now I must try to find & read. Nigel Bathgate and Angela North play a big port in this story about Home Secretary being murdered during an emergency appendectomy. It is
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amazing how many people in that operating room had motives to kill him. Is it personal, the surgeon whose nurse whom he loves has been seduced and discarded by the HS, or the nurse herself, or is it political the Communist assisting nurse whose rejoices when he dies. Or can there be another motive as yet not discovered? Bathgate and North get to attend a Communist rally with Alleyn in search of clues. It was an interesting picture of the Communist movement in England in the 1930’s. From the references in the book I think A Man Lay Dead also deals with this situation. Show Less
LibraryThing member FMRox
Enjoyable dive into Ngaio Marsh. First read of her novels. Less stuffy than Christie's characters. A reasonable shorter classic mystery police procedural. I don't feel I know the main protagonist very well, Inspector Alleyn but I definitely will read another Marsh to see about him. The pot was
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complicated enough with many players. However, Marsh did a fine job keeping the characters described so you did not forget who is who. Show Less
LibraryThing member SimB
Nice period piece. Set in London in the 1930s. The home secretary, Sir Derek O'Callaghan is admitted urgently to hospital with an acute abdominal emergency, shortly after introducing a controversial bill aimed at limiting the influence of the communist party. At operation he is found to have
After a few red herrings, Detective Alleyn cracks the case.
First published in 1935 the book has a a great period feel to it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the theatre, the surgical and nursing procedures, the anaesthesia, and the "gentlemanly" investigation.
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peritionitis, and dies shortly afterwards. The death is attributed to the disease, but his wife insistes on a post mortem, and it is found that he had a fatal dose of hyoscine in his body. Several of the team at the operation have a motive to kill Sir Derek. The surgeon, Sir John Phillips, has recently learnt that his romantic interest, Nurse Jane Harden, had been seduced and abandonded by his former friend, Sir Derek. Jane is also at the operation. Also there is Nurse Banks, an unabashed communist sympathiser, who regards Sir Derek as an enemy, and gloats at his death. The anaesthetist, Dr Roberts, is an enthusiastic supporter of eugenics, and is aware that Sir Derek's father was mentally infirm. Dr Thoms, the surgical assistant is somewhat of a buffon, and would appear to have no motive, but a timeline reenactment finds that he was alone in the theatre with the patient at one point. On the sidelines is Sir Derek's sister, the eccentric Ruth Callaghan who is a believer in the powers of patent medicine. Her supplier of these medicines is a pharmacist, Sage, who is a communist supporter. It is discovered that Sir Derek may have consumed one of these medicines shortly before the operation.After a few red herrings, Detective Alleyn cracks the case.
First published in 1935 the book has a a great period feel to it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the theatre, the surgical and nursing procedures, the anaesthesia, and the "gentlemanly" investigation.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
Really this deserves 4 1/2 stars... Good fast-paced plot with plenty of twists. Stands up well to rereading too.
LibraryThing member smik
This is #3 in Ngaio Marsh's titles, and the dust cover says that it continues to be one of her most popular novels, and has outstripped all of her other novels in sales.
First published in 1935, it is the pre-cursor to those Robin Cook-style medical murder mysteries. I didn't think there was
The setting is mainly the operating theatre of a small hospital (not the narrow meaning that nursing home has come to mean today).
Roderick Alleyn has two sounding boards for his theories - his assistant Inspector Fox, and his journalist friend Nigel Bathgate.
The victim is the Home Secretary sufferring from appendicitis and perotonitis, who collapses in Parliament when introducing a controversial Bill related to terrorists and anarchists. (this will have a familiar ring for modern readers although set nearly 80years ago). The appendix is removed successfully but the patient never comes around after the operation. When an autopsy reveals that Derek O'Callaghan has been poisoned, the plot revolves around whether his murder is related to the opponents of his Bill, personal problems relating to an affair, or even side effects of pain relief administered by his doting sister. The plot keeps the reader guessing right until the end.
First published in 1935, it is the pre-cursor to those Robin Cook-style medical murder mysteries. I didn't think there was
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anything dated about the writing or the plot.The setting is mainly the operating theatre of a small hospital (not the narrow meaning that nursing home has come to mean today).
Roderick Alleyn has two sounding boards for his theories - his assistant Inspector Fox, and his journalist friend Nigel Bathgate.
The victim is the Home Secretary sufferring from appendicitis and perotonitis, who collapses in Parliament when introducing a controversial Bill related to terrorists and anarchists. (this will have a familiar ring for modern readers although set nearly 80years ago). The appendix is removed successfully but the patient never comes around after the operation. When an autopsy reveals that Derek O'Callaghan has been poisoned, the plot revolves around whether his murder is related to the opponents of his Bill, personal problems relating to an affair, or even side effects of pain relief administered by his doting sister. The plot keeps the reader guessing right until the end.
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LibraryThing member debf56
I have been a big fan of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was looking for a British author that would write just like them. Though Ngaio Marsh is somewhat like them she has her own flare and style but is enough like them that she didn't disappoint me in my love of British
The Nursing Home Murder An Inspector Alleyn mystery is the first of Ngaio Marsh's books that I have read but it won't be the last. It is a good mystery that has many viable suspects, some interesting motives and a few surprises.
When Britain's Home Secretary collapses and is rushed to the hospital who knew he would never leave. Inspector Alleyn has to find who has done the Secretary in and how and why he met his demise. He has his work cut out for him when he finds several in the operating room had reasons for wanting the Secretaries death.
From a spurned lover, to anarchists, to the Secretaries wife and sister and others who might want him dead, Marsh keeps you guessing right along with Inspector Alleyn on who is the murderer and in trying to solve this murder. I found at times the book was a little tedious and could have moved faster but overall it was good. I thought the ending was a little anticlimactic but it is still worth the read.
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mysteries.The Nursing Home Murder An Inspector Alleyn mystery is the first of Ngaio Marsh's books that I have read but it won't be the last. It is a good mystery that has many viable suspects, some interesting motives and a few surprises.
When Britain's Home Secretary collapses and is rushed to the hospital who knew he would never leave. Inspector Alleyn has to find who has done the Secretary in and how and why he met his demise. He has his work cut out for him when he finds several in the operating room had reasons for wanting the Secretaries death.
From a spurned lover, to anarchists, to the Secretaries wife and sister and others who might want him dead, Marsh keeps you guessing right along with Inspector Alleyn on who is the murderer and in trying to solve this murder. I found at times the book was a little tedious and could have moved faster but overall it was good. I thought the ending was a little anticlimactic but it is still worth the read.
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LibraryThing member wdwilson3
Continuing my sequential read of Marsh, she's hit upon what is a very early example of a police procedural. For which, bravo, but for bringing in eugenics, "hereditary insanity" and Bolshevism, boo. And then there's that consistent endangering of Alleyn's civilian buddies. Another demerit for the
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most uses of "rum" as an adjective in mystery history. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh is part of the Inspector Roderick Alleyn series and this one is an interesting whodunit where the murder occurs in an operating theatre. When Britain’s Home Secretary Derek O’Callaghan dies shortly after an emergency appendicitis operation, no-one suspects
Chief Inspector Alleyn is called and finds that very nearly everyone in the operating room had a reason to kill O’Callaghan, one nurse was his ex-lover, the surgeon was in love with the nurse and furious with O’Callaghan for his casual use of her, the second nurse is a Communist sympathizer who believed O’Callaghan and his government was ruining the country. Also in consideration are his icy cold wife and his rather pushy, naive sister.
Lots of suspects, lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveal that occurs during a re-enactment of the operation. I enjoyed this mystery during the reading but I suspect it won’t long be remembered.
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foul play at first. It is only after his wife insists that someone killed him that an autopsy is performed and indicates that the Home Secretary was poisoned by a high level of a drug that was used during the operation but supposedly in extremely slight amounts. Chief Inspector Alleyn is called and finds that very nearly everyone in the operating room had a reason to kill O’Callaghan, one nurse was his ex-lover, the surgeon was in love with the nurse and furious with O’Callaghan for his casual use of her, the second nurse is a Communist sympathizer who believed O’Callaghan and his government was ruining the country. Also in consideration are his icy cold wife and his rather pushy, naive sister.
Lots of suspects, lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing right up to the final reveal that occurs during a re-enactment of the operation. I enjoyed this mystery during the reading but I suspect it won’t long be remembered.
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LibraryThing member nmhale
In this Inspector Alleyn mystery, a politician dies while undergoing an emergency medical procedure, but his wife insists it was murder. When the post-mortem confirms her belief, Alleyn is called in to sort through the political and personal entanglements that may have brought about his death.
I would say this is a fun and quick mystery, and a fast read, but not my favorite Inspector Alleyn mystery. Sir Derek is not a likable character. The first fifth of the novel focuses on this rather unpleasant man and his political machinations, followed by a lot of medical jargon in the operating room, and while it may add realism, it wasn't that gripping. The story picks up after he's killed (a morbid thing to write, but this is a murder mystery, so it's what I was waiting for), and Alleyn comes on the scene. We were finally into the meat of the mystery investigation and that was better, even if the anti-communism intensity was not as interesting as the parts that focused on personal relationships. The ending was an unexpected twist that was surprising yet justified. And I do enjoy the regular characters that peopled these pages, such as Alleyn, Fox, Nigel, and Angela. Overall, a satisfying mystery experience, but there are other stories by the same author that held more suspense and excitement for me.
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Alleyn has no shortage of suspects to review. Sir Derek O'Callaghan was in the process of pushing forward a bill to curtail communist activities, and the people associated with that political group are not happy. However, Alleyn believes the motive may have been a much more personal affair. The head surgeon, Sir John Phillips, was a former friend of Sir Derek that was nursing a bitter grievance against him. Sir Derek had had an affair with the woman Sir John loved, Jane Harden, and dropped her. Jane also happened to be a nurse working the operation that took Sir Derek's life. Other suspects include the other doctors and nurses in attendance that day, and his well-meaning sister who thought her experimental drugs would be the cure. Alleyn interviews the suspects, gathers clues, and disguises himself to drop in on secret political meetings. In the end he catches the culprit, and the motive is more surprising than all the red herrings suggested.I would say this is a fun and quick mystery, and a fast read, but not my favorite Inspector Alleyn mystery. Sir Derek is not a likable character. The first fifth of the novel focuses on this rather unpleasant man and his political machinations, followed by a lot of medical jargon in the operating room, and while it may add realism, it wasn't that gripping. The story picks up after he's killed (a morbid thing to write, but this is a murder mystery, so it's what I was waiting for), and Alleyn comes on the scene. We were finally into the meat of the mystery investigation and that was better, even if the anti-communism intensity was not as interesting as the parts that focused on personal relationships. The ending was an unexpected twist that was surprising yet justified. And I do enjoy the regular characters that peopled these pages, such as Alleyn, Fox, Nigel, and Angela. Overall, a satisfying mystery experience, but there are other stories by the same author that held more suspense and excitement for me.
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LibraryThing member Figgles
A double helping of Ngaio Marsh linked by poisoning!
The Nursing Home murder is the third Alleyn book and again features Nigel Bathgate as Alleyn's Boswell. A rather nicely put together mystery with plenty of red herrings but again Alleyn hasn't quite taken shape as the much loved character of the
Final Curtain is the fourteenth book in the series and the characters of Alleyn, Troy and Fox are much more realised. Unfortunately the suspects are a little less well delineated - Troy has taken a painting commission from the family of a retired great actor and the multiple middle aged daughters and daughters-in-law are rather confusing, particularly given the convention of calling them by their husbands names (e.g. Mrs Henry Ancred). However Marsh's knowledge of theatre people shines and the picture of life in a Britain still coming to terms with the end of the second world war is well drawn.
Both are enjoyable reads.
The Nursing Home murder is the third Alleyn book and again features Nigel Bathgate as Alleyn's Boswell. A rather nicely put together mystery with plenty of red herrings but again Alleyn hasn't quite taken shape as the much loved character of the
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later books. There's the 1930's stock in trade sub plot involving anarchists/communists which is rather fun and some uncomfortable stuff about eugenics as well as a reenactment of the murder scene which is becoming a rather tired gambit (it's a feature of the first four books but dropped after that I think). Final Curtain is the fourteenth book in the series and the characters of Alleyn, Troy and Fox are much more realised. Unfortunately the suspects are a little less well delineated - Troy has taken a painting commission from the family of a retired great actor and the multiple middle aged daughters and daughters-in-law are rather confusing, particularly given the convention of calling them by their husbands names (e.g. Mrs Henry Ancred). However Marsh's knowledge of theatre people shines and the picture of life in a Britain still coming to terms with the end of the second world war is well drawn.
Both are enjoyable reads.
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LibraryThing member jeffome
Very much enjoyed this book. British Politician battling terrorism...and dallying a bit outside his marriage....ends up on the operating table with a bad case of appendicitis.....surrounded by a staff of enemies of all shapes and kinds......not good. What is initially thought to be an unfortunate
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normal turn of affairs is shown to instead be an unpleasant crime. Our calm, cool, collected and very clever Inspector Alleyn is left trying to figure it all out. Distractions, dead ends and seemingly endless number of prospective perpetrators clog up the works.....but our fearless inspector and his startling insight into the human condition rallies to seek out the truth. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanteder
The Operating Room Murder*
Review of the Collins Crime Club hardcover edition (2017) of the 1935 original
'Please sit down,' she murmured. They sat facing each other. Inspector Fox regarded her with respectful attention.
'I asked you to come here and see me,' she began very quietly, 'because I believe
Fox did not speak for a moment. He sat stockily, very still, looking gravely before him.
'I'm sorry to hear that, Lady O'Callaghan,' he said at last. 'It sounds rather serious.'
Apparently she had met her match in understatement.
Inspector Fox gets the best lines in this very early (i.e. #3) Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn investigation. I enjoyed this one immensely as it had all the features that would make the series great esp. the banter between Alleyn and his coworkers/watsons, the classical quotes and the craftiness of the crime.
This Collins Crime Club edition comes with an Introduction by author Stella Duffy and includes the first 3 chapters of Money in the Morgue (1945/2018), the novel abandoned by Ngaio Marsh when its World War II setting seemed outdated after the war had ended. Duffy completed the book in 2018.
In her Introduction, Duffy also provides this helpful pronunciation note:Alleyn is pronounced 'Allen' and Ngaio is pronounced 'Nigh-oh', although the correct Maori pronunciation is closer to 'Nigh-awe.'
Trivia and Link
You will probably have to look up the word cruet in order to understand a key aspect of the mystery solution. I have to confess it didn't actually make much sense to me, but to say any more would be a spoiler.
*In these days of the pandemic and the recent accusations against #KillerCuomo in New York State, I thought I'd clarify right away that the supposed 'Nursing Home' of the title, is actually a hospital and that the murder takes place during a surgical procedure.
Review of the Collins Crime Club hardcover edition (2017) of the 1935 original
'Please sit down,' she murmured. They sat facing each other. Inspector Fox regarded her with respectful attention.
'I asked you to come here and see me,' she began very quietly, 'because I believe
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my husband to have been murdered.'Fox did not speak for a moment. He sat stockily, very still, looking gravely before him.
'I'm sorry to hear that, Lady O'Callaghan,' he said at last. 'It sounds rather serious.'
Apparently she had met her match in understatement.
Inspector Fox gets the best lines in this very early (i.e. #3) Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn investigation. I enjoyed this one immensely as it had all the features that would make the series great esp. the banter between Alleyn and his coworkers/watsons, the classical quotes and the craftiness of the crime.
This Collins Crime Club edition comes with an Introduction by author Stella Duffy and includes the first 3 chapters of Money in the Morgue (1945/2018), the novel abandoned by Ngaio Marsh when its World War II setting seemed outdated after the war had ended. Duffy completed the book in 2018.
In her Introduction, Duffy also provides this helpful pronunciation note:Alleyn is pronounced 'Allen' and Ngaio is pronounced 'Nigh-oh', although the correct Maori pronunciation is closer to 'Nigh-awe.'
Trivia and Link
You will probably have to look up the word cruet in order to understand a key aspect of the mystery solution. I have to confess it didn't actually make much sense to me, but to say any more would be a spoiler.
*In these days of the pandemic and the recent accusations against #KillerCuomo in New York State, I thought I'd clarify right away that the supposed 'Nursing Home' of the title, is actually a hospital and that the murder takes place during a surgical procedure.
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Book number three in the Roderick Alleyn mystery series by renowned New Zealand writer Ngaio Marsh. This time Inspector Detective Alleyn is called to investigate the death of a Britain’s Home Secretary. Sir Derek O’Callahan had been complaining of abdominal pain for some days, but it wasn’t
As is typical of Marsh’s writing there is little exposition or description and a lot of dialogue and repetition. There are plenty of suspects – including a vengeful surgeon, a nurse (whose a former lover), an unhappy wife, and a host of political foes - and more than few red herrings. There’s also a subplot involving Bolsheviks that clearly places the reader in the timeframe.
Marsh is frequently compared to the other “Queens of Crime” of the early 20th century (Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers for example). Her work has endured for nearly a century, but I am not much of a fan. This is the third of her books I’ve read and the third time I’m giving one of her books two stars.
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until he collapsed that he went to hospital. By then his abscessed appendix had burst and emergency surgery was needed. The operation was a success but Sir Derek died shortly thereafter. His wife insisted on an inquest and the results showed an overdose of a particular drug. But who administered it?As is typical of Marsh’s writing there is little exposition or description and a lot of dialogue and repetition. There are plenty of suspects – including a vengeful surgeon, a nurse (whose a former lover), an unhappy wife, and a host of political foes - and more than few red herrings. There’s also a subplot involving Bolsheviks that clearly places the reader in the timeframe.
Marsh is frequently compared to the other “Queens of Crime” of the early 20th century (Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers for example). Her work has endured for nearly a century, but I am not much of a fan. This is the third of her books I’ve read and the third time I’m giving one of her books two stars.
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Language
Original publication date
1935
ISBN
9781934609873