Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
England, ca 1970
Indeholder kapitlerne "1. Halberds", "2. Juleaften", "3. Glædelig jul", "4. Træet og druiden", "5. Alleyn", "6. Uvejret trækker op", "7. Husarbejde", "8. Mould", "9. Post Mortem", "10. Afrejse".
Rigmanden, Hilary Bill-Tasman, antikvitetsekspert og ejer af Halberds, er ved at få
???
Indeholder kapitlerne "1. Halberds", "2. Juleaften", "3. Glædelig jul", "4. Træet og druiden", "5. Alleyn", "6. Uvejret trækker op", "7. Husarbejde", "8. Mould", "9. Post Mortem", "10. Afrejse".
Rigmanden, Hilary Bill-Tasman, antikvitetsekspert og ejer af Halberds, er ved at få
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sit portræt malet af kunstneren Troy Alleyn, gift med kriminalinspektør Roderick Alleyn.???
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Genres
Publication
Samleren, 1972. Samlerens Lommebøger, 1972.
Description
An English manor house on the moors: an ideal setting for a murder-and for one of Ngaio Marsh's classic murder mysteries. The occasion is a Christmas party hosted by Mr. Hilary Bill-Tasman, landed proprietor of Halberds Manor and authority on antiques. Attending the festivities are a number of unusual characters, several of whom are perfectly logical candidates for murderer-and one of whom will elude the most prescient listener until tracked down by the indefatigable Inspector Roderick Alleyn, whose wife, Troy, innocently involved him in all these sinister goings-on in the first place.
User reviews
LibraryThing member cmbohn
The occasion is a Christmas party hosted by Mr. Hilary Bill-Tasman, landed proprietor of Halberds Manor and authority on antiques. Attending the festivities are a number of unusual characters, several of whom are perfectly logical candidates for murderer--and one of whom will elude the most
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prescient reader until tracked down by the indefatigable Superintendent Roderick Alleyn, whose wife Troy innocently involved him in all the sinister goings-on in the first place. Show Less
LibraryThing member apartmentcarpet
Ngaio Marsh writes delightful genre mysteries in the manner of Agatha Christie. Her books from the late forties through the fifties are fun, but the later mysteries, such as this one from the 70's, are a little bit tedious. There was a little too much eccentricity in the characters, and the
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surprise ending, involving secret paternity and the snobbiness of the self-made upperclass, is a little much. Show Less
LibraryThing member nobby1
The perfect Christmas read. Good plot, excellent characterisation; ingenious solution, not too far-fetched. Traditional country-house murder mystery.
LibraryThing member smik
Every member of the staff at Halberds, but one, is a convicted murderer. Troy Alleyn, wife of DI Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard, is spending Christmas there, her husband out of the country. She is painting the portrait of Hilary Bill-Tasman, the rather eccentric and enormously wealth landed
The other members of the Halberds Christmas houseparty, Hilary's Aunt Bed and Uncle Flea, his uncle Bert, and his fiance Cressida Tottenham, round out a rather unusual cast of characters.
Bill-Tasman has organised an elaborate Christmas Day treat for local children in which an ancient bewhiskered and bearded Druid arrives towing a sledge of presents. But after the event the Druid can't be found, and other pranks seem designed to cast the blame for his disappearance on the murderous staff.
Enter Roderick Alleyn just returned from Australia.
TIED UP IN TINSEL was among the last of Dame Ngaio Marsh's (1895-1982) mysteries, although she continued to publish another 5 titles, right up to her death. It reflects not only her gift for clever plotting but also has a very theatrical feel to it. Characteristically an early page displays a very useful cast of characters, and the whole story feels as if it could easily be dramatised. There are lots of places that have the reader grasping at straws in an attempt to solve the murder before Alleyn does. I must confess that the "how" was easier to deduce than the "why".
I had intended to use this title as my "New Zealand" offering in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge but have decided not to since TIED UP IN TINSEL is set entirely at an English manor. It is really a variant of a locked room mystery since for much of the time the characters are confined to the manor either by events or by the weather.
TIED UP IN TINSEL proves that even as she approached her 80s New Zealand's Dame Nagaio Marsh had not lost her ability to write a good yarn.
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proprietor of Halberds Manor.The other members of the Halberds Christmas houseparty, Hilary's Aunt Bed and Uncle Flea, his uncle Bert, and his fiance Cressida Tottenham, round out a rather unusual cast of characters.
Bill-Tasman has organised an elaborate Christmas Day treat for local children in which an ancient bewhiskered and bearded Druid arrives towing a sledge of presents. But after the event the Druid can't be found, and other pranks seem designed to cast the blame for his disappearance on the murderous staff.
Enter Roderick Alleyn just returned from Australia.
TIED UP IN TINSEL was among the last of Dame Ngaio Marsh's (1895-1982) mysteries, although she continued to publish another 5 titles, right up to her death. It reflects not only her gift for clever plotting but also has a very theatrical feel to it. Characteristically an early page displays a very useful cast of characters, and the whole story feels as if it could easily be dramatised. There are lots of places that have the reader grasping at straws in an attempt to solve the murder before Alleyn does. I must confess that the "how" was easier to deduce than the "why".
I had intended to use this title as my "New Zealand" offering in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge but have decided not to since TIED UP IN TINSEL is set entirely at an English manor. It is really a variant of a locked room mystery since for much of the time the characters are confined to the manor either by events or by the weather.
TIED UP IN TINSEL proves that even as she approached her 80s New Zealand's Dame Nagaio Marsh had not lost her ability to write a good yarn.
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LibraryThing member bookwoman247
An eccentric estate owner, a staff of convicted murderers, a hybrid Druidic/Christmas celebration, various and sundry guests, and a corpse are the ingredients of this fun and interesting Yuletide mystery.
I've read a few Ngaio Marsh books, and so far this is my favorite.
I've read a few Ngaio Marsh books, and so far this is my favorite.
LibraryThing member gpangel
This is a Troy and Roderick Alleyn Christmas mystery- Published in 1971.
Troy has been commissioned to paint the portrait of Hilary Bill-Tasman at Halbergs Manor. She is staying on through the Christmas holidays. While she is there, Hilary has his eccentric Aunt and Uncle and their servant staying
Hilary has employed former criminals as his staff, all of whom have committed murder. It is believed they killed once, but are unlikely to kill again.
But, when Hilary puts on a rather odd Christmas Pageant, his aunt and Uncle's servant disappears right after the play. Naturally, with a house full of murderers there are plenty of suspects.
This book was a little hard to get into right away. I was at least sixty pages in before I started to really become interested.
But, once the ball got rolling, it was a good little who done it.
Although the story took place in present day 1971, the feel of the book was more like a much earlier time, like say the 1930's or 40's.
I kept imagining them in clothing fit for that period instead of the 70's. There were a few modern day references, but I just couldn't imagine the story in that time frame.
Not the best of Ngaio Marsh, but not a bad way to pass an evening. Over all a B-
Troy has been commissioned to paint the portrait of Hilary Bill-Tasman at Halbergs Manor. She is staying on through the Christmas holidays. While she is there, Hilary has his eccentric Aunt and Uncle and their servant staying
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with him. Hilary has employed former criminals as his staff, all of whom have committed murder. It is believed they killed once, but are unlikely to kill again.
But, when Hilary puts on a rather odd Christmas Pageant, his aunt and Uncle's servant disappears right after the play. Naturally, with a house full of murderers there are plenty of suspects.
This book was a little hard to get into right away. I was at least sixty pages in before I started to really become interested.
But, once the ball got rolling, it was a good little who done it.
Although the story took place in present day 1971, the feel of the book was more like a much earlier time, like say the 1930's or 40's.
I kept imagining them in clothing fit for that period instead of the 70's. There were a few modern day references, but I just couldn't imagine the story in that time frame.
Not the best of Ngaio Marsh, but not a bad way to pass an evening. Over all a B-
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
Hilary Bill-Tasman owns a large country estate which is staffed by ex-convicts. Alleyn's wife Troy has gone there to paint a portrait. Hilary's aunt and uncle and their servant, Hilary's fiancee, and a couple others are among the guests. Hilary holds a Christmas pageant, and his uncle's servant
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disappears afterwards. Alleyn ends up coming for a visit when his wife reports strange goings-on. Although he tries to leave it to the local officials, he ends up on the case. I guessed the murderer fairly early on, but I still enjoyed the way it unfolded. I listened to the audio version of this book available on Overdrive through my public library. The narrator did a good job. Show Less
LibraryThing member atimco
Addictive, as I'm finding the rest of Ngaio Marsh's repertoire to be, though this one had a bit of a bizarre ending. Marsh has a turn for memorable characters and even from the space of months since I read this (amidst a binge of her novels), I clearly remember the various characters and can
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picture them in my head. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
2019 reread via my Dad's Kindle:
Even though I have read this book before, I was completely surprised by the ending! Much more satisfying than the previous book in the series ("When in Rome").
Even though I have read this book before, I was completely surprised by the ending! Much more satisfying than the previous book in the series ("When in Rome").
LibraryThing member Matke
This late entry in the Roderick Alleyn series is that beloved classic set-up: isolated country house, complete with a Christmas house party, disappearance/murder ensues.
In this book Marsh executes a terrific send-up of that idea, with characters who are impossibly quirky and a rather delayed
I don’t know if Marsh was getting tired of Alleyn, but the book really comes to life when Troy is the lead and rather fades out when Alleyn comes on the scene. The minor characters are mostly over-the-top cartoons, but that’s part of the fun.
As to the solution: read the ending carefully. The motivation is clear and convincing, but there’s a little trick that has to be worked through.
This is an enjoyable read for a wintry afternoon—or a miserably hot summer day. Recommended to fans of Golden Age British mysteries.
In this book Marsh executes a terrific send-up of that idea, with characters who are impossibly quirky and a rather delayed
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discovery of a body. All the gore and violence is kept neatly offstage, so the book is mostly a sophisticated cozy with a bit of police procedural thrown in.I don’t know if Marsh was getting tired of Alleyn, but the book really comes to life when Troy is the lead and rather fades out when Alleyn comes on the scene. The minor characters are mostly over-the-top cartoons, but that’s part of the fun.
As to the solution: read the ending carefully. The motivation is clear and convincing, but there’s a little trick that has to be worked through.
This is an enjoyable read for a wintry afternoon—or a miserably hot summer day. Recommended to fans of Golden Age British mysteries.
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LibraryThing member Figgles
Alleyn meets the 70s! Troy Alleyn features more in the later cases (for which I am glad as she's one of my favourite characters) and somewhat like Joyce Barnaby, seems to attract murder wherever she goes. In this case she's commissioned to paint the portrait of a wealthy antiques dealer and becomes
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embroiled in a tricky domestic situation with blimpish elders, a cockney wheeler dealer, a 70s glamour girl fiance and a domestic staff consisting entirely of murderers! Alleyn is overseas and returns in the nick of time to solve the mystery of the disappearing manservant. Not a dissimilar mise en scheme to Final Curtin but still worth the read! Show Less
LibraryThing member streamsong
A rather eccentric manor owner has commissioned Troy Alleyn (Agatha Troy) to paint his portrait. She agrees to remain over Christmas and so is part of the Christmas house party which includes the owner’s fiancé, and several old friends as well as the neighbors and their children. More
That’s before one of the staff goes missing soon after dressing up as a druid in tinsel for the holiday party. Fingers are pointed and Troy’s well known husband Detective Roderick Alleyn agrees to come to the manor to solve the case.
Even with the presence of a neighborhood gift party sponsored by the mansion, this is basically treated as a closed room murder. But who is the murderer? And where is the body?
Enjoyable cozy detective; great for a Christmas read.
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interesting, however, are the manor’s staff – each has committed and been incarcerated for a single murder; the idea being that murderer provoked in a single moment of passion won’t reoffend and is therefore safe.That’s before one of the staff goes missing soon after dressing up as a druid in tinsel for the holiday party. Fingers are pointed and Troy’s well known husband Detective Roderick Alleyn agrees to come to the manor to solve the case.
Even with the presence of a neighborhood gift party sponsored by the mansion, this is basically treated as a closed room murder. But who is the murderer? And where is the body?
Enjoyable cozy detective; great for a Christmas read.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
2019 reread via my Dad's Kindle:
Even though I have read this book before, I was completely surprised by the ending! Much more satisfying than the previous book in the series ("When in Rome").
Even though I have read this book before, I was completely surprised by the ending! Much more satisfying than the previous book in the series ("When in Rome").
LibraryThing member nordie
With Alleyn in New Zealand on an extradition case over Christmas, Troy is staying with a client as she paints his picture.
There's a christmas pagent and afterwards the main participant disappears. Considering that many of the staff are ex-offenders (murderers) and the missing man known to be
Not perhaps the best one of Marsh's - the "oncers" are a little too over wrought and some of the other characters under developed. Once again, Troy is in the forefront during the first half of the book, but is soon faded to background once Alleyn turns up.
There's a christmas pagent and afterwards the main participant disappears. Considering that many of the staff are ex-offenders (murderers) and the missing man known to be
Show More
disliked by the staff, it's not long before people are worried. Alleyn returns earlier than expected and soon gets involved.Not perhaps the best one of Marsh's - the "oncers" are a little too over wrought and some of the other characters under developed. Once again, Troy is in the forefront during the first half of the book, but is soon faded to background once Alleyn turns up.
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LibraryThing member nordie
With Alleyn in New Zealand on an extradition case over Christmas, Troy is staying with a client as she paints his picture.
There's a christmas pagent and afterwards the main participant disappears. Considering that many of the staff are ex-offenders (murderers) and the missing man known to be
Not perhaps the best one of Marsh's - the "oncers" are a little too over wrought and some of the other characters under developed. Once again, Troy is in the forefront during the first half of the book, but is soon faded to background once Alleyn turns up.
There's a christmas pagent and afterwards the main participant disappears. Considering that many of the staff are ex-offenders (murderers) and the missing man known to be
Show More
disliked by the staff, it's not long before people are worried. Alleyn returns earlier than expected and soon gets involved.Not perhaps the best one of Marsh's - the "oncers" are a little too over wrought and some of the other characters under developed. Once again, Troy is in the forefront during the first half of the book, but is soon faded to background once Alleyn turns up.
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LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
I enjoyed this solid country house whodunit murder mystery. Almost half of the story is devoted to setting the stage for the puzzle presented to Chief Superintendent Alleyne when he comes on the scene. The body of the murder victim is missing until the closing chapters of the story.
The English
With the assistance of the local police Inspector Alleyne undertakes his investigation, and is belatedly joined by his trusty sidekick Inspector Fox. The identity of the killer is revealed in the very last chapter, at which point this reader learned he had been taken in by the author's masterful misdirection.
A good, but sometimes uneven, read.
The English
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country house is full of the usual eccentrics who regularly appear in these mystery stories. In this one, there's a contingent of convicted murderers who have served their sentences and been released from prison. For local colour atmosphere, beside the old house situated next to the moors, there's a neighbouring prison.With the assistance of the local police Inspector Alleyne undertakes his investigation, and is belatedly joined by his trusty sidekick Inspector Fox. The identity of the killer is revealed in the very last chapter, at which point this reader learned he had been taken in by the author's masterful misdirection.
A good, but sometimes uneven, read.
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Subjects
Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — Novel — 1973)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1972
Physical description
228 p.; 18.3 cm
ISBN
8756801238 / 9788756801232
Local notes
Omslag: Lars Horve
Omslaget viser en grøn hånd, der holder en glaskugle til juletræet
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Tied up in tinsel" af Leif Berthelsen
På titelbladets bagside står fejlagtigt at den er oversat af Rose-Marie Tvermoes
Omslaget viser en grøn hånd, der holder en glaskugle til juletræet
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Tied up in tinsel" af Leif Berthelsen
På titelbladets bagside står fejlagtigt at den er oversat af Rose-Marie Tvermoes
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
228
DDC/MDS
| 823 |