Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
New Zealand, Middleton, 1960
Indeholder kapitlerne "Forord", "1. Prolog i et tog", "2. Mr Meyer i fare", "3. Bag scenen", "4. Tiki'en dukker op", "5. Intermezzo", "6. Tiki'ens anden optræden", "7. I skuespillerfoyer'en", "8. Penge", "9. Courtney Broadheads scene", "10. Alle muligheder er åbne",
Middleton er en fiktiv by på Nordøen af New Zealand.
???
Indeholder kapitlerne "Forord", "1. Prolog i et tog", "2. Mr Meyer i fare", "3. Bag scenen", "4. Tiki'en dukker op", "5. Intermezzo", "6. Tiki'ens anden optræden", "7. I skuespillerfoyer'en", "8. Penge", "9. Courtney Broadheads scene", "10. Alle muligheder er åbne",
Show More
"11. St. John Ackroyd og Susan Max", "12. Liversidge kludrer i replikkerne", "13. Miss Gaynes hidser sig op", "14. Variationer for politifløjte", "15. Kl. 6 morgen. 1. akt slut", "16. Mellemakt", "17. Sceneforandring", "18. Samtale mellem to", "19. Carolyns scene", "20. Liversidge ud. Bob Parsons ind (fløjtende)", "21. Planen over teatret", "22. Tiki'ens fjerde optræden", "23. Alleyn afslører en tryllekunst", "24. Dr. Pokiha bliver 'indfødt' igen", "25. Alleyn sætter punktum", "Epilog".Middleton er en fiktiv by på Nordøen af New Zealand.
???
Show Less
Genres
Publication
Kbh : (Samlerens Forlag)., 1966.
Description
A police inspector finds trouble during a trip to New Zealand: "It's time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." -New York Magazine Inspector Roderick Alleyn has taken a break from England and journeyed to New Zealand, and traveling along with him are the members of the Carolyn Dacres English Comedy Company. The actors' operatic intrigues offer an amusing diversion-until, unexpectedly, they turn deadly. And Alleyn learns, not for the last time, that while he may be able to leave his badge back in Blighty, he's still a policeman, even on the other side of the world. "Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A." -The New York Times.
User reviews
LibraryThing member atimco
Vintage Murder is the second Ngaio Marsh mystery I've read, and I'm starting to think all of her books are set in the theater. The theater certainly provides a fascinating backdrop for a murder mystery: the layers of acting and illusion, carefully arranged set pieces, and scripted roles. Everyone
Roderick Alleyn is going on vacation to New Zealand when he meets up travelling group of actors on the train. One of the managers, Alfred Meyer, believes that someone tried to kill him by pushing him off the train. When he is killed by a birthday surprise he set up for his wife — a huge jeroboam of champagne swinging down from the set on pulleys, but somehow tampered with — the entire company falls under suspicion. Any one of them could have scampered up the scaffolds and adjusted the rig so it would swing down and brain Mr. Meyer. But who? And why? Who would want to murder a well-respected, honest company manager who was known for treating his actors right?
Marsh creates an interesting assortment of characters. There is Carolyn Dacres, the beautiful, glamorous actress inexplicably married to the diminutive Mr. Meyer; Hailey Hambledon, the leading man who loves Carolyn; Susan Max, who figured in a previous murder investigation; Dr. Te Pokiha, the well-educated aboriginal native; Bob Parsons, the put-upon props man; George Mason, the dyspeptic company manager; Valerie Gaynes, the foolish and incompetent young actress; Ackroyd, the sinister "funny man"; and several others who make their entrances, speak their lines, and exit the stage. Some of the minor male characters blurred together a bit and never really took on much life, but it would be hard to maintain complicated character studies of the entire troupe.
It's easy to see that Marsh was a theater and Shakespeare enthusiast. One of her minor characters in this story is a broken-down actor who quotes Shakespeare all he can in conversation. It's funny and goofy and a little bit sad. Marsh also does a good job of probing Carolyn Dacres' character and giving her a bit more depth than the usual self-absorbed leading lady. Other characters do seem to be the shallow parts they play; one cannot imagine Valerie Gaynes as anything but what she appears, and Ackroyd is also somewhat transparent, for all his prevarications. But there are a few little surprises in the simple parts; I really loved how Marsh delineated theater hierarchies so delicately in Bob Parsons' story.
Roderick Alleyn is an interesting detective. He's not quite Lord Peter or Hercule Poirot, but he seems to have his own little set of quirks. He's very witty, and sensitive to the politics of local police forces, and apparently attractive to the ladies. I wonder if in other books Marsh does with him what Dorothy Sayers does with Lord Peter... the character is lifted off the page of a mere detective novel and given depth and empathy that makes the reader care more for him than for the mystery. I can certainly see the potential in what Marsh has done already with Alleyn, and I look forward to reading more stories starring him.
I did not guess the solution to the mystery. Even when Alleyn shouts who it is, I was a little surprised and thought it was another stratagem. Circumstances did not look good for a certain other player in the story... But mystery writers labor under a disadvantage; the reader can see how many pages are left, and we know when the solution must be imminent. Once again it comes down to a part played skillfully, and the merest coincidences that inexorably narrow the suspects. Overall, this is a well-executed mystery, with a few playful pokes at its own genre and a cast of mostly interesting characters. Enjoyable light reading.
Show More
plays a part in the drama, and even the detective must put on a bit of a show to get at the truth.Roderick Alleyn is going on vacation to New Zealand when he meets up travelling group of actors on the train. One of the managers, Alfred Meyer, believes that someone tried to kill him by pushing him off the train. When he is killed by a birthday surprise he set up for his wife — a huge jeroboam of champagne swinging down from the set on pulleys, but somehow tampered with — the entire company falls under suspicion. Any one of them could have scampered up the scaffolds and adjusted the rig so it would swing down and brain Mr. Meyer. But who? And why? Who would want to murder a well-respected, honest company manager who was known for treating his actors right?
Marsh creates an interesting assortment of characters. There is Carolyn Dacres, the beautiful, glamorous actress inexplicably married to the diminutive Mr. Meyer; Hailey Hambledon, the leading man who loves Carolyn; Susan Max, who figured in a previous murder investigation; Dr. Te Pokiha, the well-educated aboriginal native; Bob Parsons, the put-upon props man; George Mason, the dyspeptic company manager; Valerie Gaynes, the foolish and incompetent young actress; Ackroyd, the sinister "funny man"; and several others who make their entrances, speak their lines, and exit the stage. Some of the minor male characters blurred together a bit and never really took on much life, but it would be hard to maintain complicated character studies of the entire troupe.
It's easy to see that Marsh was a theater and Shakespeare enthusiast. One of her minor characters in this story is a broken-down actor who quotes Shakespeare all he can in conversation. It's funny and goofy and a little bit sad. Marsh also does a good job of probing Carolyn Dacres' character and giving her a bit more depth than the usual self-absorbed leading lady. Other characters do seem to be the shallow parts they play; one cannot imagine Valerie Gaynes as anything but what she appears, and Ackroyd is also somewhat transparent, for all his prevarications. But there are a few little surprises in the simple parts; I really loved how Marsh delineated theater hierarchies so delicately in Bob Parsons' story.
Roderick Alleyn is an interesting detective. He's not quite Lord Peter or Hercule Poirot, but he seems to have his own little set of quirks. He's very witty, and sensitive to the politics of local police forces, and apparently attractive to the ladies. I wonder if in other books Marsh does with him what Dorothy Sayers does with Lord Peter... the character is lifted off the page of a mere detective novel and given depth and empathy that makes the reader care more for him than for the mystery. I can certainly see the potential in what Marsh has done already with Alleyn, and I look forward to reading more stories starring him.
I did not guess the solution to the mystery. Even when Alleyn shouts who it is, I was a little surprised and thought it was another stratagem. Circumstances did not look good for a certain other player in the story... But mystery writers labor under a disadvantage; the reader can see how many pages are left, and we know when the solution must be imminent. Once again it comes down to a part played skillfully, and the merest coincidences that inexorably narrow the suspects. Overall, this is a well-executed mystery, with a few playful pokes at its own genre and a cast of mostly interesting characters. Enjoyable light reading.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Vivl
Ngaio Marsh is a long time favourite author of mine but I am finding these earlier novels a little tiresome at times. Alleyn's character is only just beginning to have flesh added to its bones, a process which never really takes off, in my opinion, until the arrival of Agatha Troy in the next in
We are also missing the delightfully deadpan Fox, and even the introduction of a genial pack of Newziland's finest can't make up for the long dull stretch mid-novel where the suspects are interminably interviewed. It's that kind of thing that knocks the star and a bit off for me: maps of the crime scene, lists of characters that I have to keep referring back to several chapters in because they aren't drawn vividly enough in words to have made a solid impression and bloody, bloody endless interviews do not a happy Viv make.
But then there are the flashes of brilliance, not only in terms of the ingenious solution (although I must admit I had the perp. tagged, if not the method, early on and not entirely, I think, due to having read this fifteen or so years ago: my memory isn't that good!) When the spotlight is shone on two of Marsh's great loves, her homeland of New Zealand and the theatre, the emotion drips from the page. Lovely.
Show More
the series, Artists in Crime, sixth of her 32 Inspector Alleyn novels. We are also missing the delightfully deadpan Fox, and even the introduction of a genial pack of Newziland's finest can't make up for the long dull stretch mid-novel where the suspects are interminably interviewed. It's that kind of thing that knocks the star and a bit off for me: maps of the crime scene, lists of characters that I have to keep referring back to several chapters in because they aren't drawn vividly enough in words to have made a solid impression and bloody, bloody endless interviews do not a happy Viv make.
But then there are the flashes of brilliance, not only in terms of the ingenious solution (although I must admit I had the perp. tagged, if not the method, early on and not entirely, I think, due to having read this fifteen or so years ago: my memory isn't that good!) When the spotlight is shone on two of Marsh's great loves, her homeland of New Zealand and the theatre, the emotion drips from the page. Lovely.
Show Less
LibraryThing member katekf
This is an early Alleyn mystery which is clear in the style of writing and some of the interactions. One thing that makes it stand out for me is how this book shows a lot of Marsh's love for New Zealand and the theatrical world through Alleyn's eyes. Marsh spent most of her life working in the
Show More
theater in New Zealand and in this short mystery captures the feeling of a small troupe and the beauty of New Zealand. I wouldn't use this book to begin reading Marsh's works but it is a pleasure to read her descriptions of her home and the world she inhabits as seen through the eyes of her British detective. Show Less
LibraryThing member Condorena
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.
LibraryThing member jnyrose
An early, and fun, book in the Roderick Alleyn series. This one takes place as he is travelling through New Zealand and recovering from some unspecified operation. It is early in the canon as he is not yet married or dreaming of his future wife. There is a rugby-hooligan type incident on a train
It is interesting to note that the translations of the book all mention the murder weapon, but lose the pun inherent in the original title.
Show More
that ends with a bruised backside on one of the characters and a theft before the main murder even occurs. This book has a number of characters, and following every movement of each person can get baffling at times; however, Marsh never makes the reader feel as if Alleyn knows something special or has super-powers, merely that his powers of deduction are sharp and that all of the information is there that is necessary to solve the mystery along with him.It is interesting to note that the translations of the book all mention the murder weapon, but lose the pun inherent in the original title.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Figgles
Nice early Ngaio March. Alleyn, on holidays in NZ after an undisclosed operation has befriended a travelling theatre company and is invited by NZ police to assist when one of the company is murdered. Nice feel for colonial relations, Ngaio Marsh's NZ and theatre background make this an entertaining
Show More
read. Interesting picture of 1930's attitude to Maori - today we may find her attitude a little racist but at the time it would've been seen as very liberal! Show Less
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
Ngaio Marsh is in good form in this mystery that is set in New Zealand and features a touring theater company which Roderick Alleyn meets when he is on medical leave from the CID. The mystery, somewhat in the style of a police procedural, and the characters are interesting plus we have the benefit
Show More
of Marsh’s theater experience to get the feel of the atmosphere among actors who have worked together as a troupe for years. I was especially intrigued how she was able to also work in so much interesting information about New Zealand, its inhabitants, geography, and history, into her novel. This was a real pleasure to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member mmyoung
If this was the first Marsh I read I doubt I would ever read another. Most of the characters are flat, cardboard stereotypes (even at the time the book was written) and the murder solution could be used in a parody of how many of the murders mysteries at the time required maps and time-tables in
Show More
order for the reader to follow them. Our protagonists (police officers in the main) think nothing of covering up crimes that they consider "don't count" and the class system reigns in all descriptions and characterizations. Show Less
LibraryThing member janglen
I usually enjoy Ngaio Marsh but this is not one of her best. Much of the first half of the book is taken up with a series of long and tedious interviews with key witnesses. My main issue though is with the utterly crass portrayal of local characters, the stereotyping, and the dreadful dialogue.
Show More
Some allowance can be made for social attitudes and literary styles accepted in the 1930s, but Ngaio Marsh has done much better work than this. Show Less
LibraryThing member lahochstetler
Scotland Yard's Inspector Alleyn cannot take a holiday without falling into a murder investigation. While vacationing in New Zealand Alleyn finds himself investigating the death of a theater company magnate. During a birthday celebration for his leading-lady wife Alfred Meyer is killed by a
While I generally enjoy this sort of murder mystery, this one was rather ponderous. So much of the investigation relies on highly technical measurements: exactly how was the bottle rigged, where was the ladder placed, and so on. The book also features a large cast of characters, most of whom are entirely uninteresting. I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, and I didn't particularly care about most of them. There's also the issue of Marsh's somewhat racist treatment of native New Zealanders. I will likely try another Inspector Alleyn mystery, but I will look for one outside of a theatrical setting.
Show More
hurtling magnum of champagne, falling from the eaves of the theater. Finding the killer seems impossible; many had motive, but no one seems to have had the opportunity. Alleyn steps in to help the local police investigate. While I generally enjoy this sort of murder mystery, this one was rather ponderous. So much of the investigation relies on highly technical measurements: exactly how was the bottle rigged, where was the ladder placed, and so on. The book also features a large cast of characters, most of whom are entirely uninteresting. I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters, and I didn't particularly care about most of them. There's also the issue of Marsh's somewhat racist treatment of native New Zealanders. I will likely try another Inspector Alleyn mystery, but I will look for one outside of a theatrical setting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Enjoyable outing with Alleyn in this fifth entry in the series.
Alleyn is in New Zealand, where he is on holiday recuperating from surgery (injured on the job?? I'll have to go back and look at #4!). On the boat from England, and then on the train in N.Z., he travelled along side a group of actors,
Alleyn is in New Zealand, where he is on holiday recuperating from surgery (injured on the job?? I'll have to go back and look at #4!). On the boat from England, and then on the train in N.Z., he travelled along side a group of actors,
Show More
including Miss Susan Max. The manager of the group is murdered after a performance one evening while Alleyn is there (amongst others) to celebrate the birthday of the leading lady (who is also the manager's wife)... Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
The leading lady of a theater company touring New Zealand was stunningly beautiful. No one-including her lover-understood why she married the company's pudgy producer. But did she rig a huge jeroboam of champagne to kill her husband during a cast party?
Did her sweetheart? Or was another villain
Did her sweetheart? Or was another villain
Show More
waiting in the wings? On a holiday down under, Inspector Roderick Alleyn must uncork this mystery and uncover a devious killer... Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
The action takes place in 1936. Many of the characters talk about the impact of the previous world war, and there is a sense of another war to come.
Ngaio Marsh drew heavily on her theatrical background for this plot. Roderick Alleyn has come to New Zealand for a holiday, and finds himself
The company gets off the train and Alleyn stays with them and so is there when the murder takes place. Although he has been travelling incognito he joins forces with the local detectives to investigate the crime.
Marsh also uses this novel to talk extensively about Maori culture and the tensions between natives and whites. Roderick Alleyn is very much taken with New Zealand.
In this audio version, read by a very British actor, there is an attempt to give each character a very distinctive voice. I felt that sometimes it was a bit over the top, but in general was well done, because I really did get to "know" each character by the voice used.
Ngaio Marsh drew heavily on her theatrical background for this plot. Roderick Alleyn has come to New Zealand for a holiday, and finds himself
Show More
travelling on a train with a British touring theatre company. He finds he actually knows two of the female actors. The manager tells everyone that someone has tried to push him off the train.The company gets off the train and Alleyn stays with them and so is there when the murder takes place. Although he has been travelling incognito he joins forces with the local detectives to investigate the crime.
Marsh also uses this novel to talk extensively about Maori culture and the tensions between natives and whites. Roderick Alleyn is very much taken with New Zealand.
In this audio version, read by a very British actor, there is an attempt to give each character a very distinctive voice. I felt that sometimes it was a bit over the top, but in general was well done, because I really did get to "know" each character by the voice used.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
I knew there were a handful of Ngaio Marsh mysteries that I hadn't read, but I didn't feel any need to go out of my way to look for them.
And then someone mentioned Vintage Murder, a 1930s mystery set in New Zealand and involved a theatre, set just before Artists in Crime, and I decided to read it
I really enjoyed it, much more than I expected to: the immediate atmosphere of unease; the insight into theatre life; the quiet, thoughtful way Alleyn goes about getting other to talk to him... I'd forgotten how much I enjoy reading about Alleyn interviewing people, and Vintage Murder involves rather a lot of that.
I also loved all the descriptions of New Zealand - they're vivid and interesting in a way that Marsh's descriptions of other places often are not, perhaps because her affection for New Zealand colours them so strongly.
And then someone mentioned Vintage Murder, a 1930s mystery set in New Zealand and involved a theatre, set just before Artists in Crime, and I decided to read it
Show More
immediately.I really enjoyed it, much more than I expected to: the immediate atmosphere of unease; the insight into theatre life; the quiet, thoughtful way Alleyn goes about getting other to talk to him... I'd forgotten how much I enjoy reading about Alleyn interviewing people, and Vintage Murder involves rather a lot of that.
I also loved all the descriptions of New Zealand - they're vivid and interesting in a way that Marsh's descriptions of other places often are not, perhaps because her affection for New Zealand colours them so strongly.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wdwilson3
The fifth Roderick Alleyn mystery is far less claustrophobic than its predecessors, actually venturing outside at times and in Ngaio Marsh's native New Zealand to boot. Alleyn, on vacation, is allowed by the local constabulary to head the murder investigation of a theater manager. The theater is
Show More
Marsh's comfort zone and true love, and the troupe's company are portrayed knowingly. The beauties of New Zealand are lovingly described, as is the warmth of the people. What's not so superb is the method of murder, which I thought was needlessly complicated, and the method of entrapping the victim. All in all, the best of the series to date, but just good, not great. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
Marsh takes us home to her native country of New Zealand among its wild lands and with a troupe of traveling actors. This is the perfect setup for strong emotions and people capable of delivering believable lies. It's the classic construct of a cozy murder with Roderick Alleyn at the helm. With
Show More
each interview is revealed a little more until the culprit is unmasked. While the murder itself is quite spectacular, the inquiry holds no surprises. The feel and mood make up for the lack of suspense. Show Less
LibraryThing member thornton37814
Roderick Alleyn, on vacation in New Zealand, finds himself investigating a murder in a theatrical setting. He works alongside the local detectives, but his detecting skills lead to the solution. As in most cases, the suspects provide a mixture of lies and truths which must be sorted through
Show More
continued interviews and investigation. Prior familiarity with Alleyn is needed to appreciate this installment. Show Less
LibraryThing member nordie
Number 5 in the Alleyn series, and it's pre-Troy. Alleyn takes a long holiday to New Zealand, falls in with a touring acting company and gets pulled into investigating the murder of one of the Company's owners.
The book sets up characters that are repeated in later books (e.g. the Noble Aboriginal
Marsh split her time between England and New Zealand, and her love of the latter country is evident, especially at the end - the New Zealand tourist board should dig out these books again and make sure they're prize of place!
The book sets up characters that are repeated in later books (e.g. the Noble Aboriginal
Show More
Doctor). As usual the investigations take part over the following 48 hours after the death of the main character and there is a lot of interviewing of the secondary characters, including the dead man's wife, the man who was in love with her, the drunken ex-actor/door manager etc.Marsh split her time between England and New Zealand, and her love of the latter country is evident, especially at the end - the New Zealand tourist board should dig out these books again and make sure they're prize of place!
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1937
Physical description
200 p.; 18.1 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser en champagneflaske
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Vintage Murder" af Inger Bang
Omslaget viser en champagneflaske
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Vintage Murder" af Inger Bang
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
200
DDC/MDS
| 823 |