The quiet village of Swevenings seemed an English pastoral paradise, until the savagely beaten body of Colonel Cartarette was found near a tranquil...
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reviews
Sep 15, 2009
Hannah
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Long-time fans of Marsh would find it weird to hear me say that this is the first time Alleyn has made such an early entry into the novel, but as this is actually the third Marsh book I've managed to lay my hands on, and the first one not connected to the theatre, I find some elements of this a refreshing change from the previous two (Alleyn's early appearance being one of them).
Compared to Light Thickens and Night at the Vulcan, Alleyn makes his entry surprisingly early in the novel More...
Compared to Light Thickens and Night at the Vulcan, Alleyn makes his entry surprisingly early in the novel More...
Feb 23, 2011
Shuriu
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"When people are in love, " Lady Lacklander said with a little scream as a new fomentation was applied, "they instinctively present themselves to each other in their most favourable light. They assume pleasing characteristics as unconsciously as a cock pheasant puts on his spring plumage. They display such virtues as magnanimity, charitableness and modesty and wait for them to be admired. They develop a positive genius for suppressing their least attractive points. They can't
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Dec 16, 2010
Paul
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Jul 05, 2009
Krista
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Another pleasantly entertaining Marsh cozy. This one seemed to have more invested in the actual mystery but the Marsh watermark of cleverly-crafted descriptions remains the reason to read; "Smoke rose in cozy plumes from one or two chimneys; roofs cuddled into surrounding greenery ... a trout stream meandered through meadow and coppice and slid blamelessly under two bridges."
Aug 25, 2010
Kim
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I just love this series. The books are not as fluffy as Christie (who I also love), but not as agonizing as the Thomas Lynley books by Elizabeth George. Really, a perfect balance. This one didn't include his wonderful wife, Troy, but the relationship between Alleyn and Fox is wonderful.
Nov 11, 2011
"Nadia May lovingly brings to life a myriad of characters....[A] delightful rendering of Marsh's finely crafted classic." - AudioFile
Listen to Scales of Justice on your smartphone.
Listen to Scales of Justice on your smartphone.
Jun 20, 2010
Mmyoung
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A strange outing for Marsh. From comments made by various characters one can tell that the author herself knows that she is writing about a world which, if it ever existed, is now nearly gone. She has various characters mount assaults on the dying status quo and yet in the end allows it to triumph without ever putting up a cogent defense. The final defense of the status quo is that its greatest attacker is a bad person.
The murder itself is, for Marsh, excessively grisly although one only l More...
The murder itself is, for Marsh, excessively grisly although one only l More...
Jul 27, 2011
(28.10.1994), Tidily written. Neat beginning and carefully finished ending. Also good in between. Beware of the evil ladder climber, but protect the innocent underclass. Very interesting use of fishing trivia. Fun & entertaining reading.
Mar 11, 2009
Barbra
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What a great British mystery done with superb attention to detail. Ngaio Marsh gives her mysteries those little twists and turns and even though you might guess who DONE it, she always surprises you with the HOW.
Mar 03, 2010
Durdles
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Undemanding fare but these books are so enjoyable. My second hand copy had a map of the village at the front and that is always a plus point for me.
Jun 24, 2009
Lee Ann
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I thought I had it figured out but I didn't. The villain is the sort that usually can't be the villain because s/he is too obvious. That was a neat trick.
Apr 02, 2010
Nancy
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A serviceable English gentry mystery featuring Roderick Allyn. There is a proper limited pool of suspects and a suitable batch of clues, but no real chemistry with the characters. It fits the expected formula but is nothing special.
Feb 26, 2010
Sonja
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I'm SO addicted to Ms. Marsh right now. Love the quaint village, the silly characters, the way the English give their cats first AND last names.
Jun 12, 2009
Amanda
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Hurray Ngaio Marsh! This was a fun English Cozy. I think I'm adding Ngaio Marsh to my go-to list.
Jan 09, 2011
Andrea
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Not a bad story in itself - just didn't like who the murderer turned out to be.
Jul 24, 2008
Anne
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Finally, a Ngaio Marsh that I really liked! Reminds me a bit of the Lord Peter mystery, The Five Red Herrings...very fishy indeed. In the tiny town of Swevenings (meaning "dreams" in Chaucerian England, according to Marsh) everyone has a reason to kill the deceased, and I do mean everyone. You can easily be fooled into thinking that even the most unlikely person is capable of doing the crime, so keep your facts straight!
Feb 07, 2008
emilyjane
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I really liked this book. Another English-speaking mystery author to read!
Feb 11, 2012
Feb 10, 2012
Feb 08, 2012
