From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn, #1)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: January 1, 2018

Finish date: January 31, 2018

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The first book in our Ngaio Marsh/ Inspector Alleyn challenge
[close] The first book in our Ngaio Marsh/ Inspector Alleyn challenge

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Showing 2 of 166 topics — 7,784 comments total

Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 16 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 4 posts · 12 views

last updated Sep 01, 2025 04:16PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 16, 2013 Jan C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, 2013, england

I didn't remember enjoying her the last time I read Marsh. Maybe I just wasn't ready for her then. Because I really did enjoy this book.j.

It is kind of the reverse of the "locked room" mystery. Here was a man at a country estate weekend party who was murdered out in the open but everybody has an alibi.

I certainly never figured it out.

There was a side story about a Russian brotherhood, presumably an anarchist group, as some of their party had gathered in a house and then blew it up.

I look forward ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2008 Nancy Oakes rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, crime-fiction-uk, mystery-series-first-novel, crime-fiction-new-zealand

This book really isn't my favorite Ngaio Marsh mystery. It's understandable that it's not really that good (imho) since it was her first novel and that she was competing with two other mystery greats at the time this was written: Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. I know, having read others, that she could and did do much better, so we'll chalk it up to this being her debut.

summary, no spoilers:
Ah! The ever classic English country house murder in all of its glory. At this particular country hou ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 04, 2018 Carol Evans rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, ngaio-marsh-challenge

Marsh’s Inspector Alleyn series is one of my favorites, but I’ve been reading it all out of order. I finally got around to picking up the first in the series. While obviously don’t think this is a series that needs to be read in order, it was nice to read this first introduction to Alleyn.

A Man Lay Dead is a country house mystery and we have seven suspects, the host, his niece and five guests. Actually a couple more than that, because you have to count the servants, especially the missing butler ...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Michelle rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery

I've read nearly all Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey, but this was my first Ngaio Marsh (and Marsh's first book in the Detective Alleyn series). This was a British closed-house mystery -- guests away at a country house for a visit, someone is murdered, the suspects are limited to those within the house, etc. The book was quick and amusing but had none of the characterizations that make you actually care about what happens to the characters, the way that you find in a typical Christie. Neverthe ...more

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Mar 03, 2018 Nanosynergy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, british, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, fiction, fiction-1930s, 2018read

Enjoyed reading Ngaio Marsh's first book in her Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn series - enough to move onto the next one. ...more

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Oct 16, 2015 Jenn Estepp rated it liked it

Shelves: sleuths-and-gumshoes, libraries-are-great, kindling

Somehow, when I did my deep dive into the Golden Age, I never got around to Marsh. I suppose 80+ Christies will do that to a girl. But, remedied now. I'm certain I'll read more. ...more

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