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Tied Up In Tinsel (Roderick Alleyn, #27)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: March 13, 2020

Finish date: April 8, 2020

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: We're carrying on with the Inspector Alleyn mysteries as buddy reads.…more
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Buddy reads

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What Members Thought

Mar 03, 2020 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is one of the later Roderick Alleyn mysteries, published in 1972. It is Christmas, and Troy is painting the portrait of Hillary, owner of Halberds. Running a country house is difficult in modern times, so Hillary avails himself of a staff released from prison, for various crimes. All have one thing in common – they have committed only one crime; whether poisoning, killing a burglar with a booby trap, murdering a ‘sinful lady,’ or killing their wife’s lover. Hillary sees them as unlikely to ...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Bev rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, mcpl-book, spl-book, christmas, silver-age-mystery, mystery, virtual-mount-tbr-2024

Agatha Troy Alleyn, who is finishing up a portrait of her host, is spending Christmas at Hilary Bill-Tasman's country house. Bill-Tasman is from an old family, but had re-purchase the family pile with earnings from a lucky and lucrative business partnership as well as a few big win in the pools. But it's not a typical country house Christmas. The entire staff of the manor are "oncers"--men who have murdered once, in a kind of brainstorm of passion and have been released from prison for good beha Agatha Troy Alleyn, who is finishing up a portrait of her host, is spending Christmas at Hilary Bill-Tasman's country house. Bill-Tasman is from an old family, but had re-purchase the family pile with earnings from a lucky and lucrative business partnership as well as a few big win in the pools. But it's not a typical country house Christmas. The entire staff of the manor are "oncers"--men who have murdered once, in a kind of brainstorm of passion and have been released from prison for good behavior. The authorities believe they aren't dangerous. Less likely to do it again because they know what being in prison is like now. In addition to this rather unconventional lot of servants, there is the Christmas festivities themselves. A kind of mash-up of druidic/pagan, Christian, and Santa Claus all rolled into a weird bundle. And--once all the guests arrive, there is an odd kind of tension. We have Bill-Tasman's fiancee, the lovely and totally mod Cressida Tottenham, who punctuates every sentence with "you know" and who thinks Alleyn (once he arrives) is "the mostest." We have Bill-Tasman's Uncle Flea (Colonel Fleaton Forrester) and Aunt Bed along with Uncle Flea's former batman cum valet, Moult. And we have honorary uncle & business partner, Bert Smith. None of them are too fond of the staff--especially after a series of practical jokes referencing the style of the various "oncers" is played upon them.

Uncle Flea is all set to do his usual round as a Father Christmas turned Druid when he has one of his "turns" (weak heart) and Moult steps in to take his place. But things get really tense when Moult disappears directly after handing out the gifts. A search of the house and as much of the grounds as is practical in the obligatory snow storm gives no trace of the man. Where is he? Why has he disappeared? And...is he still alive? There was a kind of armed truce between Moult and the manor house staff--and the staff were certain that Moult was behind the practical jokes meant to make things look bad for them. Would they go so far as to do away with the man? Alleyn has been out of the country on special assignment, but he arrives home just in time to be invited to join the house party (ostensibly so he won't have to be alone for the holidays, but Bill-Tasman really wants him to lend the local constabulary a hand). And when Moult's body is discovered, it turns into a real busman's holiday and Alleyn is asked by the local police to take over.

This is a mixed bag for me. Marsh does the country house set-up well. She's got quite a crew of eccentric characters. The plot is pretty good--but I don't see any way that the reader could know the motive for the killing. I just don't. I knew exactly where the Moult's body would be found as soon as we knew he was missing. And can I say that I found Marsh's attempt to use "hip" late 60s/early 70s slang to be the furthest thing possible from "the mostest." If felt forced--like, you know? Alleyn and Troy are delightful as always, but Alleyn's appearance comes much too late in the game. And we barely get to see Fox at all. A decent mystery for the Christmas season, but not one of Marsh's strongest.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. ...more

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Feb 29, 2020 Jill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ngaio-marsh

Another one of Marsh's better books in my opinion. At first I did think oh no not another one where Troy is put in danger, but it didn't work out that way so was a relief. I thought we were given a good idea of the lay-out of the castle and also of the characters involved. The Christmas celebration was well described, so it was easy to realise what was going on. The older generations language was apt for who they were but I felt Marsh came unstuck with Cressida's (the younger generation) way of ...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing

Troy – Roderick Alleyn’s artist wife – is painting a portrait of Hillary, the eccentric owner of a country house called Halberds. It is snowing and close to Christmas and there is to be a house party which will include a distribution of presents to the local children by one of the guests dressed up as a cross between Father Christmas and a Druid. As the guests start to arrive it is clear there are tensions which are not helped by the guests’ knowledge that all the servants are murderers who have ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 ShanDizzy rated it liked it · review of another edition

"In that case you must now tell me what's up in the Bill-Tasman outfit. You sounded greatly put out this morning."
"Yes, well...all right. Hold on to your hat and fetch up all your willing suspicion of unbelief. You'll need it."
"I've heard of Bill-Tasman's experiment with villains for flunkies. Your letter seemed to suggest that it works."
"That was early days. That was a week ago. I didn't write again because there wasn't time. Now, listen."
Troy got about a third of the way through her narrative ...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, holiday

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"). ...more

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Dec 13, 2020 Connie Anne Kikta rated it it was ok

Shelves: listened-to-audio-book, dec-2020-group-reads

I just couldn't get into this book. I pushed my way thru just to see who the killer was. I was surprised. The last chapter was the only good one in my opinion. ...more

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