From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Artists in Crime (Roderick Alleyn, #6)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: June 1, 2018

Finish date: June 30, 2018

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The next book in our Ngaio Marsh challenge, considered by many people to be one of her best.
[close] The next book in our Ngaio Marsh challenge, considered by many people to be one of her best.

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Group Challenges

* Oct 25: A Murder Is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 4 posts · 8 views

last updated 3 hours, 0 min ago

* Oct 25: A Murder Is Announced (1950) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 1 post · 7 views

last updated Sep 14, 2025 10:32PM

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What Members Thought

Jun 05, 2021 Lady Wesley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-golden-age-or-similar, mystery-with-a-touch-of-romance, listened

I am on a Ngaio Marsh audiobook jag, and this one was delightful. There is a great mystery, although especially gruesome, and Detective Superintendent Alleyn meets his future wife. Forward.

6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2021 Jazzy Lemon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, new-zealand-authors

An artist's model is killed in plain sight - but what happened? ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 14, 2018 Sahifa rated it really liked it

Shelves: ngaio-marsh-challenge

Brilliant and Beautiful! I won't be lying if I say that I had gradually developed a strong affinity towards Ngaio Marsh's work. I would categorically and clearly state that there is nothing like Christie and hopefully would never be (here comes again my christie fandom). But It won't be an exaggeration to say that Ngaio Marsh has succeeded in carving her own space in my heart and also on my bookshelves.
I was introduced to her books towards a detective fiction challenge and to fill up the Christi ...more

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Oct 10, 2016 Laura Hannaway rated it it was amazing

I loved this! By far the best in the series so far! In previous novels I've admired Alleyn's intelligence but disliked aspects of his character and on the whole felt he was rather shallow. However in Artists in Crime I felt that Marsh finally let us see his true character, and I really liked him. I loved his relationship with his mother (who was wonderful) and I enjoyed seeing him with Fox (their easy camaraderie always appears natural) and I absolutely adored how flustered he was over Agatha Tr ...more

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Oct 26, 2017 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, mysteries

Nadia May does a marvelous narration of this entry in the Alleyn series. I have a fondness for this one, in which Alleyn first meets Agatha Troy.

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Nov 24, 2019 Becky rated it it was ok

Two and a half stars. The beginning is nice and interesting but it gets somehow dull along the way.

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May 24, 2018 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: ngaio-marsh

I didn't like this book as much as the one before , but it was still a good plot. I liked Alleyn's mother and hope we see more of her in future books. Fox was up to his usual standard of "sidekick", funny but respectful, and Bathgate was just Bathgate. I wasn't keen on the romantic side of the story, and after Alleyn's history with the ladies , I rather think Troy was probably best turning him down.. I'm wondering if she will turn up again in future books . ...more

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