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Swing, Brother, Swing (Roderick Alleyn #15)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: March 1, 2019

Finish date: March 31, 2019

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The next in our Inspector Alleyn challenge - also known as A Wreath for Rivera.
[close] The next in our Inspector Alleyn challenge - also known as A Wreath for Rivera.

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Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
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What Members Thought

Feb 20, 2019 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Published in 1949, this is the fifteenth in the Inspector Alleyn series. It centres around an eccentric peer, Lord Pastern and Bagott, who launches himself from one fad to another. His latest obsession involves joining Breezy Bellairs, the leader of a swing band, whose piano accordanist, the oily (of course!), Carlos Rivera, is making a play for his step-daughter, Felicite, known as Fee.

With Lord Pastern’s long suffering wife, Cecile, back in attendance, after a long separation – although mainl Published in 1949, this is the fifteenth in the Inspector Alleyn series. It centres around an eccentric peer, Lord Pastern and Bagott, who launches himself from one fad to another. His latest obsession involves joining Breezy Bellairs, the leader of a swing band, whose piano accordanist, the oily (of course!), Carlos Rivera, is making a play for his step-daughter, Felicite, known as Fee.

With Lord Pastern’s long suffering wife, Cecile, back in attendance, after a long separation – although mainly as Lord Pastern’s obsession with Swing music, has led him back to London, where she was residing, and her deep resistance to Rivera’s attentions towards her daughter, tensions are rife. The solution seems to involve inviting Carlisle, Lord Pastern’s niece, and well regarded by Cecile, to stay with the family – a move welcomed by both Cecile and her husband. Edward Manx, a writer, and Lord Pastern’s cousin, also joins the house party.

Of course, what evolves, are various rows, emotional attachments, scenes and, eventually, murder. A bizarre stunt to shoot Rivera onstage, during one of Lord Pastern’s songs, results in a real death, with Alleyn and Troy, at the next table. Although it stretches credulity that Alleyn – and, indeed, his wife – would wish to spend the evening watching Breezy Bellairs and the Boys, it puts them on the scene and allows him to investigate with the help of the stolid Fox and a late entrance by journalist, Nigel Bathgate. This mystery involves an annoyingly eccentric peer, murder, blackmail and drugs, as well as a side story about who is secretly responsible for the agony page in a magazine.

Although this novel does feature some nice moments – there is a lovely scene where Fox discovers he is to be a godfather, for example, much of this mystery is a bit of a flat squib. It loses focus and doesn’t use characters well. Carlisle, in particular, who is a foil for much of the plot, seems to have her story unresolved at the end. Marsh does not ‘wrap up,’ her books as well as Christie, who was always adept at gathering all of the characters, however minor, and resolving their stories satisfactorily. Still, I am enjoying her books and will continue the series.

Rated 3.5
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Sep 19, 2018 ShanDizzy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fox shifted bulkily in his chair and contemplated his superior officer for some moments. "I know it seems funny," he said at last. Leaving evidence all over the place: making no attempt to clear himself: piling up a case against himself, you might say. But then he is funny. Would you say he was not responsible within the meaning of the act?"

Alleyn replied "I'm never sure what is the precise meaning of the infernal act. Responsible. Not responsible. Who's to mark a crucial division in the stream ...more

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Mar 08, 2019 Sandy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: rread-2019, mystery-detective-grp, mystery-classic, zngaio-challenge-2019

Not my favorite. Slow beginning, unlikely murder method and confusing ending. Good visit with Alleyn, Fox and Troy however.

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Apr 10, 2019 Bev rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, audionovel, mystery, virtual-mount-tbr-2019, vintage-mystery

When I finished reading the hard copy, I noticed that the library had a book on CD read by James Saxon. I thought it would be interesting to see how he did reading the Marsh novel. Saxon does an excellent job with all the voices and it made running around in the car and fun experience.

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Mar 17, 2019 Tracey rated it liked it

Shelves: ngaio-marsh-challenge

An enjoyable read involving an eccentric peer, a jazz club and an agony uncle. And the metronome display sounds amazing!

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May 07, 2019 Paperbackreader rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: all-collections, read-but-unowned, classic, mystery, detective, inspector-roderick-alleyn, fay-pub-lib, audiobook

As a murder mystery, it was okay. The way the crime was committed and who the perpetrator turned out to be were quite ingenious. However, most of the characters were not properly sketched. As a result, they were kind of one-dimensional. The eccentric man was eccentric, the "normal" men were starchily so , the "normal" women were watery, and the rest were shrill, melodramatic, and unreasonable. Overall, an okay read. ...more

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Mar 04, 2019 Jill rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jill-s-fifth-year-challenge-plan, ngaio-marsh

This did come over as the usual Marsh. A dysfunctional, upper class family, with a very eccentric Lord. I was hoping for more info about Jazz at this time, but instead we got drugs ,and romance, and umbrellas.
Right from the actual murder, I realised there was no way that what they thought could have happened, did happen, because of the instrument the victim played.
On the whole another let down from Marsh.

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