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Spinsters in Jeopardy (Roderick Alleyn, #17)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: May 1, 2019

Finish date: May 31, 2019

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The latest book in our Inspector Alleyn challenge.
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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
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What Members Thought

Apr 28, 2019 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

I have been reading through the Roderick Alleyn novels and am still a little undecided about what I think of them. Undoubtedly, Ngaio Marsh at her best is very good. I prefer Roderick Alleyn’s wife, Troy, to Wimsey’s Harriet (that is not Harriet’s fault, but the never ending, unrequited love story got rather trying) and have to admit that I prefer a Poirot, unencumbered by anyone, other than Hastings, to a married sleuth. In this novel, Alleyn is not only joined by Troy, but by a six year old so I have been reading through the Roderick Alleyn novels and am still a little undecided about what I think of them. Undoubtedly, Ngaio Marsh at her best is very good. I prefer Roderick Alleyn’s wife, Troy, to Wimsey’s Harriet (that is not Harriet’s fault, but the never ending, unrequited love story got rather trying) and have to admit that I prefer a Poirot, unencumbered by anyone, other than Hastings, to a married sleuth. In this novel, Alleyn is not only joined by Troy, but by a six year old son, Ricky, who appears precociously fully formed.

Although Marsh is excellent at times, there are simply too many books where she is quite average. This is one of those times. In terms of style, this is like an early Campion, with gangs and sects, secret ceremonies and strange goings on abroad. Bizarrely, Alleyn determines to link up an investigation in Europe, with a family holiday. Troy has a distant cousin who has been sending her letters and she is keen to put a face to the name. Therefore, despite the fact this could be a dangerous investigation into a drug gang, Alleyn, Troy and Ricky head off towards the Alps, by train.

Even before they arrive, both Alleyn and Troy witness a crime from the window of their train, while an elderly lady is taken ill on the train and, of course, the only doctor is staying at the house where they saw the crime happening. Enter odd group of, mainly English, eccentrics, mysterious and sinister leader and a lot of suspicious behaviour. Then, Ricky goes missing.

Although Marsh throws herself into a serious crime – the kidnapping of a young child, she is torn between revealing Troy’s obvious horror and reassuring the reader that all will be well. Another child has previously been kidnapped the local police commissioner informs Troy, and he enjoyed the experience so much he wanted to stay with the kidnappers! Surprisingly, this does not reassure Troy at all and her response is, by far, the most realistic part of this novel. Overall, I am not a great fan of gangs in Golden Age crime novels – the reason why I stumbled over the early Campion novels. If I had not read much better mysteries by Marsh, this one might have stopped me in my tracks, but, as it is, I know she could do better.

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Apr 20, 2019 Judy rated it liked it

Shelves: ngaio-marsh-challenge-2019

I'm currently reading through the Ngaio Marsh Roderick Alleyn mysteries in order for a challenge with the Reading the Detectives group on Goodreads. Although I'm enjoying them, some have become a bit samey - but that could never be said about this one, which is a completely bonkers thriller. It's one of the capers involving gangs, chases and glamorous locations which many Golden Age detective authors also wrote.

Alleyn, wife Troy and their unbelievably perfect and precocious six-year-old son Rick I'm currently reading through the Ngaio Marsh Roderick Alleyn mysteries in order for a challenge with the Reading the Detectives group on Goodreads. Although I'm enjoying them, some have become a bit samey - but that could never be said about this one, which is a completely bonkers thriller. It's one of the capers involving gangs, chases and glamorous locations which many Golden Age detective authors also wrote.

Alleyn, wife Troy and their unbelievably perfect and precocious six-year-old son Ricky, making his first appearance in the series, decide to go on a holiday to France. Well, actually it isn't completely a holiday, since Alleyn is being sent there on the trail of a fiendish drug gang. But he thinks it will be easy enough to combine sightseeing with exposing desperate criminals. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, for starters, there is a desperately ill British passenger on the train, and the Alleyns have to help find her medical care. There is also an early plot similarity with a famous element in 4:50 from Paddington - apparently seeing a crime through a train window - but Marsh got there first, as Christie's Miss Marple book was published four years later!

The plot soon thickens, involving a bizarre religious cult (not a million miles from previous Alleyn novel Death in Ecstasy), a long-lost cousin of Troy's, and various French characters whose conversation is translated word for word - so for instance they constantly refer to Ricky as "the small one" for "le petit".

While I found this an enjoyable romp, the plot is ludicrous and completely unbelievable, there is very little element of mystery, and I really don't think Marsh does capers as well as some other writers, such as Allingham. The adorable Ricky is also pretty insufferable, despite being amusing. And there's some stereotyping of both "spinsters" and Egyptian characters, which is disquieting although of its time.

(view spoiler) ...more

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May 06, 2019 Bev rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, marsh-challenge, mount-tbr-2019, bought-2016, vintage-mystery, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spinsters in Jeopardy (1953; aka The Bride of Death) is one of the most bizarre books by Ngaio Marsh. Here we have England sending one of its most celebrated Scotland Yard detectives "undercover" to infiltrate a drug ring. And, as if that's not enough, he's going to take along his wife who is just as celebrated (or perhaps more so) in her own right as an artist. To make everything look like a totally legit family vacay, we'll throw in an incredibly precocious six-year-old son as well.

On top of Spinsters in Jeopardy (1953; aka The Bride of Death) is one of the most bizarre books by Ngaio Marsh. Here we have England sending one of its most celebrated Scotland Yard detectives "undercover" to infiltrate a drug ring. And, as if that's not enough, he's going to take along his wife who is just as celebrated (or perhaps more so) in her own right as an artist. To make everything look like a totally legit family vacay, we'll throw in an incredibly precocious six-year-old son as well.

On top of this ludicrous set-up, we have coincidences galore...Troy's mysterious cousin just happens to be working at the factory which is producing the drugs. The cousin is also in the inner circle of Mr. Oberon, leader of the cult which serves as a cover for the thriving heroin business. A spinster (one of those who wind up in jeopardy) on the train out to Rouqueville falls deathly ill and, having no friends or relations with her and none in the immediate vicinity, Alleyn and family take her under their wing and manage to use her as an entree to the cult's home base. Because, of course, there is a spectacular surgeon who's part of Oberon's entourage and he can save the day for the spinster. Then...it winds up that Carbury Glande, a fellow painter who's bound to recognize Troy and blow the gaff in a most disastrous way, is also part of the entourage. Only he doesn't--blow the gaff, that is. How fortunate that he doesn't know that Troy has married a celebrated policeman. Though how he could not, is beyond me. Maybe he forgot.

And...Marsh seems to be trying to stuff every conceivable bit of criminal activity into this book that she can: murder, gangs, kidnapping, drug producing, drug pushing, drug taking, and maybe even a bit of fraud since the cult is definitely not what it claims to be. It's no wonder I read this just once before (back in the mists of time when I was reading my way through all the mysteries in my home town library) and never had a desire to read it again until I joined up for the Ngaio Marsh Reading Challenge on Goodreads. Though--to be fair, I don't really remember thinking it was quite such a mess the first time I read it. It just seems to me that Marsh couldn't settle down to what kind of story she wanted to tell. Thriller? International drug ring? Murder viewed from a train? Charismatic figure leading cult members into a life of crime? Oh...why don't we just do it all!

There were some bright points--mostly in characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Raoul and Therese in supporting roles and Troy and Alleyn are delightful as usual excepting a few scenes with them as parents. I don't think Marsh writes parenting scenes well consistently. To be quite honest, she could have left Ricky out of the story altogether and it would have suited me better. And, seriously, what policeman going undercover into a possibly dangerous situation would take along their six-year-old?

Definitely not one of Marsh's best novels.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. ...more

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Oct 22, 2020 Tracey rated it liked it · review of another edition

It's rather hard to give a Ngaio Marsh a middling (much less a low) rating; this was overwrought, racist, sexist, fat-shaming twaddle ... but it was very well-written twaddle. The family bits - even, remarkably, the bits about Alleyn's son Ricky - were lovely; character bits in general were lovely. Which is surprising to me because generally the appearance on the scene of a little boy with quite a bit of dialogue is going to be a death knell for a book - especially an audiobook. But Nadia May's ...more

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Jun 02, 2018 Nanosynergy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: series, british, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, fiction, fiction-1940s, 2018read

Shades of Agatha Christi's 4:50 from Paddington and Hitchcock's 1956 film The Man Who Knew Too Much. Perhaps Agatha Troy could have broken out singing Que Sera, Sera while they hunted for little "Ricky" (Hank). Nothing like a mystery involving the rescue of several traveling 'spinsters' involving from the fat evil guy who starts a cult which is a cover for an international drug ring. ...more

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May 14, 2019 Zander rated it liked it

Shelves: classic-queens-of-crime, ngaio-marsh

Spinsters in Jeopardy is what happens when a mystery writer decided to take on Reefer Madness, the suspense thriler of the 50's and yoga which was considered not the go-to exercise of suburban moms but edgy and occult in the 1950's.

Spinsters in Jeopardy has everything you'd expect in a Marsh story and more- drug dealers, cults, kidnapping, a romance you don't care about, trains, lowgrade racism and bias.

The start is a bit shaky because it makes no sense and it's hard for me to believe that peop ...more

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May 30, 2019 ShanDizzy rated it liked it · review of another edition

[A conversation between Alleyn and Raoul- the driver in Roqueville who picked up Alleyn and family from the train station]

"...It is known to the police here and in London that the Chevre d'Argent is used as a place of distribution in a particularly ugly trade."
"Women, Monsieur?"
"Drugs. Women, it seems are a purely personal interest. A sideline. I believe neither Dr. Baradi nor Mr. Oberon is a drug addict. They are engaged in the traffic from a business point-of-view. I think they have cultivated ...more

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May 19, 2011 Abbey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, own, myst-cosies, myst-set-andor-auth-uk, vintage, myst-police, myst-fems-project, series

1954, #17 Roderick Alleyn, vacationing with family, Southern France; superb genteel police procedural with creepy undertones; Also published as THE BRIDE OF DEATH.

A joint investigation by the CID and French police leads Alleyn undercover into an otherwise lovely small village that is dominated by some lordly bad guys. Drug dealers, occultists, interesting villiagers, and the titular “older ladies”, are all deftly delineated, and while stereotypes abound, they don’t bother the terrific pace nor t ...more

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Aug 21, 2021 Peggy rated it really liked it

Definitely one of my faves. Was surprised at one particularly negative reviews I read here. I found the criticisms strange. I really liked the drug theme and the weird cult aspect and never felt Ricky, their son, acted older than he was. I mean, look at his parents! Lol. The book has an eerie feel to it that sometimes comes out in her other books but never so strongly as in this one. Recommended.

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Jan 03, 2013 Katie rated it it was ok

Shelves: classic-mystery

I love Ngaio Marsh but can't recommend this one. Alleyn, one of my favorite detectives, was so unrecognizable that I wondered if this was a DIFFERENT Alleyn for a bit! The reefer madness and Satanic rites stuff seemed dated to me.

But, if you like classic mysteries, most of her other books are excellent! ...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Carol Evans rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery

Skip it. Read another of Marsh's instead. ...more

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Nov 27, 2018 Louise Culmer rated it liked it

Shelves: owned

Inspector Alleyn and his wife and son are on holiday in the South of France where they naturally get mixed up in something criminal (no fictional detective ever enjoys a holiday in peace). This is a very melodramatic story with a lot of long boring descriptions of esoteric rituals, there are some entertaining parts, but it is not one of her best works.

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Jun 23, 2019 Paperbackreader rated it liked it · review of another edition

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

When I start reading any of Marsh's Roderick Alleyn books, I start with the expectation that it would be a cozy mystery. Spinsters in Jeopardy, with gangs and cults and daring dos, is entertaining, but is not exactly cozy. It dampened my excitement a bit, but is overall an enjoyable read. ...more

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