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Scales of Justice (Roderick Alleyn, #18)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: June 1, 2019

Finish date: June 30, 2019

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The next in the Ngaio Marsh/Roderick Alleyn challenge.
[close] The next in the Ngaio Marsh/Roderick Alleyn challenge.

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

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

This, the eighteenth, in the Roderick Alleyn series, was published in 1955 and is set in a changing world. Not that you would know it from the idyllic village of Swevenings, a classic setting for a Golden Age mystery. However, the local families, who have all lived there for centuries, are beset with old feuds and secrets, while incomers, who are ‘not quite,’ endure the frosty politeness of an outsider. These families are viewed from the complacent snobbery of local, Nurse Kettle, who travels ar ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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

Scales of Justice (1955) is one of Ngaio Marsh's most classically British mysteries. In fact, despite its 1955 printing date, it has a very pre-WWII feel to it. It is set in the standard small charming village with all the familiar figures--former British military types (Colonel Carterette, the murderee, and Commander Syce, an inebriate ex-navy man); the local landed gentry represented by Lady Lacklander and her son (recently elevated to Sir George Lacklander after the death of his father); the Scales of Justice (1955) is one of Ngaio Marsh's most classically British mysteries. In fact, despite its 1955 printing date, it has a very pre-WWII feel to it. It is set in the standard small charming village with all the familiar figures--former British military types (Colonel Carterette, the murderee, and Commander Syce, an inebriate ex-navy man); the local landed gentry represented by Lady Lacklander and her son (recently elevated to Sir George Lacklander after the death of his father); the nosy middle-aged woman (this time Nurse Kettle,the county nurse), the romantic young couple (Dr. Mark Lacklander--George's son--and Rose Carteretts--the Colonel's daughter; and the Outsider in the form of Colonel Carterette's second (much younger) wife. There's a nice, healthy on-going feud between Carterette and his neighbor Mr. Octavius Danberry-Phinn over fishing rights and the attempt to catch the Old Un (a rather spectacular trout).

Then Carterette manages to alienate his friends the Lacklanders when Sir Harold (while on his deathbed) commissions the colonel with taking charge of and seeing to the publication of his memoirs. That wouldn't be so bad, but Sir Harold had made some alterations and confessions that the family would rather not see the light of day. Sir George has a huge row with Carterette and tells him that any understanding between their children is now off. This is followed by another loud disagreement with Danberry-Phinn over the Old Un...and then later that evening, Nurse Kettle stumbles across the Colonel's body with the disputed fish lying beside it.

Lady Lacklander doesn't want the local bobby mucking up the investigation, so she calls in favors at Scotland Yard and asks that Inspector Alleyn take up the case. Because he is a gentleman. And..because she knew him when he was young and it appears that she thinks she may be able to manipulate him into hushing things up. She and her family also think they can keep Sir Harold's skeletons firmly in the closet. She and her family would be wrong. As they soon learn, Alleyn may be a gentleman but he is also a dedicated copper and will follow up every lead, no matter how fishy* until he has identified the murderer.

This really is quite good. There is a lot of humor in the book. Marsh pokes fun at the class distinctions--particularly the Lacklanders--without making them into caricatures. The country village setting is well done and we're given a nice overview of the landscape and social set-up in the opening with Nurse Kettle. Marsh lays a good trail of clues with a nice batch of red herrings mixed in (mixed better than my metaphors, I'm happy to add). Though I show on my reading list that I'd read this one, I had no memory of having done so and little more of the production with Patrick Malahide as Alleyn, so Marsh was able to lead me up the garden path for quite a bit of the book. I did manage to untangle the clues before Alleyn explained it all, but not long before. Overall, a satisfying read.

*forgive me, I couldn't resist

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

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Dec 05, 2021 Lady Wesley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-golden-age-or-similar, listened, 2021-faves

Review of the audiobook narrated by Phillip Franks.

Scales of Justice may be my favorite Alleyn book. The characters were well done and the mystery was intriguing. It is “cozy,” but not there. The interplay between Alleyn and Fox is delightful.

Phillip Franks’ narration is spot on. I enjoyed his performance much more than James Saxon, who did the majority of Marsh’s books. Nadia May also narrated several Marsh titles, but her mispronunciation of Alleyn’s name is bothersome.

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Apr 12, 2018 Paperbackreader rated it it was ok

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

At times, Ngaio Marsh can be very classist. Scales of Justice is even more classist than usual. But it is also very dull. Not one of Marsh's best. ...more

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Sep 08, 2019 Leslie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, kindle

3.5*

Quite enjoyable mystery involving fish scales (!).

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May 26, 2019 Jill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ngaio-marsh

Some strange characters in this one, but certainly had me guessing. Alleyn entered quite early on, so kept my interest,which makes everything go quicker.

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