2019 Challenge - Ngaio Marsh Part Two

[Susan]

As there are still so many Ngaio Marsh books to go, we have decided to continue the challenge into 2019. So far, there has been a good reaction to Marsh and she is truly one of the four Queens of Crime.

Details of the books to be read in 2019 will be listed nearer the time, but we hope that you will keep reading with us into the next year!

[Judy]

Thanks for announcing this, Susan - really looking forward to reading more Marsh together. :)

[Jill]

That is great news, as I was wondering how I would fit another series in as well as continuing this one and the others we have going. So good to hear.

[Susan]

Yes, I think that was one reason for our decision, Jill. We are just juggling a lot of series now and it is a shame not to try to finish Marsh, now we have started!

[Tania]

I would love to jion in if I can. I still have a reservation active on a collection of the first 3 books A Man Lay Dead / Enter a Murderer / The Nursing Home Murder which I placed in Feburary. I will go and see if I can chase this up. If not, I might just start the next collection and try to catch up for 2019.

[Bev]

I'm definitely in for continuing with Marsh!

[Susan]

Tania, please feel free to start anywhere - the beginning does seem a good place, and all the threads remain open.

Good to hear, Bev!

[Tara]

So excited to hear this! I was planning on finishing the series myself anyway, so this will save me having yet another series in the works as well.

[Susan]

I am really enjoying Marsh and I do think we just have too many series running together - but it is hard to resist any of them!

[Susan]

As everyone knows, we are planning to continue our Ngaio Marsh challenge next year. We have already read books 1-12, so next year, we will be reading the following titles:

Jan - Book 13. Died in the Wool (1944)
Feb - Book 14. Final Curtain (1947)
March - Book 15. A Wreath for Rivera (1949)
aka Swing, Brother, Swing
April - Book 16. Night at the Vulcan (1951)
aka Opening Night
May - Book 17. Spinsters in Jeopardy (1953)
aka The Bride of Death
June - Book 18. Scales of Justice (1955)
July - Book 19. Death of a Fool (1956)
aka Off with His Head
August - Book 20. Singing in the Shrouds (1958)
September - Book 21. False Scent (1959)
October - Book 22. Hand in Glove (1962)
November - Book 23. Dead Water (1963)
December - Book 24. Killer Dolphin (1966)
aka Death at the Dolphin

There are further Marsh books in the series:

25. Clutch of Constables (1968)
26. When in Rome (1968)
27. Tied Up in Tinsel (1972)
28. Black As He's Painted (1974)
29. Last Ditch (1976)
30. A Grave Mistake (1978)
31. Photo Finish (1980)
32. Light Thickens (1982)
33. Money in the Morgue (2018) (with Stella Duffy)

Rather than continue the Marsh challenge into a further year, we will run the remaining nine books as Buddy Reads.

[Judy]

Thank you, Susan! I'm really looking forward to carrying on with Marsh.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Judy wrote: "Thank you, Susan! I'm really looking forward to carrying on with Marsh."

If i have copies, I'm definitely up for Died in the Wool & Death at the Dolphin. The latter was my favourite of Marsh's mysteries when I was younger.

[True.magic]

Great news, I really enjoyed reading most of Ngaio Marsh books, Looking forward to read the rest of the series.

[Jill]

It will be so good to finish a series!

[Susan]

Well, we've already finished Dorothy L. Sayers and Miss Marple, so we're doing well :) Ngaio Marsh will take us longer, but we'll get there.

[Agnesh]

So, I am very new to Marsh. I plan on reading the 2019 challenge books. Do the books have anything in common that I would miss out on if not read in order? I assume not.

[Judy]

Agnesh wrote: "So, I am very new to Marsh. I plan on reading the 2019 challenge books. Do the books have anything in common that I would miss out on if not read in order? I assume not."

I think the mysteries work fine on their own, Agnesh, though Inspector Alleyn's character and relationships with his wife and colleagues do build up through the books. Great that you plan to join us.

[Jill]

Agnesh wrote: "So, I am very new to Marsh. I plan on reading the 2019 challenge books. Do the books have anything in common that I would miss out on if not read in order? I assume not."

Only that you will be late to the discussions from the rest of us as we read through them in order. Or too early.

[Susan]

Has anyone read the later books? If you have, how do you think they compare?

[Judy]

2019 is here, and this challenge is now open for signing up! Many thanks to Susan for setting it up.

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

[Abigail]

Very excited to join in with this and plan on reading the first 12 as well - I’ve not ready any Marsh at all!!

[Sandy]

Abigail wrote: "Very excited to join in with this and plan on reading the first 12 as well - I’ve not ready any Marsh at all!!"

Hope you enjoy them. I didn't like the first very much so don't get discouraged.

[Susan]

I think I enjoyed the earliest ones best, so I guess it just depends on the reader.

[Emma]

Susan wrote: "Has anyone read the later books? If you have, how do you think they compare?"

I think they vary enormously in quality, and (like Poirot) they suffer a bit from having Alleyn not change much or be portrayed as significantly older than in the earlier books. 'When In Rome' is particularly egregious in this respect. I enjoyed 'False Scent' and 'Light Thickens' for the characters, but found the mystery / elucidation of the murder a bit obvious in both.

[Susan]

That's interesting, Emma. Especially for such a long running series!

[Judy]

I just wondered if there are any interviews with Ngaio Marsh online, and found this documentary about her life from New Zealand TV, which starts with an interview - I think Lesley may have posted this link a while back.

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/thre...

I've only watched the beginning so far but it looks interesting.

[Judy]

I was sorry to see today that William Simons, who played Fox in the TV adaptations, has died. Sorry, I’m on my phone so can’t post a link.

[Susan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainm...

Here's a link, Judy.

[Judy]

Thanks for posting the link, Susan.

[Michaela]

As I just joined, I have a question: As I never read Marsh before, can I start with any book you´ll be reading in the future, or should I first read one of her first mysteries?

[Judy]

I think these later books in the series tend to be fine to read on their own - the earlier ones follow in order a bit more.

[Michaela]

Thanks Judy, hope to jump in in September!

[ShanDizzy]

I just joined the waitlist for False Scent on archive.org since my local library doesn't have it. Hopefully it'll be my turn before September starts.

[Susan]

I would agree, Judy. The later books are all stand-alones.

[Judy]

Hope you don't have to wait for too long for the book, ShanDizzy. And great news that you hope to join in, Michaela.

[Sue]

Michaela wrote: "As I just joined, I have a question: As I never read Marsh before, can I start with any book you´ll be reading in the future, or should I first read one of her first mysteries?"

I've dipped in and out of the series and haven't noticed any problems Michaela. And I hope you have fun with them! She's a great author, even though I found I liked some much more than others.

[ShanDizzy]

Judy wrote: "Hope you don't have to wait for too long for the book, ShanDizzy. And great news that you hope to join in, Michaela."

I just got notification that False Scent is available for me to checkout! Yay! Here's the cover of the edition I'm to read . I love the retro covers.

[Susan in NC]

ShanDizzy wrote: "Judy wrote: "Hope you don't have to wait for too long for the book, ShanDizzy. And great news that you hope to join in, Michaela."

I just got notification that False Scent is available for me to c..."

That is classic! Lucky you, my library doesn’t have this one, probably have to opt for Audible.

[Judy]

Glad it came through, ShanDizzy.

[Michaela]

We only have a few Marsh mysteries here in the Viennese libraries, and those in German, so I bought False Scent for my kindle, as the physical books are quite expensive. I hope it will be good! ;)