Scales of Justice (1955) by Ngaio Marsh - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

Welcome to our June, 2019, challenge book. Published in 1955, this is the eighteenth in the Roderick Alleyn series.

A brutal murder with a golf club and an ingenious plot bursting with snobbery, suspicion , adultery and secrets – to say nothing of the dreadful crime of catricide…

The lives of the inhabitants of Swevenings are disrupted only by a fierce competition to catch the Old Un, a monster trout known to dwell in a beautiful stream which winds past their homes.

Then one of their small community is found brutally murdered; beside him is the freshly killed trout. Both died by violence – but Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn’s murder investigation seems to be much more interested in the fish…

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Bicky]

An unsatisfactory Marsh. From the beginning, there was a sense of unreality which continued till the end.

I found it it incredible that anybody writing their memoirs or autobiography would out themselves as a traitor.

Old men do not belittle their accomplishments and definitely not to the extent of ruining their legacy. Yes, they might boast of activities which make their families uncomfortable, but not this.

With such a bad secret and if I was Lady Lacklander, I would never have asked for Alleyn as I would have known that he will not be cowed down as he does not belong to a lower class.

Kitty's motivation was also not convincing despite the snide reference to her 'savage little brain' and the replacement of the fish too complicated. She could have just thrown it away.

However, the deduction about the daisies, golf club and shoes, and the Colonel continuing with his activities were fine pieces of reasoning.

I also liked Nurse Kettle though I think Marsh was slightly harsh with her as the provider of comic relief.

Incidentally what role does Fox actually play in arriving at the solution in this series?

[Rosina]

I find it hard to decide on this one. I actually enjoyed the book, but looking back, I don't think much of the murder, the motives, the investigation, or some of the characters. I agree with Bicky above that the idea that Sir Harold would boast of his treachery in his posthumous autobiography is unbelievable (although there was a great deal of admiration for Hitler before the true colours of the Nazis were revealed, so that isn't so surprising). And I found that the way that everyone hedged and hesitated, refusing to explain things to Alleyn, was overdone to the point of parody. And the actual motive for the murder seems stretched. A case of taking a punt, in the gambling sense ...

Alleyn took the whole thing too casually, I felt, and I am not happy at the serendipity of finding out about scales from randomly glancing at a book written by the victim - nor do I find the talking to the ridiculously named cat cute, as I assume is intended.

Because I listened to this, I find it difficult to check those points I've forgotten, so I'd be grateful to know when the police first identified the initial murder weapon (and when, acting upon that discovery, they seized all the relevant clubs, and had them examined ...) I can't remember that bit happening at all!

[Judy]

I've finished this now and have rather mixed feelings - I enjoyed the story, the village atmosphere and the characters, and it was interesting to see hints of romantic feelings from Fox! But I was disappointed by the ending.

I thought we had been given quite a few indications that it was one of the "insiders". I was even wondering if we were going to get a real shock twist for once, and young lover Mark would be the killer, especially when Rose suddenly feels frightened of him and wishes she had gone home with Kitty. But then it turns out to be the most convenient culprit, who Alleyn had said earlier that everyone was hoping for.

[Judy]

On the weapon, I think Alleyn suddenly realises late on that it is a golf club, but I didn't follow whether they seized all the clubs - there is such a lot about testing clothing, shoes etc that I may have missed that mention.

[Sandy]

I've just come to this thread having finished last night, and Susan's blurb at the start of the thread (copied from some where I'm sure) mentions the golf club as the murder weapon. Quite a spoiler as Alleyn spends a good part of the investigation determining the weapon.

[Jill]

I think it came from dear old Amazon.

[Sandy]

As stated by many, I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed reading it very much, liked all the characters so was 'content' with the murderer's identity. I was torn between having Nurse Kettle save the alcoholic sea captain vs. meeting her again if she and Fox developed a relationship. My biggest annoyance was with the young couple who were just too lovey-dovey for me.

But I found the murder from the boat with both a golf club and the shooting stick far fetched (reminded me of sliding down the bannister while using a blow gun) as was Alleyn's turning to the exact page in the trout book. I did buy into the confession in the memoir but was less convinced by the secrecy.

[Judy]

I didn't work anything out from the golf club or shooting stick, I must say - or from the fish scales come to that. It was all a bit beyond my limited powers of detection!

[Judy]

P.S. I really wanted Nurse Kettle to get together with Fox - I thought Alleyn was a bit unsympathetic to him, teasing him a lot when his feelings seemed to be genuine.

[Sandy]

A rant: The library book I read had been marked up (neatly) by a prior reader, questioning or disagreeing with various passages. I found this annoying but the one that really riled me was that they underlined and questioned the word 'standing' when Alleyn explained the punt boat. So frustrating to only be able to yell at the printed page.

[Susan in NC]

Judy wrote: "P.S. I really wanted Nurse Kettle to get together with Fox - I thought Alleyn was a bit unsympathetic to him, teasing him a lot when his feelings seemed to be genuine."

Thank you, I felt the same about Nurse Kettle and Fox - and also felt Alleyn was not very sympathetic of his old friend’s feelings.

I am just getting to chapter 11 now, and agree with you up above, all the talk of golf club, shooting stick, arrow, and fish scales went right over my head - I thought it was because I was listening while knitting- glad I wasn’t the only one!

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "A rant: The library book I read had been marked up (neatly) by a prior reader, questioning or disagreeing with various passages. I found this annoying but the one that really riled me was that they..."

How rude, marking up a library book! Sorry, I’m old school, still feel like people should whisper in libraries, not speak on their cellphones, dog ear the pages, and never, ever, mark up the pages! (I can hear the very strict nun who was our librarian in grade school spinning in her grave...)

[Susan in NC]

Sandy wrote: "As stated by many, I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed reading it very much, liked all the characters so was 'content' with the murderer's identity. I was torn between having Nurse Kettle save the alc..."

Yes, I’m almost finished and have enjoyed it very much as well, but all the secrecy about the memoirs, while understandable, was getting old - it was a murder investigation, for heaven’s sake, did they really think they could hush the treason up, scandalous as it was for an old family? I did enjoy Marsh’s ruminations about old families, and the changes wrought by two world wars, as voiced by Alleyn and Fox and their discussions. Lady Lacklander was quite the grande dame! Got tired of all the references to her size, though, al right, all ready, she’s fat, got it!

Speaking of Lady L, I agree with Bicky above - why ask for Alleyn if you want to cover up a scandal? Do you think she figured he, being “one of them”, would somehow be willing to overlook it or sweep it under the rug or something?

[Susan]

Talking of Lady L and her asking Alleyn to investigate, who was interested in the way that class was handled? It seemed to be such a huge part of the book. You have Nurse Kettle, who 'knows her place,' the new wife, who sneers at the upper class, while being attracted by the money and the old money, who are just not sure how to behave with the interlopers. That was cleverly signposted by Lady L's addressing 'Kettle,' in different ways, depending on circumstances, I felt.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Talking of Lady L and her asking Alleyn to investigate, who was interested in the way that class was handled? It seemed to be such a huge part of the book. You have Nurse Kettle, who 'knows her pla..."

Yes, I noted that in my review as one of the things I found interesting in the book, the whole idea of these old families in this rural corner of England, still so caught up in family honor and their due, calling the shots - mostly we see it through Alleyn’s ruminations, but Kettle seems to refer to it in some of her internal musings, and I think one or more of the local police refer to it when Alleyn and Fox arrive.

[Lesley]

I thought the writing style seemed a little more relaxed and without the pompous literary style that can sometimes prevail in her writing.

It was also a story centred around the gentry without any inclusion of the hoi polloi as is usual, and this was the reason Lady L requested Alleyn be brought in to investigate the murder - keep it in the 'family' so to speak. Did anyone else notice how Fox, a member of the lesser classes, was pushed so far into the background he almost disappeared! He just seemed non-existent to the family even though he was part of the investigations.

Along that line - the focus being on the gentry - I was surprised at this point in time Marsh chose that as a theme when surely a more 'blended' society would be emerging by now?

I remember reading this at school and that it was an enjoyable read with a good mystery. I found it equally so this time, although I don't think the class thing stood out as much then as now.

[Lesley]

I do wish Fox, who developed a penchant for Nurse Kettle, had been allowed to become involved with her. He deserves to have that.

And I got a little lost with the discussion on the scales other than to understand different fish have different scales. It all became a little complex for me. The missing chapter also was a little too drawn out, and I found my mind wandering a bit. :)

[Susan in NC]

Lesley wrote: "I thought the writing style seemed a little more relaxed and without the pompous literary style that can sometimes prevail in her writing.

It was also a story centred around the gentry without an..."

That’s so true - I realized as I was reading that Fox was pretty much invisible. That certainly fit in with many GA country house murder mysteries I’ve read in the past, where the presence of the police was barely tolerated and seen as fodder for scandalous gossip!

I agree, also, the writing style, along with the setting, I guess, seemed a bit more relaxed, and perhaps, in my mind, not written with staging as a play in mind - not surprising, given Marsh’s background in theater. I often feel she writes as if she’s already envisioning the action as a play. This one kind of felt more like Final Curtain, probably because of the country house setting, and the melodramatic Ancreds - “Occy” would’ve fit in with them, I felt!

[Susan in NC]

Lesley wrote: "I do wish Fox, who developed a penchant for Nurse Kettle, had been allowed to become involved with her. He deserves to have that.

And I got a little lost with the discussion on the scales other th..."

Me, too! I was listening while knitting, and I admit my mind wandered on that bit.

I had hoped Nurse Kettle and Fox might make a match of it, but I guess in all fairness, the Commander certainly needs her more. And I do think she’s one of those people who really feel called to serve and heal, corny as that sounds these days.

As for the anachronistic feudal vibe, I agree, it does seem odd for the postwar time.