When in Rome - Feb 2020

[Susan]

Welcome to our buddy read of the twenty-sixth in the Roderick Alleyn series, first published in 1968.

Murder, blackmail and drug-dealing on the Tiber combine in one of Ngaio Marsh's liveliest and most evocative novels. When their guide disappears mysteriously in the depths of a Roman Basilica, the members of Mr Sebastian Mailer's tour group seem strangely unperturbed. But when a body is discovered in an Etruscan sarcophagus, Superintendent Alleyn, in Rome incognito on the trail of an international drug racket, is very much concerned...

Please do not post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

[Judy]

I have started this one, but am only a few pages in - looks like an intriguing mystery, and I think I will enjoy the setting in Rome. Who else is reading this?

[Susan]

I have started this, but haven't finished it yet. An interesting start though.

[Sandy]

I have it out of the library and will be starting soon.

[Jill]

I do feel this was one of Marsh's better books. I was surprised somewhat at the ending.

[Judy]

This is another one with a fantastic start that really gets you hooked right away, as with Death at the Dolphin. The author being stranded in Rome and meeting up with the creepy stranger is intriguing - the feel of it reminds me a bit of Daphne du Maurier at this point.

[Sandy]

I completely agree about the opening: dramatic storm, creepy stranger, mysterious cigarette ash. Quite Gothic!

[Judy]

Yes, Marsh is definitely getting away from the procedural feel of some of her earlier novels. This is also very much set in the 60s, with some of the slang etc! I do wish the murders would happen earlier in Marsh's books, though

[ShanDizzy]

I started it and was instantly hooked! But I noticed that I hadn't read the previous one 'Clutch of Constables' since I missed reading it in January with the group. So I set it aside and plowed through COC which was wonderful but couldn't wait to get back to this because of it's intriguing start.

[Susan]

I would agree - Marsh is really having a second wind in the Sixties. These are good mysteries, while Christie's book (always my favourite, but I'm being honest!) seemed a little weaker, as she aged.

[Judy]

Just a quick thought - I wonder how many languages Alleyn speaks, since he seems to be pretty fluent in Italian as well as French?

[Susan]

His brother is an Ambassador, isn't he? Perhaps they travelled a lot as children, or had tri-lingual nannies? I like the way Alleyn is a little touchy about his brother, which makes him more human.

[Susan]

I have nearly finished this now. It is not keeping my attention as well as the couple, previous to this, that I have read. Too many stereotypical characters and a pretty obvious plot. I do think Marsh has done well to tackle more modern themes though.

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "His brother is an Ambassador, isn't he? Perhaps they travelled a lot as children, or had tri-lingual nannies? I like the way Alleyn is a little touchy about his brother, which makes him more human."

Good point - I was thinking he just seemed to know every language that comes up, possibly because of his upper-crust background.

Quite a bit of 60s slang in this novel!

[Susan]

Yes, and to hear Fox saying, 'groovy' is worth the price of the book!

[Angie]

Would you believe I had to stop reading this book because the beginning was making me feel uncomfortable, "seedy." It might be because it had a drug theme. In any case, I felt creeped out by the Mailer character and shut the book. What a big baby I am. Well, I'll try another Roderick Alleyn some time. Perhaps an earlier title?

[Sandy]

I don't enjoy the drug plots much either. Not sure quite what it is, but they make me very uncomfortable.

[Judy]

Although I enjoyed the book, I agree about the drug plots not being a good topic for Marsh - I get the feeling she didn't know a lot about the theme, and all the people who take drugs seem to be rather stereotyped "weak" characters.

[Susan]

Mailer was a pretty creepy character!