A Grave Mistake - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

Welcome to our June buddy read of A Grave Mistake by Ngaio Marsh. This is the 30th Roderick Alleyn mystery, first published in 1978.

Despite two husbands being dead and a daughter marrying the wrong man, no one believed Sybil Foster was the type to commit suicide, especially Superintenent Roderick Alleyn. For the field was ripe with unfortunate engagements - one of them a very grave mistake...

Like our recent read, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, postage stamps play a part in this mystery.

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

[Jill]

To me, this is one of Marsh's better books, I did in fact like it a lot. I found more humour and much entertainment in the conversations between Alleyn and Fox. I felt Marsh did a good job at bringing the characters in this one to life.

[Judy]

I enjoyed this one too, Jill - I thought there were some good characters and liked Verity Preston in particular.

Funny that a rare stamp features in this one as well as in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - as they say about buses, you wait ages for a mystery featuring a postage stamp, and then two come along at once! ;)

[Susan]

So, stamps. I may be wrong about this, but I have read that the only stamps featuring Tsar's were released in 1913 to commemorate the Romanov dynasty and that - as people in the Post Office were so unwilling to postmark them and deface the Tsar's face, they were never used again, as people were so worried about getting into trouble, or simply too respectful. However, I see from the following link, that there were some printed through WWI, up to the revolution.

https://www.stamp-collecting-world.co...

[Judy]

Thank you for the stamp link, Susan - very interesting. I can't see a black one like the 'Black Alexander' in the book!

[Susan]

I recall reading about it in a biography of Nicholas and Alexandra. Nicholas was interested by the stamps featuring Queen Victoria and wanted to replicate the idea, but it caused such a furore it was dropped - except for, perhaps, collectable stamps? I remember looking and most had the Romanov crest, rather than a face.

The Penny Black was the first postage stamp in the world, as far as I know.

[Susan]

I have finished this now and really enjoyed it. It has been a long trek, but I am quite pleased that Ngaio Marsh has not disappointed, towards the end.

[Tracey]

I enjoyed this one too. Good humour and likeable characters, particularly Verity Preston and Mrs Jobs.

Bruce was always my suspect from the start. Though I didn't quite imagine that the grave would have two bodies in it! After reading all these Marsh books I should have guessed that the title bears a big clue.

I've not read the sweetness at the bottom of the pie. Though the missing rare stamp plot does sound familiar, though I can't remember where I've read (or seen) it.

[Tara]

Tracey wrote: "I enjoyed this one too. Good humour and likeable characters, particularly Verity Preston and Mrs Jobs.

Bruce was always my suspect from the start. Though I didn't quite imagine that the grave wou..."

I did not pick up on the title clue either Tracey until my husband asked me the name of the book I was reading, and for some reason saying it out loud, and being at a certain point in the book, made me realize that Claude had to be in the grave. Bruce may have been a bad actor (in the ham category) with his over the top Scots accent, but his reaction to finding out he was working for the former Mrs. Carter seemed genuine. He at least had an air of an honest working man, which is more than I can say about Basil Smythe/Schramm. You would think by her third husband, Sybil would have had more sense to not pick a grifter.
I also really liked Verity Preston, and wouldn't mind an afternoon tea under her lime trees. I found the scene with the Vicar when they had to dig up the gravesite to be particularly touching, although I cannot say why exactly.
Poor Alleyn getting smashed in the face with a brick! The fact that he wasn't more seriously injured at his age is a miracle!

[Sandy]

I liked this book a lot and was very sorry Smythe/Schramm did not get his 'just deserts'. I checked Google in hopes that Concorde flight 123 had crashed.

I quite liked the murderer! I suppose I should have trusted Verity's opinion of him but I thought I knew better. I may have been swayed by Whimsy's relationship to his batman, Bunter.

I found it a bit strange that Prue ended up with the stamp as she and Charmless Claude weren't really related.

I picture Verity as a frequent guest of Prue, her husband, and father-in-law, being wined and dined in a style to which she becomes accustomed.

Wonderful interactions between Alleyn and Fox. They certainly developed an excellent relationship, both working and personal . A good last visit with Alleyn and Marsh (as I've already read the final book).

[Rosina]

Sandy wrote: "I found it a bit strange that Prue ended up with the stamp as she and Charmless Claude weren't really related. "

If Captain Carter left the stamp to his wife, Sybil, by name or as part of the general estate, rather than to his son, then it would pass to Prue on her death, even though it had been missing between the two deaths.

[Sandy]

Rosina wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I found it a bit strange that Prue ended up with the stamp as she and Charmless Claude weren't really related. "

If Captain Carter left the stamp to his wife, Sybil, by name or as pa..."

That makes sense. Thank you.