Overture to Death (The Alleyn Mysteries)
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by elstaplador from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Dear reader, dear finder - thank you for coming here to see where this book has been so far. I hope you enjoy it. Do feel free to leave a journal entry below saying where you found it, what you thought of it, and what you intend to do with it.
Ngaio Marsh leaves her usual habitat of the professional stage in this one, and descends to the level of amateur theatricals in the village hall. Perhaps fortunately, we never get to see any of them (and I say this as a once-eager participant myself) as the murder happens before the curtain rises on the opening night.
I am getting better at picking up clues that aren't remarked on, and I got the identity of the murderer from one of these. I still can't be bothered to follow through and work out the boring opportunity bits, though. When you know how, you know who, etc, and who cares about when?
Aside from all that, the general setting left a rather nasty taste in my mouth. It was a dotty English village in spades, with not one but two cassock-clingers, and a scheming widow. Misogyny, much? Also Comic Dorset Accents, which made me cringe rather. Generally, an reasonably interesting mystery, but, like pretty much all of Marsh's, nothing that really elevates it to the level of greatness.
I am getting better at picking up clues that aren't remarked on, and I got the identity of the murderer from one of these. I still can't be bothered to follow through and work out the boring opportunity bits, though. When you know how, you know who, etc, and who cares about when?
Aside from all that, the general setting left a rather nasty taste in my mouth. It was a dotty English village in spades, with not one but two cassock-clingers, and a scheming widow. Misogyny, much? Also Comic Dorset Accents, which made me cringe rather. Generally, an reasonably interesting mystery, but, like pretty much all of Marsh's, nothing that really elevates it to the level of greatness.
Journal Entry 3 by elstaplador at Series Sampler, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, November 26, 2011
Released 12 yrs ago (11/26/2011 UTC) at Series Sampler, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Released in the Series Sampler bookbox. Enjoy!
Selected from the Series Sampler bookbox. I read a few Ngaio Marsh books as a teenager and enjoyed them. I wonder whether I'll enjoy this now, over 30 years later?