A Man Lay Dead is a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh; it is the first novel to feature Roderick Alleyn, and was first published in 1934. The plot concerns a murder committed during a detective game of murder at a weekend party in a country house. Although there is a side-plot focused on Russians, ancient weapons, and secret societies, the murder itself concerns a small group of guests at Sir Hubert Handesley's estate. The guests include Angela North (Sir Hubert's niece), Charles Rankin (a 46- or 47-year-old man about town), Nigel Bathgate (Charles's cousin and a gossip reporter), Rosamund Grant, and Mr and Mrs Arthur Wilde. Also in attendance are an art expert and a Russian butler. Unlike later novels, this novel is more focused on Nigel Bathgate and less so on Alleyn.
During the detective game of murder, one of the guests is secretly selected to be the murderer, …
A Man Lay Dead is a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh; it is the first novel to feature Roderick Alleyn, and was first published in 1934. The plot concerns a murder committed during a detective game of murder at a weekend party in a country house. Although there is a side-plot focused on Russians, ancient weapons, and secret societies, the murder itself concerns a small group of guests at Sir Hubert Handesley's estate. The guests include Angela North (Sir Hubert's niece), Charles Rankin (a 46- or 47-year-old man about town), Nigel Bathgate (Charles's cousin and a gossip reporter), Rosamund Grant, and Mr and Mrs Arthur Wilde. Also in attendance are an art expert and a Russian butler. Unlike later novels, this novel is more focused on Nigel Bathgate and less so on Alleyn.
During the detective game of murder, one of the guests is secretly selected to be the murderer, with a victim of his own choosing. At the time of the murderer's choice, he taps the victim on the shoulder, indicating that "You're the corpse". At that point, the lights go out, a gong rings, and then everyone assembles to determine who did it. It is all intended to be light-hearted fun, except that the corpse is for real.
A Man Lay Dead was the first novel Marsh had written, although she had written some plays and short stories. In years to come she would "cringe at the thought of her first novel with its barely plausible story line, shallow characterization and confined setting, but it was her entrée to crime fiction writing" and exemplifies the cozy detective novel form, set in a single main setting (the country house mystery).
Marsh says that she started writing about Alleyn in 1931 when the Murder Game was popular at English weekend parties. After reading a detective story by Christie or Sayers on a wet Saturday afternoon in London she wondered whether she could write something in the genre and bought six exercise books and a pencil at a local stationer's.
Review of 'A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
After my disappointment with Dorothy Sayers first novel, this novel was not a big improvement. This procedural detective novel meandered quite a bit. As with most novels of this genre and time frame, character development was not especially detailed or deep; however, the closed adequately but unexcitedly. I will read more novels by Dame Ngaio Marsh to see if things improve.
Review of 'A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1)' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
The author has a beautiful way with words and at some points, the language was so wonderfully modern, all wry and sardonic and self-aware. But the plotting was awful, with a dozen or so characters not so much introduced but rather vomited onto the page over a couple of paragraphs so I spent half the book going “now which one is this?” For example, there are two characters, a Mr and a Mrs Wilde, and yet while the two are in conversation, the author would refer to one of them as “Wilde”, as in “”Wilde said...”.
This was my first Inspector Alleyn book, but based on this outing, I don’t know if I’ll make the effort with the rest.
Review of 'A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
*** some possible generalised spoilers in this review ***
A Man Lay Dead is an enjoyable but pedestrian mystery. It has all the classic elements of the old mystery books of the early 20th century, but unfortunately that includes some of the ludicrous and unsatisfying elements of 'international conspiracy' and 'secret brotherhoods' which are thrown rather randomly into the mix.
What is left behind is actually a relatively simple mystery story. The final reveal is diverting and manages to make the overall read worthwhile, but sadly large chunks of the book appear to be nothing more than a series of blatent red herrings that serve only to pad out the story.
Overall its an average book; if you love mystery books you will enjoy this one. But it is not up to the standards of an Agatha Christie book, and while Christie's books have dated with charm, this books just …
*** some possible generalised spoilers in this review ***
A Man Lay Dead is an enjoyable but pedestrian mystery. It has all the classic elements of the old mystery books of the early 20th century, but unfortunately that includes some of the ludicrous and unsatisfying elements of 'international conspiracy' and 'secret brotherhoods' which are thrown rather randomly into the mix.
What is left behind is actually a relatively simple mystery story. The final reveal is diverting and manages to make the overall read worthwhile, but sadly large chunks of the book appear to be nothing more than a series of blatent red herrings that serve only to pad out the story.
Overall its an average book; if you love mystery books you will enjoy this one. But it is not up to the standards of an Agatha Christie book, and while Christie's books have dated with charm, this books just feels dated. Perhaps later books in the series improve on the forumla?
