Swing, Brother, Swing

I have read most of Ms. Marsh's books, and I am rereading some of them again. She is a master in her genre. In this book we see a little bit of a digression for her. Most of her books take place on the stage with actors and actreses as the protagonists. This one is on the stage, but it's with a swing band this time, not a play. Alleyn and Fox are trying to solve what does appear to be a very "fancy" murder as Fox puts it. A musician who plays an accordian dies on stage at the end of one of the band's numbers. When Fox and Alleyn start investgating they find that this Rivera is a very unsavoury character, and there could be lots of suspects. Most of the suspects they follow are from one family, and what a family it is! Talk about eccentrics! Fox and Alleyn get through all the window-dressing and unmask the real murder. Good stuff here.

Ngaio Marsh is definitely an overlooked mystery writer. Christie, Sayers, Allingham - all get more mention as a general rule but Marsh is not to be overlooked. Her Inspector Alleyn mysteries are among the finest out there. Full of wit, plot twists, and fascinating characters, don't miss out on this or any of her library. A must have for any mystery-phile's collection.

Probably Marsh's very best mystery plot. Underestimated by those looking for details on New Zealand or the theatrical world. Those who love good, traditional English mystery plots will love this one.

As usual, I enjoyed another excellent mystery from the pen of Dame Marsh. I particularly liked the fact that Detective-Inspector Fox was given more stage-time. However, while I find the motive for the murder perfectly plausible, I'm not so sure I believe in the efficacy of the method. The plot is similar to _Enter a Murderer_, in that what is supposed to be a joke or "staged" murder, turns out to be the real thing, in front of a dozen witnesses. Still, even though this set-up is similar, Marsh populates the novel with an altogether different cast of people. The only thing I wish is that when the book ended, it would give the reader a clue as to what happens to the various characters, and not just reveal who the murderer is.