I am always on the lookout for a good mystery. I love most of Agatha Christie's works (especially Poirot) but, sadly, I've read nearly all of them. A friend suggested I check out Ngaio Marsh as a writer in a similar vein to Ms. Christie. Boy am I glad I did - Ms. Marsh is terrific!
I started with the first book in the series; A Man Lay Dead. As with many of Agatha Christie's works, it took place at a house party at an upper class estate in the country. One of the guests dies, and there are only a limited number of suspects. This time, however, the sleuth isn't a short Belgian detective with little grey cells and an obsession with tidiness or a little pink and white old lady with a Victorian brain. No amateurs here - the detective is actually a detective with Scotland Yard: Chief Inspector Detective Alleyn.
Alleyn is a likeable character. He has flashes of brilliant deduction, and seems almost Holmesian at times. There seems to be some sort of mystery in his past as he doesn't appear to be the regular type of detective the other characters are expecting. He appears to be the same class as those at the house party, yet he is working for Scotland Yard. I am curious about the Chief Inspector and want to read more to find out more of the mystery of his life.
The book was not very long, but it was entertaining. The mystery was solved satisfactorily through pure deduction. I appreciate the "puzzle" mysteries. The setting is lovely and Ms. Marsh fills her book with all types of British slang from the 1920's and 30's.
In short, if you like Agatha Christie, you will probably like Ngaio Marsh. The settings are fairly similar, but Chief Inspector Alleyn is his own character. These books are not copies of Ms. Christie's works; they are fully realized mysteries in their own right. There is merely a similarity of time period. I am excited to have found a new mystery writer to read and can't wait to read the rest in the series!
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