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Available
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Series
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Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Dead Letter (1999), Mass Market Paperback, 224 pages
Description
Inspector Alleyn's wife, the artist Agatha Troy, has a special fondness for Constables-the paintings, that is, not the policemen. So she jumps at the chance to take a river cruise through "Constable Country" in the east of England, in honor of the nineteenth-century master of landscapes. Her enthusiasm dims a little, though, when it becomes clear that the ticket became available at the last minute only because a previous passenger was murdered in his cabin ...
User reviews
LibraryThing member catapogo
I enjoyed this book a bit more than some of Marsh's other books, I think because Roderick and Agatha Troy were part of the story from the very beginning (rather than entering the action half way through like in most of the other books by her I've read). And the story itself was good, not who is
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guilty, but who is innocent. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
When Alleyn is out of town on police business, Troy goes on a peaceful river cruise which turns murderous. Very sinister in atmosphere.
CMB
CMB
LibraryThing member Figgles
Troy Alleyn takes a river cruise on a whim and finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy that leads to murder - with her husband already on the tail of the murderer. Classic Ngaio Marsh, set in the swinging sixties but still mired in Marsh's earlier style and characterisation. However I did enjoy
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this as I'm very fond of Alleyn's painter wife, Troy. Show Less
LibraryThing member jeffome
I really enjoyed this book. Just the thought of a restful trip for 5 days on a riverboat alone was intriguing, however, i would prefer to skip the unexpected death(s) of fellow passengers on my journey! Fascinating gentle tale....not too exciting per se......but interesting. Enjoyed very much the
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tidying up of things at the end with a captive audience of all suspects interviewed as a group which allowed that wonderful dynamic to flourish. I have never heard of this author and this was another book sale random pick-up, but i have recently located and purchased 3 additional Marsh mysteries to read in the future.....nicely done! Show Less
LibraryThing member lucybrown
The setting, a river cruise; a the great ensemble of characters and the art angle made this so much fun to read.
LibraryThing member atimco
After a big exhibition of her paintings, artist Troy Alleyn makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to take a riverboat cruise along England's peaceful waterways. The Zodiac seems to be hosting a normal-enough collection of people, all described with Ngaio Marsh's usual eye for detail and realism. But
If you haven't read this, it is helpful to know that John Constable was an English Romantic painter known for his landscapes (I didn't).
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this is a murder mystery, so of course this isn't a normal group of people. Everyone apparently has something to hide. Interspersed with Troy's story is her husband, Inspector Roderick Alleyn, reflecting on the events as he uses the case to teach a course for would-be police officers. When one of the passengers is discovered floating in the river, Inspector Alleyn arrives on the scene to investigate and catch one of the biggest international criminals of his day. I'm not big on the signs of the Zodiac so that aspect of the story was lost on me (and seemed slightly forced anyways), but I enjoyed the rest. If you haven't read this, it is helpful to know that John Constable was an English Romantic painter known for his landscapes (I didn't).
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LibraryThing member lucybrown
The setting, a river cruise; a the great ensemble of characters and the art angle made this so much fun to read.
LibraryThing member lucybrown
The setting, a river cruise; a the great ensemble of characters and the art angle made this so much fun to read.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Maybe even 4.5*
One aspect of this entry in the Alleyn series that I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of Troy. Her presence was especially fun as the case involved the discovery of a possible unknown painting by Constable.
Another unusual aspect was the way the story was told in alternating
One aspect of this entry in the Alleyn series that I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of Troy. Her presence was especially fun as the case involved the discovery of a possible unknown painting by Constable.
Another unusual aspect was the way the story was told in alternating
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points of view: Troy as she experienced the events and Alleyn at some future time recounting the case to a class at the police college. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanteder
Troy & Alleyn hunt a Con Man / Murderer
Review of the Fontana paperback edition (1977) of the 1968 original
Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn's artist wife Agatha Troy is the main lead for most of this book when she takes a last minute river cruise to relax after one of her art exhibitions. Alleyn is
The set-up here was well done with Alleyn recounting the case in retrospect as part of a police course. The characters on the boat cruise are all crafted to arouse suspicion in various ways either by appearing too innocent or too ill-tempered and/or neurotic. It did wrap up fairly quickly once the final scene was in motion so some things felt unresolved. And why was that Scotsman at Alleyn's course acting so peculiar? Still, a good outing for the series.
This was part of my current re-read project of works from the Golden Age of Crime of which many are still in my collection after first being read in the 1970s and 1980s.
Review of the Fontana paperback edition (1977) of the 1968 original
Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn's artist wife Agatha Troy is the main lead for most of this book when she takes a last minute river cruise to relax after one of her art exhibitions. Alleyn is
Show More
away in America but Troy is writing to him regularly (actually the most unbelievable part of the book is how fast the mail seems to have traveled in those days). Events on the boat cruise take a dark turn and it looks like Troy may be in danger as well. Alleyn rushes back from America to help solve the case.The set-up here was well done with Alleyn recounting the case in retrospect as part of a police course. The characters on the boat cruise are all crafted to arouse suspicion in various ways either by appearing too innocent or too ill-tempered and/or neurotic. It did wrap up fairly quickly once the final scene was in motion so some things felt unresolved. And why was that Scotsman at Alleyn's course acting so peculiar? Still, a good outing for the series.
This was part of my current re-read project of works from the Golden Age of Crime of which many are still in my collection after first being read in the 1970s and 1980s.
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LibraryThing member Matke
This is a very enjoyable entry in the Inspector Alleyn series. We have a classic Closed Circle (river cruise) Mystery, with Troy Alleyn taking a bit of a break while doing some desultory painting. There’s quite a bit of art/antique background in the main storyline.
That story alternates with
Inveterate mystery readers may be able to discern the culprit, but it’s not that obvious. This is a well-done mystery and highly recommended.
That story alternates with
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Alleyn himself using this case as a vehicle for lecturing a class of upcoming policeman. I thought the two viewpoints meshed well and didn’t detract from the suspense.Inveterate mystery readers may be able to discern the culprit, but it’s not that obvious. This is a well-done mystery and highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
Maybe even 4.5*
One aspect of this entry in the Alleyn series that I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of Troy. Her presence was especially fun as the case involved the discovery of a possible unknown painting by Constable.
Another unusual aspect was the way the story was told in alternating
One aspect of this entry in the Alleyn series that I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of Troy. Her presence was especially fun as the case involved the discovery of a possible unknown painting by Constable.
Another unusual aspect was the way the story was told in alternating
Show More
points of view: Troy as she experienced the events and Alleyn at some future time recounting the case to a class at the police college. Show Less
LibraryThing member nordie
Rory Alleyn, giving a lecture, recounts a particularly interesting case involving his wife, art fraud, and a criminal team upon a boat.
Alleyn's wife Troy, having just had an exhibit installed, is about to return to London when she sees a last minute cancellation on a 5 day boat trip around
There she meets people of several different nationalities, including the English born doctor (of an Ethiopian father), an Australian priest, a rather annoying and intense English woman and an American brother and sister.
Troy finds out that her cabin was to be taken by a Greek man who has subsequently found dead in London.
Troy writes several letters to her husband, giving her impressions of not only the passengers but some of the peculiar events that happen to her in the first few days. Alleyn is back on the plane home by the time the first body is found.
Troy is (conveniently) shipped off to a local hotel as the book's focus shifts to her husband and his investigation of racism, art forgery, murder and crime syndicates.
This was an audiobook from Audible. and read by James Saxon (who has read other books, including others by Marsh). He is very capable in doing multiple accents and this certainly aids the "listening experience". (A brief look implies that he died in 2003).
The multiple timelines was a little difficult to settle to (Alleyn giving a talk about a time he was in America giving a talk whilst his wife was getting involved in an art crime), but on the whole, it was a diverting and pleasant time spent.
Alleyn's wife Troy, having just had an exhibit installed, is about to return to London when she sees a last minute cancellation on a 5 day boat trip around
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"Constable Country". Knowing that her husband is in America on a lecture tour, and that she would be returning to an empty flat after an exhausting time preparing for the show, she takes the trip on the spur of the moment.There she meets people of several different nationalities, including the English born doctor (of an Ethiopian father), an Australian priest, a rather annoying and intense English woman and an American brother and sister.
Troy finds out that her cabin was to be taken by a Greek man who has subsequently found dead in London.
Troy writes several letters to her husband, giving her impressions of not only the passengers but some of the peculiar events that happen to her in the first few days. Alleyn is back on the plane home by the time the first body is found.
Troy is (conveniently) shipped off to a local hotel as the book's focus shifts to her husband and his investigation of racism, art forgery, murder and crime syndicates.
This was an audiobook from Audible. and read by James Saxon (who has read other books, including others by Marsh). He is very capable in doing multiple accents and this certainly aids the "listening experience". (A brief look implies that he died in 2003).
The multiple timelines was a little difficult to settle to (Alleyn giving a talk about a time he was in America giving a talk whilst his wife was getting involved in an art crime), but on the whole, it was a diverting and pleasant time spent.
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Original publication date
1969 (U.S.)
1968 (U.K.)
Physical description
224 p.; 4.49 inches
ISBN
0312970846 / 9780312970840