Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York: Berkley Publishing Corporation, 1960
Description
In an almost unspeakably charming little English village, one of the local aristocrats turns up dead next to the local trout-stream with, in fact, a trout at his side. Everyone is dreadfully upset, of course, but really, just a tad irritated as well-murder is so awfully messy. Inspector Alleyn doesn't quite fit in among the inbred gentry, but they'll allow him to do his work and clear the matter up-though they do wish he didn't feel compelled to ask quite so many questions...
User reviews
LibraryThing member tripleblessings
Inspector Alleyn of New Scotland Yard is called to the village of Swevenings by his old family friend, Lady Lacklander. Colonel Cartarette's body lies sprawled beside the river Chyne; beside him is the giant trout he has been trying to catch for years. It will take some careful fishing to catch the
A good series - I like Marsh's murder mysteries better than Agatha Christie's.
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killer.A good series - I like Marsh's murder mysteries better than Agatha Christie's.
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LibraryThing member mmyoung
A strange outing for Marsh. From comments made by various characters one can tell that the author herself knows that she is writing about a world which, if it ever existed, is now nearly gone. She has various characters mount assaults on the dying status quo and yet in the end allows it to triumph
The murder itself is, for Marsh, excessively grisly although one only learns of that in dribs and drabs. If it were not for the many character distractions and for Alleyn unwillingness to act as a police officer rather than a 'gent' the murder would be blatantly obvious and the case would have been rolled up in a matter of hours.
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without ever putting up a cogent defense. The final defense of the status quo is that its greatest attacker is a bad person.The murder itself is, for Marsh, excessively grisly although one only learns of that in dribs and drabs. If it were not for the many character distractions and for Alleyn unwillingness to act as a police officer rather than a 'gent' the murder would be blatantly obvious and the case would have been rolled up in a matter of hours.
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LibraryThing member jon1lambert
Great cover design: black cat, fish in mouth, blonde woman, red ear-ring: 'he lay beside the whispering stream - murdered!'
LibraryThing member kaitanya64
Marsh is a consummate mystery writer. In this novel Inspector Roderick Alleyn, gentleman officer of Scotland Yard, investigates the murder of a prominent and well-liked member of "county" society in the village of Swevenings. The village may seem like a peaceful paradise, but one death sets of a
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series of discoveries that shake the rural gentry to their roots. Well plotted, if someone predictable. Marsh is meticulous and descriptive, essential components of the well-written cozy mystery. Show Less
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
"Scales of Justice": Was too difficult to read, I didn't care for the characters at all nor could I make sense of the plot.
I had to stop reading this.....
I had to stop reading this.....
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Quite enjoyable mystery involving fish scales (!)
LibraryThing member LeslieHolm
Marsh was never quite as formulaic as Christie, but in Scales of Justice she brought her considerable skills to the genre, meeting all the criteria - the countryside, the manor house(s), the upstairs and the downstairs (in the shape of the local nurse) young romance and murder. It isn't 'great
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literature' but its a lovely, comfortable book; the red herrings are fine, and the murderer has sufficient motive to satisfy me. Show Less
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 1955)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1955
Physical description
190 p.; 18 cm