Enter a Murderer

Marsh seems to still be finding her feet with the characters. Alleyn - one of my favorite fictional detectives - is both silly and irritating at times, as is recurring character Nigel Bathgate. But Marsh sets the scene with her usual skill and atmosphere, and the plot has plenty of twists and red herrings to keep the reader entertained and in the dark about the murderer's identity. Well worth a read.

The leading man shoots another actor on stage. The gun was supposed to have dummy cartridges, but the ammunition somehow turned out to be real. Inspector Roderick and his sidekick journalist Nigel Bathgate watch the death from excellent seats. The acting is so good that the audience applauds resoundingly, unaware of the tragedy. Alleyn’s biggest obstacle in solving the case is how well all the actors act, and how well everyone lies. In general, actors in books irritate me; they always seem overly theatrical. But Ngaio Marsh does such a good job of portraying character in this book, that I was able to enjoy the story thoroughly. Alleyn‘s droll remarks and posh demeanor keep the narrative lively. And Nigel, despite his boyish fits of pique, is an intelligent and appealing Watson. Enter a Murderer was first published in 1935. It has all the expected qualities of Golden Age crime fiction: cleverness, wit and charm.

This is an enjoyable story, although as only the second book in the series not as well written as some of the later books (Light Thickens is excellent). Beware - this book was written in the 1930's and some of the language used may be offensive to modern readers.

Ngaio Marsh (1985-1982) was one of the four “Queens of Crime” (the others being Marjorie Allingham, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers) who largely defined the 20th Century English murder mystery. All her mystery novels feature Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard, and the 1935 ENTER A MURDERER is his second appearance. The novel also marks the first appearance of a character that will eventually be known as “Br’er Fox,” Alleyn’s most trusted assistant. Although she is now best recalled as an author, Marsh was also a professional stage actress and director, and ENTER A MURDERER is set against the theatrical world that she knew so well. Reporter Nigel Bathgate has received two tickets for a popular stage thriller playing at The Unicorn Theatre, a play titled The Rat and the Badger. He invites Alleyn to join him for the performance—and pretense becomes fact when an actor is murdered. In Marsh’s first novel, A MAN LAY DEAD, Alleyn was a cardboardish figure, and most of the novel followed Bathgate. In ENTER A MURDERER, however, Alleyn is much more developed and completely in charge, and the result is much more satisfying. The people who work at the theatre, and the atmosphere of the theatre itself, is also memorably developed. This is still not Marsh at her best, but it is easy to see how rapidly her confidence as a writer has improved, and although the book takes a few mis-turns, it is a fascinating read. Recommended. GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I admit that didn't come close to guessing the killer. An interesting and singular experience for me since I generally have figured it out in the few chapters. Ngaio Marsh is the Queen of Mystery Writers.