A Man Lay Dead was a perfectly fine mystery from the Golden Age, but nothing to write home about. I thought the plot was a bit daft, to be honest. A classic locked-room setup. I'm not sure I'm planning to read more by Ngaio Marsh. I much prefer Sayers, personally. If you're looking for twisty crime novels, this one is okay, but there are better Ngaio Marsh books out there.

This is a mystery driven purely by the puzzle, with the plot taking a backseat and the characters trailing far behind. The resolution is just plain ridiculous. The murderer's method is so unbelievable, it hinges on absolutely everything falling into place perfectly. As a movie, it would only work as a comedy.Back in high school, I wrote off Ngaio Marsh as not worth bothering with. Reading "A Man Lay Dead" on Kindle Unlimited hasn't changed my mind. If you are looking for twisty crime novels, thi...

This being the first Roderick Alleyn murder mystery... out of 33, by Ngaio Marsh – what a wonderful name, (beats Edith's first name hands down, and her middle name is no contest!) – the author is still finding her sea legs. The plot itself isn't anything new, even back in 1934 when it was written. Sir Hubert Handesley invites a small group of guests for the weekend: a gathering of British frivolities, eating, drinking, walks in the woods, and even a mock killing in his huge country estate, Frant...

An interesting read for anyone looking for a different alternative to Agatha Christie. I won't reveal anything about the plot. "A Man Lay Dead" by Ngaio Marsh is enjoyable and light, without any unnecessary complications. A perfect easy-reading murder mystery!

I was thoroughly amused. Marsh clearly takes a page from Wodehouse: Country house parties! Parlour games! Conjoining rooms! Emancipated young women driving like maniacs! Russians! Dashing, debonair detectives!"He climbed in [the car] beside her, And almost immediately had his breath snatched away by Miss North’s extremely progressive ideas on acceleration.I read Ngaio Marsh's books years ago and remembered enjoying some more than others. So, I thought I'd start the series from the beginning and ...

Reason for reading: 1. I needed a book by a New Zealand author for a reading challenge. 2. A wave of nostalgia hit me when I saw the name Ngaio Marsh. My mother devoured her books when I was a kid. I might have tried one or two myself, but they wouldn't have held my attention back then. Times change, and I found A Man Lay Dead very interesting indeed. It's a classic mystery of the era: a country house party, upper-class guests, a shocking murder, and the arrival of a brilliant policeman to unma...

Okay, I'm seriously behind on my Ngaio Marsh challenge, not because I was putting off reading them, but life got in the way (book-wise!). So, diving into "A Man Lay Dead" by Ngaio Marsh, I was really hoping I'd enjoy it, and thankfully, I did! I've caught a few TV episodes with Patrick Malahide, but didn't have any firm ideas about Chief Inspector Alleyn. That being said, I have to admit he did come across as rather Patrick Malahide-esque. My last read was another detective story, "Pietr the La...

2.5 stars ★And that's only because this was Ngaio Marsh's first book. It makes you realize what a remarkable achievement Agatha Christie's first, was.Other reviewers have criticized Marsh for inconsistencies in Alleyn's characterization. I actually don't mind this. I prefer it to having Alleyn and various aristocrats angsting over being involved in something as low-bred as a murder! This is very tedious in Marsh's other novels. And I did enjoy the start—although for some strange reason, the...

This is the first of Ngaio Marsh's Roderick Alleyn mysteries, **A Man Lay Dead**, and it has everything a great Golden Age mystery should. First, the classic house party, complete with a cast of characters – an adulterous wife, a jealous girlfriend, a mysterious Russian, and more. In this case, the country house is Frantock, and Nigel Bathgate (a journalist) is tagging along with his cousin Charles for one of those highly sought-after entertaining weekends, the invitations to which are like gold...

Marsh introduces her famous detective in this mystery, and you can tell she wasn't entirely sure what personality to give him. At times, Roderick Alleyn reads like Wimsey playing the fool, at other times he's crude or clever in the manner of a Bright Young Thing. One moment he's taking the official police hard line, the next he's behaving in unprofessional and even inappropriate ways. I suspect she was trying to write a realistically complex character, but the overall effect is one of schizophre...