Ngaio Marsh

A classic Ngaio Marsh novel reissued in B-format.

The Vulcan Theatre had been Martyn Tarne's last hope. She was glad to accept the humble job of dresser to its leading lady. And then came the opening night. To Martyn it brought a strange turn of fortune - but to one distinguished member of the cast it was to bring sudden and unforeseen death.

The complete series of Ngaio Marsh reissues concludes with the re-publication of this 20th anniversary edition of this, her final novel.

The new series of Ngaio Marsh editions concludes with a new edition of her autobiography.

It was planned as an act of charity: a new piano for the parish hall, an amusing play to finance the gift. But its extension was doomed when Miss Campanula sat down to play. A chord was struck, a shot rang out and Miss was dead. A case of sinister infatuation for the brilliant Inspector Alleyn.

One of Ngaio Marsh�s most famous murder mysteries, which introduces Inspector Alleyn to his future wife, the irrepressible Agatha Troy.

Ngaio Marsh's bestselling and ingenious third novel remains one of the most popular pieces of crime fiction of all time.

A country house murder, artistic insight and the post-war reunion of Alleyn and Troy combine in Ngaio Marsh's wittiest and most readable novel.

The restoration of a bombed-out London theatre ends in violent death - and one of Marsh's most vivid and dramatic novels

Debutantes and chaperones were planning their luncheons, teas, dinners, balls. And the blackmailer was planning his strategies, stalking his next victim. But Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn knew that something was up. He had already planted his friend Lord Robert Gospell at the scene.

A touring theatre company in New Zealand forms the basis of one of Marsh’s most ambitious and innovative novels. New Zealand theatrical manager Alfred Meyer wanted to celebrate his wife’s birthday in style. The piece de résistance would be the jeroboam of champagne which would descend gently into a nest of fern and coloured lights on the table, set up on stage after the performance. But something went horribly wrong. Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn witnessed it himself. Was Meyer’s death the product of Maori superstitions? Or something much more down to earth?

It was a horrible death - Questing was lured into a pool of boiling mud. Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, far from home on a wartime quest for German agents, knew that anyone could have killed the man - the English spies he despised, the Maoris he insulted or the spies he thwarted.

V malenkom gorodke, gde khvataet i skeletov v shkafakh, i ekstsentrichnykh chudakov, i starushek, napominajuschikh miss Marpl, proizoshlo ubijstvo. Imja zhertvy - polkovnik Kartarett, i najden on na beregu reki rjadom s legendarnoj gigantskoj forelju, kotoruju davno mechtali pojmat vse mestnye rybolovy. No ne za eto zhe ego ubili, v kontse kontsov? Togda - za chto? Inspektor Allejn nachinaet zadavat voprosy i srazu ponimaet: lish nemnogie tut gotovy govorit pravdu.

Kompanija rodstvennikov, druzej i prijatelej ekstsentrichnogo millionera reshaet skorotat vecherok v zagorodnom dome modnoj "igroj v ubijstvo". Odnako igra perestaet byt igroj, kogda odnogo iz gostej obnaruzhivajut zakolotym kinzhalom.Kto zhe izbavilsja ot respektabelnogo sera Charlza? Pod podozreniem reshitelno vse, ot bojkogo kuzena zhertvy - reportera svetskoj khroniki - do russkogo emigranta-dvoretskogo. I, kak vyjasnjaet inspektor Skotlend-jarda Roderik Allejn, - u kazhdogo podozrevaemogo imelis i motivy, i vozmozhnosti.

Edinstvennyj sbornik rasskazov Najo Marsh byl vpervye opublikovan v 1995 godu v chest ee stoletija."Smert v prjamom efire" i drugie korotkie istorii povestvujut ob inspektore Skotlend-Jarda Roderike Allejne, geroe tridtsati s lishnim romanov Najo Marsh, gde on neredko figuriruet vmeste s ocharovatelnoj zhenoj Agatoj Troj. V sbornik takzhe vkljucheny rasskazy, v kotorykh ne prisutstvuet znamenityj syschik, no oni ne menee interesny.Knigu zavershaet stsenarij k teleserialu "Korolevskij sud" s Dzhoan Khikson, pozzhe poluchivshej shirokuju izvestnost blagodarja roli miss Marpl v serii filmov po proizvedenijam Agaty Kristi.

V tikhoj bolnitse v Novoj Zelandii v strashnuju grozu vnezapno obnaruzhivaetsja bezdykhannoe telo glavnoj medsestry, da esche propala ogromnaja summa deneg - zhalovane, razvozimoe kassirom. K schastju, poblizosti nakhoditsja izvestnyj syschik Skotlend-Jarda Roderik Allejn, kotoromu iz chuvstva dolga prikhoditsja vzjatsja za rassledovanie.Khotja pribyl on na ostrov po sovershenno, sovershenno drugomu delu...

Vokrug shekspirovskogo "Makbeta" v teatralnoj srede khodit mnogo tainstvennykh slukhov, kto-to dazhe schitaet pesu prokljatoj i ne proiznosit ee nazvanija vslukh. No novaja londonskaja postanovka izvestnogo rezhissera Peregrina Dzheja obeschaet byt snogsshibatelnoj. Vot tolko uzhe na repetitsijakh nachinaet tvoritsja chto-to strannoe, a kogda poslednij akt zakanchivaetsja nastojaschej tragediej, na stsenu predstoit vyjti ne akteram, a superintendantu Allejnu...

Odnazhdy nochju Alfreda Mejera, direktora teatralnoj truppy, edva ne stolknuli s mchavshegosja poezda. Odnako na etom ego zlokljuchenija ne prekratilis. Na vecherinke v chest Dnja rozhdenija zheny - aktrisy Karolin Dejkres - Mejer byl ubit udarom... butylki shampanskogo. Podozrenie padaet na vsekh druzej i znakomykh pokojnogo.Delo proiskhodit v Novoj Zelandii, kuda vmeste s gastrolirujuschej truppoj priekhal v otpusk inspektor Allejn - umnitsa, intellektual, znatok iskusstva. Emu prisuschi nedoverchivost i skeptitsizm, pod vneshnej nevozmutimostju on skryvaet svoi chuvstva i perezhivanija. Ponachalu pochti nikto iz akterov ne dogadyvaetsja o ego professii. No posle proisshestvija inspektoru prikhoditsja raskryt inkognito novozelandskim kollegam. Allejn nachinaet rassledovanie i znakomitsja s akterami teatra - ljudmi jarkimi i vesma protivorechivymi, nikogda ne snimajuschimi maski.

Zachem ljudi vstupajut v brak? Kak brachnyj sojuz vlijal na korolej i prostoljudinov? Chto izmenilos segodnja? V istorii chelovechestva bylo mnozhestvo udivitelnykh, trogatelnykh i neobychnykh brachnykh traditsij. Na protjazhenii vekov brak byl ne tolko i ne stolko sojuzom ljubvi, no i sposobom sokhranit tron, dat familiju potomstvu, uzurpirovat vlast, sobljusti drevnie obychai... Samye porazitelnye istorii brachnykh sojuzov raznykh stran i vremen zhdut vas na stranitsakh etoj knigi.

V otsutstvii ubyvshego v komandirovku supruga, zhena Allejna, talantlivaja khudozhnitsa Troj, otpravljaetsja na malenkom parokhodike v uveselitelnyj kruiz po Temze. Atmosfera na sudne tsarit ujutnaja, nevziraja na pestruju, raznomastnuju kompaniju passazhirov. No chto-to kazhetsja Troj neulovimo podozritelnym, chto-to zastavljaet ee naprjazhenno zhdat proisshestvij.I ozhidanija ee opravdyvajutsja, kogda kto-to zhestoko ubivaet nazojlivuju, smeshnuju, no dobrodushnuju staruju devu. Troj reshaet nachat sobstvennoe rassledovanie..