Tags
Book Review, Classic Crime Fiction, Crime Fiction, Death at the Bar, Golden-Age Crime Fiction, Inspector Alleyn Book 9, Ngaio Marsh
Murder In The Sticks
Ngaio Marsh’s 9th outing for Roderick Alleyn, Chief Detective Inspector of the C.I.D, originally published in 1939, sees him and the trusty Foxkin motoring down to deepest darkest Devon, called thither by an upper class rubicund shouty District Chief Constablle : Colonel The Honourable Maxwell Brammington. A murder (of course) has been committed and it has proved an effort too far for the local super – who also knows Alleyn, from yore – to solve
I must confess I enjoyed this a little less than most of my previous romps with Alleyn and his coterie. This might have been partly because, this time, the great man is only accompanied by Fox. The other regulars from his team are lacking, as is Nigel Bathgate, his sometimes a little foolish Watsonish foil, who can always be relied on to excitedly draw the wrong conclusions for the solving of the puzzle, and allow the witty, urbane and ferociously intelligent Alleyn to have some fun (with Fox) when true revelation is laid out before the reader. It might also be that on this one, I was a little more aware of the challenges offered by the prejudices of the times – primarily, class, and an automatic superiority of upper class Toryism, and the foolishness, not to mention, the somewhat distastefulness of those uppity working classes who get above themselves with a belief in socialism.
So…….to the fiendish and clever murder which Alleyn will solve, not to mention our cast of suspects, murderer and victim, already on the scene before the crime haps, and our trusty Alleyn and Fox arrive to shed light on darkness – it is thus (no spoilers)
Nothing whatsoever to do with Ngaio Marsh, but this 1949 Kitty Wells song has the same title, and the player looks suitably vintage
A group of impeccable uppercrusts, a KC, his cousin, a highly admired and well known actor, and their mutual friend, ditto hightly admired etc landscape and portrait painter always go away for a few days holiday, painting, walking, chatting et al to an absolutely out of the way Devonian hamlet. They stay in a particular hostelry, the landlord is a suitably forelock tugging, dialect speaking, rustic and loyal working class salt-of-the-earth Tory, However, being 1939, a well established ‘Left Movement’ has also been gaining sway. The landlord’s son is a member, it even employs a treasurer and secretary, has quite a few members, funds etc. There are no tugged forelocks and the members of the society who are regulars at the pub just might not take kindly to knowing their places. Also on the scene is a local femme fatale, so we might have several reasons for emotions to run high. Completing the cast are a couple of easy comedy types : a local Devonian oo-ar lush, complete with funny dialect, and a holidaying and eccentric Irishwoman, an impeccable Hon, but comedy turn Oirish, to be sure, to be sure, also. Local rustics of regions cue for comedy turns and slightly superior laughter.
The crime and its fiendish solving is ingenious as ever, but I missed the various developing relationships between Alleyn and his fellow professionals, and the incursion of Alleyn’s private life, and how his professional and private worlds relate to each other. There is a very enjoyable sequence where the good and warm friendship between Alleyn and Fox, and the understated respect and love they have for each other, is shown, but I did feel (perhaps wrongly) that this particular one was much more Marsh-by-numbers, written from the surface of her work, rather than inside her lovely creations. 4 stars, still, enjoyable, but not as MUCH as normal
Lady Fancifull 
Interesting review, Lady F. I must admit that it’s the elements you cite that I’m most uncomfortable with in Golden Age crime. I did notice that there were plenty of comedy yokels and locals in some of the British Library titles I’ve read, though as the books were lighter and not quite so canon I kind of ignored it. But in a writer like Marsh it’s a little harder to ignore. Nevertheless, I’m glad the crime and solution were still satisfying.
I do think Marsh, as someone not from the British Upper Middle Classes, and someone who, as a theatrical (and from outside the UK) shows far LESS of that attitude than some. It was a little more prevalent in this one than I’ve generally found is the case with her. Of course, she is still, along with a lot of GAC, focusing on murder affecting the rich and influential, rather than shop assistants, bakers and bookkeepers! It will be interesting, as the years progress, to see how things change and develop.
Of course, the (unspoken) inference is also that the great man from London would be unlikely to be requested to come out and solve the unsolveable crime in the sticks murder victim or at least some of the suspects were not from the high echelons from society. No doubt those shop assistants, bakers and bookkeepers have to hope lesser minds can solve their murders, or they are likely to get consigned to an eternal person or persons unknown!
I know we probably disagree on this but I always found Marsh the most snobbish of the Golden Age writers, with the possible exception of Dorothy L Sayers. That’s why I’m not her biggest fan, though I enjoyed some of the books back in the day. I think it’s partly that I have an allergic reaction to Alleyn calling Fox Foxkin – I can’t think of anything more patronising, as if he’s a well-trained domestic pet. However, I think I’m better now than I used to be at getting past the snobbery and being able to recognise it as a feature of the time, so I will re-read a Marsh at some point – but perhaps not this one!
Now that’s fascinating – because to me, that is all down to Marsh’s theatrical background And not snobbishness. I think that’s one of the reasons I far prefer her. Before I knew that her background WAS theatre I recognised it in her writing.
Oh I love Ngaio Marsh, Alleyn and Fox are a great team. I agree with you about the class prejudice thing, I see it everywhere in Golden Age novels, it is rather uncomfortable. I’m sure I have read this one as the title is so familiar but the story hasn’t stayed with me at all.
There has been an interesting question I found on another blog, re whether crime fiction dates faster than other books. I think, perhaps yes – its not just, of course, methods of detection, the nature of crimes which readers will want to read about – eg that dreadful (to my mind) focus on graphic details about dismembered women and abused children – but, perhaps that shift in society where we WANT the details of blood and bludgeon, which Golden Age skates over, though the American Hard Boiled Mean Streets didn’t – and, curiously I probably marginally prefer them (the boiled). I suppose it is the class attitudes, not to mention those on race, which can be problematic. As i know I have said before, I was far more aware, at the time I first picked up a Golden Age, of the shock of race attitudes, in a Christie, and that kept me away from GA pretty permanently.
Marsh was a chance discovery, much later, and certainly the odd ones I found years ago in the library, although they were certainly ABOUT high society seemed less obviously reflecting those attitudes.
We are of course though, all children of our own time, and can’t expect that other times will have the benefit of our hindsight vision. I’m sure if I had been born 100 years ago my views would be rather different from what they are. A more insular, local culture, and perhaps one without access to ready information from all around the world, means ‘other’ being utterly strange and incomprehensible, and, perhaps your only experience of people outside your own class and race is what you have been told, in hearsay
Ive been dabbling in some golden age crime but been disappointed with a few authors especially Marjorie Allingham. i was thinking of trying Ngaio Marsh next. any recommendations?
Okay, on my sequential read, there has been a little passel of goodies, starting from Vintage Murder, where Alleyn is without his usual team, in New Zealand, followed by Artists In Crime, which starts out on the journey back from New Zealand, and introduces important characters for his going forward personal life, Death In A White Tie, the one hardboiled crime writer Dashiel Hammett particularly praised, and Overture to Death – some interesting, almost stream of consciousness inside the minds of some characters, plus more going on in psychological terms I think she was on a wonderful run with those. I will be interested, as I progress further, to see if the slight sense of ‘Marsh by Numbers’ which I had with this one, continues, or was a blip. I know I have one coming up soon, Death and the Dancing Footman (great title) which is one I read years ago, when I discovered odd Marsh’s in the library, and I suspect that must be a good one, because in was part of that occasional Marsh which led me to my present sequential journey
Hello! Hello! Hello! I’m dropping back in to see what you’ve been up to. Am wondering if this book lost a bit of its sparkle because the author finds it easier to whip up a delicious plot rather than build character and associated relationships.
Was it you who wrote a review of “The Summer that Melted Everything”? I read it over the summer while on vacation. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book with such a powerfully sustained and disturbing voice.
Oh, I just finished a remodel of my website with the help of a friend. Would love to know what you think. Hope to be around more this fall. Cheers!
Jilanne! Hello! Hello! Well, actually I think Marsh generally does character and relationship rather well, as far as the Golden Age genre goes. This particular one disappointed a little.
Am thrilled Tiffany McDaniel got you. Yes, it was me – or at least I was one of those exhorting others READ THIS!
Off to take a look at your revamp….and SO glad you intend to be more present….