Writing ever-popular mystery novels was only part of Ngaio Marsh’s accomplishments; she was immersed as well, across two continents, in producing Shakespearean theatre and in the artist life as a professional painter.
Ngaio Marsh was from Christchurch, New Zealand, although she lived a fair amount in England. She studied painting and worked as a touring actress and an interior designer before beginning her career as a writer. She was honored with an OBE and as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to New Zealand theatre, thus becoming “Dame Ngaio Marsh”.
“Ngaio” is a Maori word for a flowering tree or a type of insect. The “g” is silent: “Nigh-oh”.
Books by Ngaio Marsh
- Links that say “Borrow” will take you to the Internet Archive Open Library where you may borrow the book. (You’ll need to sign up for the Internet Archive if you haven’t already done so; it’s free and simple.) Once you borrow a book, you’ll be able to read a scanned copy of the book online, or download a pdf of the scanned book, or download an epub file (readable only with Adobe Digital Editions, which you’ll be prompted to download for free).
- Links that say “Buy” will take you to the book’s main page on Amazon. *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Roderick Alleyn Books, in Order
- A Man Lay Dead (1934) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Enter a Murderer (1935) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- The Nursing Home Murder (1935) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Death in Ecstasy (1936) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Vintage Murder (1937) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Artists in Crime (1938) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Death in a White Tie (1938) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Overture to Death (1939) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Death at the Bar (1940) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Surfeit of Lampreys / Death of a Peer (U.S.) (1941) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Death and the Dancing Footman (1942) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Colour Scheme (1943) — Read online or download in various formats, including kindle, for free. — Buy.*
- Died in the Wool (1945) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Money in the Morgue (with Stella Duffy) (2018) — Buy.*
- Final Curtain (1947) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Swing Brother Swing (1949) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Opening Night / Night at the Vulcan (U.S.) (1951) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Spinsters in Jeopardy (1954) / The Bride of Death (U.S.) (1955) — Buy.*
- Scales of Justice (1955) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Off with His Head / Death of a Fool (U.S.) (1957) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Singing in the Shrouds (1959) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- False Scent (1960) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Hand in Glove (1962) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Dead Water (1964) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Death at the Dolphin / Killer Dolphin (U.S.) 1967 — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Clutch of Constables (1968) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- When in Rome (1970) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Tied Up in Tinsel (1972) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Black As He’s Painted (1974) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Last Ditch (1977) — Buy.*
- Grave Mistake (1978) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Photo Finish (1980) — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Light Thickens (1982) — Borrow. — Buy.*
Collections of Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn Novels
- Three Act Special. Contains three novels: A Wreath for Rivera; Spinsters in Jeopardy; Night at the Vulcan. — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Curtain Calls. Contains three novels: Enter a Murderer; Night at the Vulcan; Killer Dolphin. — Borrow. — Buy.*
- Five Complete Novels. Contains five novels: Scales of Justice; Death of a Fool; Tied Up in Tinsel; Grave Mistake; Photo Finish. — Borrow (“Some content may be lost due to the binding of the book.”). — Buy.*
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
