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Enter a Murderer (Inspector Roderick Alleyn, 2) Paperback – September 16, 2012

by Ngaio Marsh (Author)

4.2 1,723 ratings

Book 2 of 33: Inspectr Roderick Alleyn

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Ngaio Marsh was, among other things, a well-respected theatrical producer (having started out as an actress), and her passion for and knowledge of the theater was displayed in many of Alleyn’s adventures. In Enter a Murderer, the Inspector has been invited to an opening night, a new play in which two characters quarrel and then struggle for a gun, with predictably sad results. Even sadder, the gun was not, in fact, loaded with blanks.

Book 2 of 33

Inspectr Roderick Alleyn
Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Felony & Mayhem Press
Publication date

September 16, 2012
Dimensions

5.44 x 0.47 x 7.95 inches
ISBN-10

1934609854
ISBN-13

978-1934609859
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Felony & Mayhem Press; Reprint edition (September 16, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1934609854
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1934609859
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.44 x 0.47 x 7.95 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #217,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,040 in Traditional Detective Mysteries (Books)
- #4,647 in Murder Thrillers
- #5,478 in Police Procedurals (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 1,723 ratings

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4.2 out of 5

1,723 global ratings

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Kindle Customer

Drama of the Best Kind

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2023

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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.

One person found this helpful

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Gary F. Taylor

Marsh Takes A Great Leap Forward With Her Second Novel

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2015

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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

21 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Murder at its best

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2022

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I absolutely love Inspector Alleyn! Ngaio Marsh crafts an excellent mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. This series is excellent.

One person found this helpful

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Ana G

An interesting mystery

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2023

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I didn't like this one as much as the first one, but I do love the old style of it. The characters were great and the mystery was interesting when the details came out.

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Patto

A stellar performance of murder

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018

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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.

14 people found this helpful

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Satisfied Customer

Very intricate plot

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2021

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I loved the view of The Theater from backstage. I loved all the Shakespeare quotes. Sometimes there were too many details, but I have to say that I didn’t know who the murderer was until the end.

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JJ

This is and old book and some of it's content reflects the time when it was written

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2022

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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.

2 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Now he did it then he didn't

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2021

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Intriguing mystery with enough red herrings to open a fish market. The characters weren't all that likeable but it made no difference to my enjoyment of the book. I'm looking forward to reading more from Nigaio Marsh.

One person found this helpful

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Alex

Medium quality whodunnit, but very entertaining to read.

Reviewed in Italy on June 27, 2017

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A classic whodunnit without too much ideas behind but a pleasurable reading in a very classic british style. No Sherlock of course.

Lacey Green

old but new

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2013

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As usual, Ms Marsh plots events skilfully and creates characters that grip the reader's interest sometimes as pitiful creatures or grotesques but always as individual human beings from most walks of society. In this novel her professional theatrical experience lets her draw the reader into a small world, insidiously corrupted by ambition and jealousy, in which drink and drugs lead to murder. The investigating officers, chief of whom is actually present in the audience, disentangle a sticky web of lies and evasions.

The settings are always convincing, the dialogue dramatically fits its speakers and the style is economical and witty. Ms Marsh may indicate foul language but she does not reproduce it. She does not shy away from the violence and horror of murder but she does not encourage the reader to lick their lips over it: she leaves us in no doubt of her judgement that murder is always diabolical, destroying both the victim and what is left of humanity in the killer, cutting them off from society. Most people, she implies, are capable of killing, but we choose not to. I would recommend this book to any open-minded, literate reader interested in theatre, the mores of the Thirties and human nature.

3 people found this helpful

pop

un super auteur

Reviewed in France on August 11, 2012

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Abordée après avoir lu tous les Agatha Christie, je n'ai jamais été déçue par Ngaio Marsh : du grand art et de la finesse.
A lire en Anglais ou en Français. Un régal d'écriture et d'intrigue. Pour ceux qui aiment les subtilités de la langue anglaise et le brio d'intrigues policières qui se présentent plus comme des énigmes que comme du "polar".
En bref : pour gourmets.

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Damaskcat

Murder in the theatre

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2011

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Roderick Alleyn, Scotland Yard detective, accepts an invitation to the theatre from Nigel Bathgate, a journalist friend. It turns out to be a case of being in the right place at the right time when I murder is committed on stage in front of him.

Arthur Surbonadier, a nephew of the theatre owner, Jacob Saint, is murdered for real instead of just as part of the action of the play. Even though Alleyn is on the spot it is still a difficult case to solve and there are many twists and turns to the plot before the murderer is brought to justice.

I enjoyed the story but found some of the dialogue just a touch too theatrical. It fits the theatrical background but I found it grated on me after a while. The only other Ngaio Marsh story I had read prior to this was Final Curtain which is much later in the series and I felt that Alleyn was much less likeable as a character in this book than he was in the later one. It is clear he grew and changed as the series developed.

That said, the book is well plotted and the murder ingenious. The corpse is suitably dislikeable as well and it is clear many people could have murdered him from motive alone, including his own uncle. An enjoyable read though maybe not the author's best book.

2 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Alleyn does it again!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2017

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Racy ,fast paced thriller that builds to an exciting finale.An insight into the world of theatre and the kind of characters that inhabit this mysterious and exclusive world.A look at relationships between friends and insightful thoughts on Alleyn .

One person found this helpful

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Enter a Murderer (Inspector Roderick Alleyn, 2) Paperback – September 16, 2012

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