Black As He's Painted (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ngaio Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 1999 | Series: St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries

Portrait of a murder...

Superintendent Roderick Alleyn's old school chum-- whom his wife Troy longs to paint-- is now President of Ng'ombwana, a brand-new African republic. This handsome, charismatic dictator has enemies of every stripe: from ruddy-faced ex-colonists to new rivals, from dispossessed businessmen to racist crackpots. But when a ceremonial spear deals death at his lavish embassy party in London, Alleyn must decipher the victim's last utterance and expose an assassin's true colors...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around."--New York magazine

About the Author

From her first book in 1934 to her final volume just before her death in 1982, Ngaio Marsh's work has remained legendary, and is often compared to that of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. During her celebrated fifty-year career, Marsh was made a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, was named Dame Commander, Order of the British Empire, won numerous prestigious awards, and penned 32 mystery novels.

Now St. Martin's Dead Letter Mysteries is thrilled to make all of Marsh's novels available again for old fans to relish and new ones to discover. So sit back, draw the curtains, lock the doors, and put yourself in the hands of Grande Dame of detective novels...

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (December 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312972792
• ISBN-13: 978-0312972790
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,044,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, July 13, 2000

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Black As He's Painted (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

First published in 1974, Black As He's Painted with Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn is back in print.

The mystery starts out with a bored Mr. Samuel Whipplestone, who is retired from Her Majesty's Foreign Service, venturing out on a stroll. The walk leads him to Capricorn Place, a couple of memorable experiences and a change in his newly retired life. Later in the mystery, he meets up with Superintendent Alleyn at a reception where an assassination has occurred. The superintendent has his hands full trying to keep his old school buddy, now president of Ng'ombwana in Africa, safe from his many enemies. Knowing Mr. Whipplestone's past job description, the Superintendent requests his aid - Mr. Whipplestone obliges.

I enjoyed reading Ngaio Marsh's mystery. It has the flavor of an old fashion British mystery, with an added flare of espionage. The author's ability to plant suspicion and lead her readers into the twists and turns are well done. Although I know Black As He's Painted is a Superintendent Alleyn mystery, I feel Mr. Whipplestone and the adorable recently procured addition to his household steals the show and adds charm to the mystery. If you haven't read a Ngaio Marsh Mystery here's your chance to experience a writer said to be in the same league as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great characterizations, November 5, 2008

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black As He's Painted (Hardcover)

This is my favorite of the baker's dozen Marsh's I've read so far. Not only are her style, dialog, & plot very fine, but her characterizations are delightful--esp. the Boomer (President of an African nation & former classmate of Alleyn's), the always intriguing Troy (bringing in her fascinating painter's perspective), and (perhaps esp.) former Foreign Service Officer Whipplestone & his cat Lucy Lockett. The supporting characters were also interesting & unusual (e.g. Gomez, the Chubbs, the Sanskrits, the Montforts, etc.). There's also an interesting foil regarding racial prejudice amongst the various characters. The only quibble might be the perhaps over-emphasis & insensitivity on the obesity of the Sanskrits. The book actually has two mysteries embedded in it--the overarching one and a quick & dirty one. Overall, a terrific mystery novel in the British tradition.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Black as He's Painted, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Black As He's Painted (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Ngaio Marsh is one of my favourite mystery writers and this book lives up to her usual standard. Roderick Alleyn must investigate an assassination attempt on an old school friend that resulted in the death of a bystander. His job is made more difficult because of cultural differences and racism. In addition to creating believable characters, Marsh writes an interesting story with an unexpected ending.