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11 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and murder DO mix, January 13, 2002

By

Kristen A. Criado (Franklin, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Death and the Dancing Footman (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of Mash's books that I consider a "comfort book." When I don't know what else to read, I reach for this one. The story begins with a house party and a clutch of very unique individuals... of course, murder can't be far behind. It is true that Inspector Alleyn doesn't enter the story until halfway through the book, but that is really incidental. The characters are fascinating studies of human folly and they more than carry the story until Alleyn shows up. Aubrey Mandrake, a guest at the house party, plays a "Dr. Watson"-ish character and is himself quite engaging. This book is a must read for its quirkiness and it's wit. A great Marsh mystery.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Enjoyable, April 4, 2002

By

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death and the Dancing Footman (Mass Market Paperback)

Wealthy, self-indulgent Jonathan Royal has decided to amuse himself by hosting a houseparty--but not so much for the pleasure of his visitors as for the satisfaction of his own sense of mischief: his guests have been selected for their antagonism toward each other! Needless to say, a number of kettles soon begin to boil... And murder is the result!

Well read mystery fans will probably spot the killer on the basis of previous experience, but DEATH AND THE DANCING FOOTMAN offers one of Marsh's better plots--and as usual she creates a vividly drawn cast of characters and presents her tale with considerable style and plenty of wit. Long standing fans will enjoy it and newcomers will be converted! Recommended.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough Alleyn!, June 26, 2000

By

MK Writer "hedwig_owl" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death and the Dancing Footman (Mass Market Paperback)

In _Death and the Dancing Footman_, Jonathan Royal, an eccentric gentleman (in the old sense of the word) decides to amuse himself by inviting a group of guests who antagonize each other. With a group of people unable to stand each other staying in a house during a snowstorm, the inevitable occurs, namely, murder. While I almost always enjoy the plot, writing style, etc., of Ngaio Marsh, I really love Chief Inspector Alleyn. Therefore, I was disappointed when he didn't appear until the last third of this book. Yes, he solves the murder, but you don't really get to see him interacting very much with the other characters, which is part of the charm of these novels.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one of Marsh's better efforts
Needless to say, Dame Ngaio Marsh can write some riveting mysteries: "Death in a White Tie," "A Man Lay Dead (A Roderick Alleyn Mystery)," and "Enter a Murderer" come immediately... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Miss Ivonne

3.0 out of 5 stars names changed to protect the guilty?
Really not her best novel: kind of slow and somewhat artificial.
Of Human Bondage (Signet Classics) is about a fellow with a club foot,
so the playwright here isn't... Read more

Published on November 12, 2009 by R. Bagula

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
This is a wonderful, classic British mystery. It has an interesting cast of characters and great atmosphere. Read more

Published on January 31, 2009 by William

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite Agatha Christie but it satisfied my mystery cravings
I am an absolute sucker for the old fashioned English whodunnit murder mystery style. I have read all of Christie's works and thought never would I read her equal. Read more

Published on November 25, 2005 by Prestina Thompson

4.0 out of 5 stars Generic but Entertaining
Seven guests are chosen by their fiend-like host by reason of their mutual enmity and are imprisoned in a snow-bound country house to see what results from their tension and... Read more

Published on July 13, 2003 by hacklehorn

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit bizarre but still excellent.
I love the countryside that Marsh describes in this book and Overture to Death (set in the same town). Read more

Published on July 18, 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars Delight & the Dancing Footman
This was the first Ngaio Marsh novel I read, and it has lead me to purchase two more of her works. Many people compare Marsh to Christie, for such apparently obvious reasons as... Read more

Published on July 1, 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars death and the dancing footman
This is the fourth mystery written by Ngaio Marsh I've had the pleasure to read. The characters are believable. Read more

Published on July 1, 2000 by LEMETRICE

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
On the afternoon of a Thursday early in 1940 Jonathan Royal sat in his library at Highfold Manor. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
pavilion window, dancing footman, new footman, leather screen, beauty specialist, communicating door, door into the hall

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madame Lisse, Nicholas Compline, Lady Hersey, Miss Wynne, Hersey Amblington, William Compline, Chloris Wynne, Aubrey Mandrake, Great Chipping, Jonathan Royal, Sandra Compline, James Bewling, Stanley Footling, Deep Bottom, Miss Chloris, Francis Hart, Pen Gidding, Elise Lisse, Good God, Scotland Yard, Brer Fox, Good Heavens, Madame Hart, Pen Cuckoo, New Zealand

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