Death and the Dancing Footman [Paperback]

Ngaio Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 1999

A winter weekend ends in snowbound disaster in a novel which remains a favourite among Marsh readers. It began as an entertainment: eight people, many of them enemies, gathered for a winter weekend by a host with a love for theatre. They would be the characters in a drama that he would devise. It ended in snowbound disaster. Everyone had an alibi -- and most a motive as well. But Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn, when he finally arrived, knew it all hung on Thomas, the dancing footman!

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers' Times Literary Supplement 'On the plane of art.' Tatler 'Nobody in her racket begins to touch her for writing grace and few possess her skill at creating potential corpses and suspects, building a puzzle and other essentials of grand and lofty detection. There hasn't been anyone like her since the palmiest days of Dorothy L. Sayers.' New York Herald Tribune 'She is astoundingly good.' Daily Express 'The finest writer in the English languange of the pure, classical puzzle whodunnit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.' The Sun

About the Author

Dame Ngaio Marsh was born in New Zealand in 1895 and died in February 1982. She wrote over 30 detective novels and many of her stories have theatrical settings, for Ngaio Marsh's real passion was the theatre. She was both actress and producer and almost single-handedly revived the New Zealand public's interest in the theatre. It was for this work that she received what she called her 'damery' in 1966.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins Pod (April 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006512372
• ISBN-13: 978-0006512370
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,488,524 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:

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
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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.

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.

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.