Death in Ecstasy (Dead Letter Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ngaio Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Dead Letter Mysteries | Publication Date: October 15, 1997

The Ritual Wine Taste of Evil

When lovely Cara Quayne dropped dead to the floor after drinking the ritual wine at the House of the Sacred Flame, she was having a religious experience of a sort unsuspected by the other initiates. Discovering how the fatal prussic acid got into the bizarre group's wine is but one of the perplexing riddles that confronts Scotland Yard's Inspector Rocerick Alleyn when he's called to discover who sent this wealthy cult member to her untimely death.

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...

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312963602
• ISBN-13: 978-0312963606
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just short of excellent, April 1, 2000

By 

Roger Long "longrush" (Port Clinton, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death in Ecstasy (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

First published in 1936, this mystery is just a bit dated, as one might expect. It is a little too polite by today's standards: the detective and his confidants are never in jeopardy. There is but the one murder and no real foreshadowing of another possible homicide. The plot might well have been improved by more action or at least the threat of something dire. Despite this, the ambience and characterizations are superior to most present-day whodunits. The only flaw in the characterizations is in Ms. Marsh's attempts to write grating American slang. If the reader likes Agatha Christie and the novels that are more puzzle than danger, this is a very good choice.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple little mystery, September 30, 2004

By 

Andrew Dobrenis (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death in Ecstasy (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of Ms. Marsh's earlier mysteries and it shows in how soon into the novel the murder occurs as opposed to the mid-novel murder that takes place in later efforts. As usual, it is well written and this time has a rather exotic beginning as action opens in the confines of a cultish "church" where strange goings on occur.

The start of the story is seen through the eyes of Nigel Bathgate, an up and coming journalist who became friends with the lead character, Inspector Alleyn, in Ngaio Marsh's first novel, A Man Lay dead. His presence adds "fresh" eyes to the investigation as opposed to the efficient and logical views of Alleyn. In other words, Nigel plays Watson to Alleyn's Holmes.

A strange ceremony in the above mentioned place of worship, involves the communal drinking of a sacred mixture by a select few congregants. This leads to the poisoning of the Chosen Vessel (the last to drink from the cup). The cast of suspects are pretty varied including some spinsters, a young couple facing problems of their own, a stereotypical (from the then British point of view) American, a rather slimy leader of the congregation and Frenchman with refined tastes.

As always, all the loose ends are neatly tied up. If one concentrates, one can usually solve a Ngaio Marsh mystery as all the clues you need are placed before you. Her style is not of the Agatha Christie, shock twist, but rather relies on a careful examination of the facts by a likeable lead detective of perfect manners who has a keen insight into people. Her later novels reveal characters of greater depth, but for all the briefness of this novel, it is still a pleasant read as we can take pleasure in the sparkling prose of Ms Marsh and tickle our minds with a neat little mystery.

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite Good, July 19, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Death in Ecstasy (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Not my favorite Marsh, but still very good. Nigel Bathgate (AKA Inspector Alleyn's "Watson") is simply a bored journalist looking for something to do on a rainy day. He spies the mysterious "church" across the street from him, sneaks in to a secret ceremony, and quite by accident, ends up witnessing a murder. Who does he call but his own favorite Scotland Yard detective, Roderick Alleyn. An interesting blend of spiritualism, money, drugs and murder.