False Scent [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Ngaio Marsh (Author), James Saxon (Narrator)

Book Description

Series: Audio Editions Mystery Masters | Publication Date: October 10, 2001

At her birthday party, aging actress Mary Bellamy revels in the attentions of family, friends, and fans, right up to the moment that one of them murders her with a puff of deadly perfume.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Miss Marsh triumphs.' Daily Telegraph 'High-spirited, amusing .. neatly contrived from start to finish.' New Statesman 'As high-spirited and amusing as Surfeit of Lampreys.' New Statesman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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 the received what she called her 'damery' in 1966. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Partners; Unabridged edition (October 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572701641
• ISBN-13: 978-1572701649
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,862,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yep, another good yarn from Ngaio Marsh, July 7, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: False Scent (Mass Market Paperback)

Mary Bellamy is an aging actress, given to fits of jealousy and paranoia, who can go from charming to vindictive in less than ten seconds. So really, no one should have been too surprised when someone takes the aptly named "Slaypest" insecticide that Mary uses on her flowers, and kills her with it. Suddenly, those closest to Mary - her adopted son, devoted husband, faithful maid, old nanny, personal stylist/designer, old admirer and theatre colleagues are suspected of murder. A particularly good read if you are at all familiar with the inner-workings of the theatre and the mentality of theatre folk.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly Witty, June 3, 2005

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: False Scent (Mass Market Paperback)

Published in 1959, FALSE SCENT finds Ngaio Marsh setting her scene among London's theatre folk--and to wickedly witty effect. Mary Bellamy, famous for her "v" shaped smile and her way with light comedy, has long been known as one of the leading lights of the stage. Indeed, it may have been a bit too long: her temper tantrums have become as legendary as her career, and her 50th birthday provides ample showcase for them. Before the day is out she will snap, snarl, create two extremely nasty scenes--and end up dead, literally a victim of her own vanity.

Marsh is renowned for her skill at creating both memorable characters and settings, and she often gives her novels a theatrical background; it was world she knew well, and she digs her nails into every scrap of it. But Marsh's plots are not always the equal of her literary skill, and this is somewhat true of FALSE SCENT; although the novel is tremendous fun, a good many readers will spot the killer midway through the book. Still, with Marsh getting there is often the fun, and while FALSE SCENT doesn't really stand among the best of her best, it is a vastly entertaining reading. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great audio experience!, February 27, 2002

By 

Maria Jette (excelsior, mn USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: False Scent (Audio Cassette)

I'm a mystery lover, and a book reader in general, but had never tried audiobooks until a couple of weeks ago, when I bought this one for a road trip. What a thrill! This reader is a BRILLIANT actor... in terms of characterizations of the typically wide range of class accents in this sort of British murder mystery, as well as inflection in long spells of narrative, he is superb. I almost regret having heard his performance, as I've since been listening to a "Miss Silver" mystery from another company (and reader), and have been disappointed by a bland delivery and some distracting problems with audio levels. I'm going to check out EVERY audio book read by JAmes Saxon, though-- "False Scent" was spellbinding. I'm a convert to the format, and looking forward to my commutes with future Marsh/Saxon volumes.

Oh yes-- the book itself is wonderful, as are all Ngaio Marsh novels.