Customer Reviews

Grave Mistake (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries)

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

 

 

Although the solution to the crime becomes increasingly apparent as the novel progresses, GRAVE MISTAKE--along with BLACK AS HE'S PAINTED and DEAD WATER--remains one of my three favorite Marsh novels. Why? Because it is a showcase for Marsh's skill in creating and presenting memorable characters, and this tale of lost treasure and multiple murder not only abounds with them, it is told with unusual wit even for the always witty Marsh.

The story concerns the extremely rich Sybil Foster--who is also very much the hypocondriac. But on this occasion she has good reason to feel particularly under the weather: she is about to run afoul of her extremely unattractive step-son by her late first husband, who is determined to find an extremely valuable stamp his father concealed somewhere on the estate shortly before his death. Rather than cope with "Charmless Claude," she takes her self off to Greengages, a private rest home popular with the wealthy seeking a week's relaxion. But instead of relaxation, Sybil finds one crisis after another--and ultimately mysterious death.

This is one of Marsh's most brilliantly written novels, dripping with atmosphere, and of the many memorable portraits it offers the character Verity Preston--Sybil's sometime friend--is Marsh writing at the top of her skill. As noted above, savvy readers will spot the killer before Inspector Allen does, but GRAVE MISTAKE is so beautifully done that even those who do figure it out shouldn't mind in the least. A personal favorite, and strongly recommended.

First Marsh i've read in, oh, probably twentyfive years. I recall being a little unimpressed previously, which must be why i never went back to her. I am here to confirm, after this book, that i made a grave mistake in writing her off. More reviews of her work will doubtless feature here in the future, as i shall continue to read her. Like P.D. James, Marsh has the ability to create believable, likable or unlikable characters, and put them into situations in which they act and react properly. Also like James, she can create a nice twist in the tale. The mystery here is not as hard to penetrate as, for example, Christie at the height of her powers; nevertheless, it is terribly satisfying to know that i had figured out, along with Alleyn and Fox ~ the policemen involved ~ just who had killed whom and why. I love books in which the characters make me stop reading for a moment or two because i'm frustrated with what they've said or done, because it's so true and so annoying. This book made me do that several times, with several of the characters ~ Sybil Foster, the victim, Dr. Schramm, the man with a past ~ and this involuntary action is a tribute to the writing.

Vivid characters step off the page in Ngaio Marsh's GRAVE MISTAKE. Each fills his role till the last shovel of dirt is poured on his grave. From the premises that a too good character is always suspect it is rather easy to discover the killer, but the fascination arrives by watching how Ms. Marsh brings him to justice.
Dedicated hypochondriac Sybil Foster is murdered while a resident in her favorite health spa and her doctor is named the major recipient of the estate unless her daughter follows her instructions to marry into the peerage.
Superintendent Roderick Alleyn has a problem on his hands to find a way into the closed society of rural Kent until his wife's talent and fame paves his way.
A fine read at any time.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.

While I knew I would like the stories, I was surprised at the great quality of the book considering the price.

I'm very torn between 3 & 4 stars. I enjoyed the story very much--till the end, esp. the fine characterizations--esp. Verity, the playwright. Alleyn & Fox got a bit more physical in this one too. I did figure out most of it, but the ending left me kind of annoyed, even incredulous. To describe the problem would involve a big spoiler, so I'll refrain, but either the murderer is a psychopath or had an unbelievable psychology IMHO. Still, this was otherwise a quite clever book. It is also available in a nice collection of 5 novels with "Scales of Justice, Death of a Fool, Tied Up in Tinsel, & Photo Finish")--FIVE COMPLETE NOVELS SCALES OF JUSTICE DEATH OF A FOOL TIED UP IN TINSEL GRAVE MISTAKE PHOTO FINISH

'Grave Mistake' is one of Marsh's least satisfying mysteries. That's not to say it's bad, but it does fall rather flat. The clever storylines, witty episodes, and skilled characterisations that distinguish so much of Dame Ngaio's writing are watered down into something more mediocre here. I also have strong reservations about the resolution of the plot and can't help feeling that the dialogue is just too anachronistic to the 1970's ('how sickening for you!'). Nevertheless, there are several charming, well-drawn characters, the plot works well enough on the whole, and somehow (as always) Marsh manages to draw me in.

The reservations remain, however, and the book probably only has enough going for it to give pleasure to Marsh's more avid fans. It would be an unfortunate starting point for anyone new to her writing. Marsh was in her eighties when she wrote this work and while she produced some fine work in her later years (such as 'Photo Finish') she was more often disappointing in comparison to her work of the 1940's and fifties. Many of these fine earlier titles are available here and it would be a pity not to read them first.

A wealthy twice-widowed woman is found dead at her rest-spa. Alleyn investigates!
This is not her absolute best, but it's very good.
I felt like the character of "Verity" was a representative of Marsh herself, who never married.
"Prunella", like many pretty young things in Marsh novels, is rather crudely sketched.
The author's writing is so unusual and reveals so much about herself.

I don't know why I've never read any of Marsh's books. Perhaps I expected them to be in the "cosy" style or formulaic. This was not the case, I'm relieved to say. Grave Mistake has some very well-drawn characters, lots of suspects, superior plotting, and a vocabulary that puts a lot of contemporary writers to shame. While the style of speech is somewhat old-fashioned, it does not deter from a thoroughly entertaining book. Marsh was obviously a keen and perceptive observer of human nature and it shows both in the interior thoughts of the characters and in their behavior. While I doubt that I'll go back to the beginning and read the author's complete works, this was a rewarding adventure in reading.
Recommended.

I don't know, usually, as I've said in previous reviews of Marsh's mysteries, even the ones that don't seem to be as good prove at least satisfying. Here, this doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe I was just slow, but the plot really didn't seem to run as smoothly as it usually does in her books, which is a shame since the characters are quite well-drawn. A wealthy widow commits suicide at a well-known spa/health hotel. Did she do it because she was angry with her daughter or because she suspected that she herself may have an incurable disease? The question soon becomes, did she commit suicide at all? It's up to Detective Inspector Alleyn and his trusty side-kick, Inspector Fox, to get to the bottom of this grave.

Routine murder investigation in rural England featuring Ngaio Marsh's signature detective Roderick Alleyn. An heiress is murdered and suspicion immediately falls upon her doctor, who recently became her fiance and received a tidy bequest in a new will. But what of her sullen stepson and the mystery of the Black Alexander?
A good if routine murder mystery. I enjoyed Death of a Peer (aka A Surfeit of Lampreys) more.