Man Lay Dead (Hardcover)

by Ngaio Marsh (Author) "Nigel Bathgate, in the language of his own gossip column, was "definitely intrigued" about his week-end at Frantock..." (more)
Key Phrases: murder game, cocktail tray, dogskin glove, Sir Hubert, Doctor Tokareff, Doctor Young (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Faultless story-telling.' New York Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"It's time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around."--New York magazine

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Amereon Ltd (March 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884114880
• ISBN-13: 978-0884114888
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #181,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #7 in

  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( M ) > Marsh, Ngaio

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful start, March 18, 2003

By	J. P Spencer (Rochester, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

In 1934 Ngaio Marsh gave us the first of a series which for lovers of the English cozy deserves to be known better than I think it is. This, the first in the series gets things off to a great start. True, this may not be Ms. Marsh's best crafted pure mystery; she got better with time and the plot here is so much a paradigm for the genre that it is at least now a cliche. But Roderick Alleyn arrives on the scene as an interesting and believable centerpiece with enough of an enigma about him to make us want to know more. I have read a half dozen others before coming to this one but wish I had started here.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Matter of Taste, December 18, 1999

By	C. Gilbert "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is not my favorite Ngaio Marsh novel. One of the things I like about her later books is where they break from the more classic chamber mystery form. This, her first book, (while still being very readable and enjoyable) is much more in the line of the tried and true formula. The characters are, as always, interesting and well-drawn; the red herrings are sufficiently misleading. Solid all the way around.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Far superior to Christie., December 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Ngaio (Nye-O) Marsh is by far the greatest mystery writer to grace this earth. In this, her first book, she introduces her detective, Roderick Alleyn. Her attention to detail, incredible ability to describe the minutae of her locales, and willingness to provide the reader with all necessary information to solve the mystery (and still make it very difficult to do so) are just a few of attributes. If you only read one Marsh, make it "A Man Lay Dead."