Overture To Death [Paperback]

Ngaio Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1978

Who in the quiet village of Chipping would kill wealthy spinster Idris Campanula? Plenty of people, among them her fellow cast members from a troubled charity production. Miss Campanula was a spiteful gossip, gleefully destroying others' lives merely for her own excitement. But once Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives, he quickly realizes that the murderer might have killed the wrong woman -- and may soon stage a repeat performance.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." --"New York "magazine
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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...

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

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Jove (October 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515045314
• ISBN-13: 978-0515045314
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,686,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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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 howlingly funny - marsh at her best, September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Overture To Death (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

For Ngaio Marsh fans, this book is a must. The usual deft and scathing descriptions of small-town characters had me rolling on the floor. I can never play the Rachmaninoff opening bars again without collapsing in laughter. Tight plot, smoothly balanced progression to a classic Marsh finish. The book includes a sweet romantic sub-plot, handled nicely. Beware, if you are particularly sensitive about remarks that make fun of spinsters, you may not find this book as funny as I did.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deadly Rachmaninov, November 27, 2000

By 

c. john evans (Northport, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Overture To Death (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Death by a Rachmaninov Prelude is surely one of Marsh's most inspired murder methods. In addition, we have a great village setting, a good mystery plot and Marsh's typical wit. For Christie fans unfamiliar with Marsh, this one is a great introduction.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Marsh Mystery I've Read (so far)!, June 28, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Overture To Death (Dead Letter Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Overture to Death is Marsh's best for a few reasons: 1) The background of the murder (English village life) is extremely well drawn. 2) The characters are so well-defined, you feel as if you know them. 3) The method of murder is the cleverest I've seen yet, from Dame Marsh, and is completely plausible. One of the reasons that people look down on mystery novels, is that often they are about plot with scant attention paid to the literary aspects. Not so with Ngaio Marsh.