Scales of Justice [Paperback]

Ngaio Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 1999

A brutal murder with a golf club and an ingenious plot bursting with snobbery, suspicion , adultery and secrets -- to say nothing of the dreadful crime of catricide...The lives of the inhabitants of Swevenings are disrupted only by a fierce competition to catch the Old Un, a monster trout known to dwell in a beautiful stream which winds past their homes. Then one of their small community is found brutally murdered; beside him is the freshly killed trout. Both died by violence -- but Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn's murder investigation seems to be much more interested in the fish...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner of a Crime Writers' Association 'Red Herring Award' in 1955 'The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers' Times Literary Supplement 'Excellently characterized, Miss Marsh's best yet. Observer 'The detection is first class. The whole affair is written with style and distinction.' BBC 'The finest writer in the English languange of the pure, classical puzzle whodunnit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.' The Sun

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 she received what she called her 'damery' in 1966.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins Pb (April 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006512429
• ISBN-13: 978-0006512424
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,642,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but Marsh has done better, June 21, 2000

By 

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

This review is from: Scales of Justice (Inspector Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoy Marsh's mysteries, and this one was no exception, in that there was a clever plot with a really devious method of committing murder. However, the characters in this book were not as compelling to me as ones from previous books (_When in Rome_, _Death in a White Tie_, etc.). Still, a very enjoyable read, and a great way to pass the time.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Fish, Cats--And Murder, February 2, 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: Scales of Justice (Inspector Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Swevenings is an isolated and insular English district where nothing unpleasant ever seems to happen--until the celebrated Lord Lacklander, on his death bed, passes his memoirs into the hands of Col. Cartarette. And when Col. Cartarette is found unexpectedly murdered on the banks of the Chyne River, Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard must determine whether foul play arises from an unknown explosive in Lacklander's memoirs or from a less obvious but no less lethal source.

As is often the case with Marsh, the beauty of the SCALES OF JUSTICE lies not so much in the unfolding plot as it does in the characters and their setting, and Swevenings and the Chyne Valley offers her tremendous scope, ranging from the formidable Lady Lacklander to the eccentrically cat-happy Mr. Danberry-Phinn to the alcoholic archer Commander Syce. Among her most interesting creations here is Nurse Kettle, a commonsense if excessively arch woman whose pleasing personality actually tempts Alleyn's sidekick Fox to reconsider his bachelor state!

Marsh often writes in such a way as to allow the reader to anticipate the killer, but such is not the case with SCALES OF JUSTICE, and many will find the means of the crime ingenious and the solution startling, with both a legendary fish locally known as "The Old 'Un" and the wandering feline Thomasina Twitchett providing unexpected clues along the way. A thoroughly enjoyable outing from start to finish.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic example of the cozy mystery, August 22, 2005

By 

Kimberley Wilson (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scales of Justice (Inspector Roderick Alleyn Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Swevenings is a post card pretty little English village. The cottages are, with two known exceptions, tidy. The villagers are happy and like things just the way they are. Lord and Lady Lacklander are respected and admired. Then, suddenly after the death of the old lord things get messy. It turns out that Swevenings may look like heaven but is actually hiding a very painful and ugly secret, one that the old lord wanted exposed and one that costs his best friend his life.

You have the sensible nurse, the village drunk, the not crazy at all eccentric, the grande dame, the cloying young lovers and of course the bleached blonde outsider. Into this mix comes our handsome detective. He's not a flashy genius or a talented amateur. He's a cop, albeit one with a distinguished family background. His humor is gentle, his habits are unremarkable. He just keeps plugging away until he solves this case becuase it's his job and becuase the crime offends his sense of decency.

Scales of Justice is classic example of the cozy msystery and it pretty much unrolls the way you'd expect it to. By the end of the book things have been set right and life in Swevenings goes back to the bland sweetness of before. It's a pleasant way to spend a few hours.