or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
6 used & new from $14.02

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Black As He's Painted
  
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Black As He's Painted (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The year was at the spring and the day at the morn and God may have been in his Heaven but as far as Mr..." (more)
Key Phrases: pottery pigs, pottery fish, Br'er Fox, Special Branch, Capricorn Place (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

List Price: $26.95
Price: $24.41 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $2.54 (9%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Wednesday, November 11? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
2 new from $24.41 4 used from $14.02

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover $24.41 $24.41 $14.02
  Paperback -- -- $0.01
  Mass Market Paperback -- $82.52 $0.01
  Audio, Cassette, Unabridged $44.95 $28.32 $15.00
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $13.10 or less with new Audible membership

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Clutch of Constables (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries)

Clutch of Constables (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries)

by Ngaio Marsh
Singing in the Shrouds

Singing in the Shrouds

by Ngaio Marsh
4.0 out of 5 stars (7)  $54.95
Dead Water

Dead Water

by Ngaio Marsh
Enter A Murderer (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries)

Enter A Murderer (Roderick Alleyn Mysteries)

by Ngaio Marsh
4.1 out of 5 stars (7)  $5.99
Colour Scheme

Colour Scheme

by Ngaio Marsh
4.5 out of 5 stars (4)  $49.95
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A splendid, eccentric detective story in classic style.' Evening Standard 'She writes as beautifully as ever.' Sunday Times 'An elegant, disciplined writer, Marsh deserves to be read and re-read not just for her plots but for her characterisation, for her painter's eye view and for her outsider's insights into the heart of a vanished social world.' Susan Howatch 'The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.' The Sun --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 the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Hardcover
  • Publisher: Amereon Ltd (March 1984)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0884114724
  • ISBN-13: 978-0884114727
  • Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,578,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

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

Visit Amazon's Ngaio Marsh Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, July 13, 2000
First published in 1974, Black As He's Painted with Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn is back in print.

The mystery starts out with a bored Mr. Samuel Whipplestone, who is retired from Her Majesty's Foreign Service, venturing out on a stroll. The walk leads him to Capricorn Place, a couple of memorable experiences and a change in his newly retired life. Later in the mystery, he meets up with Superintendent Alleyn at a reception where an assassination has occurred. The superintendent has his hands full trying to keep his old school buddy, now president of Ng'ombwana in Africa, safe from his many enemies. Knowing Mr. Whipplestone's past job description, the Superintendent requests his aid - Mr. Whipplestone obliges.

I enjoyed reading Ngaio Marsh's mystery. It has the flavor of an old fashion British mystery, with an added flare of espionage. The author's ability to plant suspicion and lead her readers into the twists and turns are well done. Although I know Black As He's Painted is a Superintendent Alleyn mystery, I feel Mr. Whipplestone and the adorable recently procured addition to his household steals the show and adds charm to the mystery. If you haven't read a Ngaio Marsh Mystery here's your chance to experience a writer said to be in the same league as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great characterizations, November 5, 2008
This is my favorite of the baker's dozen Marsh's I've read so far. Not only are her style, dialog, & plot very fine, but her characterizations are delightful--esp. the Boomer (President of an African nation & former classmate of Alleyn's), the always intriguing Troy (bringing in her fascinating painter's perspective), and (perhaps esp.) former Foreign Service Officer Whipplestone & his cat Lucy Lockett. The supporting characters were also interesting & unusual (e.g. Gomez, the Chubbs, the Sanskrits, the Montforts, etc.). There's also an interesting foil regarding racial prejudice amongst the various characters. The only quibble might be the perhaps over-emphasis & insensitivity on the obesity of the Sanskrits. The book actually has two mysteries embedded in it--the overarching one and a quick & dirty one. Overall, a terrific mystery novel in the British tradition.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Black as He's Painted, July 6, 2000
By A Customer
Ngaio Marsh is one of my favourite mystery writers and this book lives up to her usual standard. Roderick Alleyn must investigate an assassination attempt on an old school friend that resulted in the death of a bystander. His job is made more difficult because of cultural differences and racism. In addition to creating believable characters, Marsh writes an interesting story with an unexpected ending.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Ngaio Marsh at her Better
I am not a particular fan of Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn, but I liked this novel better than the previous ones I had read. Read more
Published on September 1, 2007 by C. Schaub

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Mystery
Ngaio Marsh has been one of my favorite authors ever since I first read "Artists in Crime" thirty-five years ago. This is one of the best of them.
Published on May 12, 2007 by R. Victoria

4.0 out of 5 stars A little different Roderick Alleyn.
This book is a little different for a Roderick Alleyn book. For one thing, it's more a diplomatic mystery than a murder mystery, but there are murders in the book, but these come... Read more
Published on February 7, 2005 by S. Schwartz

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally Rich
An unusually intriguing story concerning an African politician threatened with assasination and remarkably created characters mix to create my personal favorite of all Marsh... Read more
Published on December 5, 2001 by Gary F. Taylor

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:





i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.