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Ngaio Marsh
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Hand in Glove: Inspector Roderick Alleyn #22 Kindle Edition

by Ngaio Marsh (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 663 ratings

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A deadly dull man is now just plain dead in this novel by “a peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery.” —Kirkus Reviews

One has to admit that the timing was peculiar. No one could doubt that Mr. Percival Pyke Period was genuinely distraught to hear that his neighbor, Harry Cartell, had turned up dead in a ditch. But how is it that Mr. Percival Pyke came to write the letter of condolence before the body was found? And how is it that Mr. Cartell came to inspire such violence? Yes he was boring, yes he was stuffy, but who would kill a man for the crime of being a bad conversationalist? If tediousness has become grounds for murder, Inspector Alleyn shudders to think of the body count to come . . .

“The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.” —Times Literary Supplement

“Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A.” —The New York Times
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  1. Book 22 of 33
    Inspectr Roderick Alleyn
  2. Print length
    259 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Felony & Mayhem Press
  5. Publication date
    February 15, 2015
  6. File size
    1.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Inspectr Roderick Alleyn Book 1 - Book 10
Inspectr Roderick Alleyn Book 1 - Book 33
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Bundle price: Kindle price
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Bundle price: Kindle price
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Editorial Reviews

Review

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

About the Author

Ngaio Marsh was one of the celebrated queens of the traditional British mystery, alongside Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Dorothy Sayers. She is the author of 32 novels in the Inspector Alleyn series. She was born in New Zealand and lived both in New Zealand and England.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00TRHP3FO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Felony & Mayhem Press; Reprint edition (February 15, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 15, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 259 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0312969082
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 663 ratings

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Ngaio Marsh

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
663 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and enjoyable. They appreciate the well-developed characters and writing style. Many describe the book as a delightful and enchanting read. However, some feel the pacing is inconsistent and not one of the author's best works.

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Story qualityEnjoymentCharacter developmentWriting styleReadabilityPacing
10 customers mention "Story quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging mystery story. They find it cleverly done and fast-paced, with an engaging heroine and handsome young man. The book is described as a cozy and enjoyable read.

"An engaging ingenue; a pleasant, handsome young man; a cortage of other idiosyncratic tropes; a puzzle; & Roderick Alleyn (w/Troy)." Read more

"A short but very entertaining book. Plenty of red herrings and I would have loved to see all of them arrested." Read more

"Love the humor bandied about throughout this dynamic peopled mystery Terrific characters-even the dogs leap to vivid life. Excellent read!" Read more

"Enjoyed this one. Fast paced English detective story by New Zealand author. Superintendent Alleyn mystery with a variety of good characters." Read more

8 customers mention "Enjoyment"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it delightful and enchanting for fans of Naio Marsh.

"An engaging ingenue; a pleasant, handsome young man; a cortage of other idiosyncratic tropes; a puzzle; & Roderick Alleyn (w/Troy)." Read more

"...The books are all well written and fun to read...." Read more

"Enjoyed this one. Fast paced English detective story by New Zealand author. Superintendent Alleyn mystery with a variety of good characters." Read more

"...story to her style of writing and I can only say, very cosy and enchanting!" Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the mystery has good characters.

"...the humor bandied about throughout this dynamic peopled mystery Terrific characters-even the dogs leap to vivid life. Excellent read!" Read more

"...There are good character sketches and well written passages, but I don’t think this is one of Ngaio Marsh’s best mysteries...." Read more

"...Superintendent Alleyn mystery with a variety of good characters." Read more

"...They are very well written and have well defined characters. I am looking forward to starting another one." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing style"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the characters well-defined and the story cleverly done.

"...very bad 'cozy mysteries' lately so am happy to get back to a well written book from an author who expects her readers to be intelligent." Read more

"...There are good character sketches and well written passages, but I don’t think this is one of Ngaio Marsh’s best mysteries...." Read more

"...They are very well written and have well defined characters. I am looking forward to starting another one." Read more

"I liked the story fine; cleverly done, outcome was not predictable but not gratuitous as many mysteries are...." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it a good read for Marsh fans and say they love her books.

"...Excellent read!" Read more

"Love all Ngaio Marsh's books. Modern detective mysteries are filled with disturbing imagery ... ...." Read more

"All her books are great. Good plots and entertaining characters. Nice when Agatha Troy is in the story as well." Read more

"Good read..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book to be good. The story is cleverly done, with an unexpected outcome that is not predictable. While it's not one of Naio Marsh's best works, it's still enjoyable if you are a fan.

"I liked the story fine; cleverly done, outcome was not predictable but not gratuitous as many mysteries are...." Read more

"...Fox in it and less of the other characters. To me, it just never "jelled" as a story." Read more

"Although not one of her best efforts, this is still enjoyable if you are a Naio Marsh fan." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • G. Adriaansen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Marsh
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    An engaging ingenue; a pleasant, handsome young man; a cortage of other idiosyncratic tropes; a puzzle; & Roderick Alleyn (w/Troy).
    Helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Ngaio Marsh Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    A short but very entertaining book. Plenty of red herrings and I would have loved to see all of them arrested.
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  • A. Andrews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hand in Glove
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I'm pretty much enjoying everything Ngaio Marsh these days. The books are all well written and fun to read.
    I have been wading through some very bad 'cozy mysteries' lately so am happy to get back to a well written book from an author who expects her readers to be intelligent.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • getnoldr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Too Delightful
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Love the humor bandied about throughout this dynamic peopled mystery Terrific characters-even the dogs leap to vivid life. Excellent read!
    Helpful
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  • Medievalist
    4.0 out of 5 stars Inexcusable mispronunciation of Alleyn's name mars a good audiobook
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The narrator mispronounces Alleyn's name as Al-lain. We know this is wrong because in previous books Marsh made use of confusion caused by his surname being overheard and interpreted as a first name and by Alleyn's or others' need to spell it. I have listened to almost all the audiobooks and this is the first time I have encountered this inexcusable error. Otherwise, Sinden's voices are very good.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Patto
    3.0 out of 5 stars Quarrelsome people and naughty dogs make for a chaotic murder case
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Mr. Pyke Period, a sweet old bachelor is sharing his home with Mr. Harold Cartell, a disagreeable bachelor with an even more disagreeable dog.

    The household is not peaceful, and the connections between various relatives and hangers-on are a bit confusing. In the midst of this chaos, Mr. Period brings in a pretty young typist to help him with the book he’s writing on etiquette. A young man with artistic ambitions is part of the mixed company, and a flirtation ensues. Which I enjoyed.

    Contrasting with the well-bred typist and the artistic young gentleman are two young people with atrocious manners and slippery morals. These two are busy trying on various cons, when Harold Cartell is murdered. Chief Inspector Alleyn is quickly on the scene, valiantly attempting to persuade everyone to stop lying. Meanwhile the two dogs in the plot are getting amorous and biting people.

    Happily there is a list of characters in the front of the book, but I still found it hard to keep in mind their connections with one another. There are good character sketches and well written passages, but I don’t think this is one of Ngaio Marsh’s best mysteries. 

    Still, I’m reading every book in this series so as to keep up with Alleyn’s career.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Diana ES
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read for a Marsh fan
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed this one. Fast paced English detective story by New Zealand author. Superintendent Alleyn mystery with a variety of good characters.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sandy Dune
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    If you like Agatha Christie’s books you will enjoy the Inspector Allleyn mystery series. They are very well written and have well defined characters. I am looking forward to starting another one.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Damaskcat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Death in a ditch
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Mr Pyke Period is obsessed with his family history and with social etiquette, on which he is writing a book. Currently he has Henry Cartell living with him and relations are strained on both sides. A lunch party ends acrimoniously after Connie Cartell - Henry's sister - brings her guests, her adopted niece and her niece's dubious boyfriend who seem not to know how to behave in polite company.

    When Henry Cartell ends up dead in a ditch after a party at his ex-wife, Lady Desiree Bantling's house, suspicions fall on just about everyone in the neighbourhood. Roderick Alleyn is sent to investigate and finds a friend, Nicola, doing Mr Pyke Period's typing for him.

    I enjoyed this well plotted mystery with its collection of eccentric and unpleasant characters though there are some pleasant characters too. It was nice to see an appearance by Agatha Troy - Roderick Alleyn's artist wife. I thought the complex family relationships were well done and there were plenty of red herrings and genuine clues to keep even the keenest reader guessing. If you enjoy classic crime stories then you can't beat Ngaio Marsh.
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  • hh
    4.0 out of 5 stars marsh
    Reviewed in Germany on February 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    nicht das beste von marsh aber ok

    wort wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wpo wo wow wo wo
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  • Lacey Green
    4.0 out of 5 stars Danger: Men at Work
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of Ngaio Marsh's later Alleyn novels in which her ageless detective, still an active investigating officer in the swinging Sixties, is called in on an odd and disturbing case. The village has been invaded by the Council, while a new sewer is being laid. An eclectic set of characters continually lays false trails. As in several earlier novels, the murder takes place among the rural gentry, but this book shows Ms Marsh's post-war awareness of the blurring of those social lines drawn by an older generation. No more on the plot except this: I like dogs in novels, (Heyer's Bouncer and Lufra, Wentworth's heroic Branble and Charlotte Bronte's Pilot), but Ngaio Marsh's Pixie is an 'underbred Boxer' with no redeeming qualities. She isn't, however, the murderer.

    I found this novel less satisfying than the author's earlier work but still a very good read and preferable to the BBC adaptation, which added a secondary plot-twist that was both unnecessary and dramatically improbable. Why won't script-writers trust and respect their borrowed material? PS: The BBC dramatization is still worth watching, for the usual suspects, (Malahide, Simons and Lang), and a wonderful cameo from John Gielgud.
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  • jill parr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Great
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  • robert williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    For the many fans of this particular novelist, I feel that I can recommend this book as a thot
    roughly good read
    Report

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