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A Man Lay Dead

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About this listen

Wealthy Sir Hubert Handesley's original and lively weekend house parties are deservedly famous. To amuse his guests, he has devised a new form of the fashionable Murder Game, in which a guest is secretly selected to commit a 'murder' in the dark, and everyone assembles to solve the crime. But when the lights go up this time, there is a real corpse....

©1934 Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio Cosy Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Detective Feel-Good Murder
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Not her best story, but entertaining none the less. Excellent narration and presentation, easy listening.

Enjoyable light listening

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This is my first Ngaio Marsh listen, it will not be my last Phillip Franks was an excellent Narrator.
The story kept me listening with all its twisted and turns. Written with wit as well as a who done it. A good listen.

Surprising A good listen

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Good story. Very well read
not sure about the filthy child. Must she be filthy because she is a working class child?? There’s that snobbery again

Very good

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Really enjoyed the twists and turns in each chapter a book of its time with language that reflected the period very well read

Great story telling

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A Man Lay Dead is a classic detective novel set in a remote country house location with a limited number at cast characters assembled for a weekend house party. Written in 1934, so a little dated though this in no way detracts from the pleasure of the who-dun-it, this was the author's first book and also introduced inspector. Roderick Alleyn who featured in all of her subsequent books.
I read my first Ngaio Marsh !harsh novel some sixty plus years ago and was thrilled by the ingenuity of her plottings. Her characterizations, too, are sparse but still convey a real feeling for her people nevertheless. And it all started with this book.

Combined with the fun of the assembled guests at the house party, and the mystery death itself, comes the excellent narration of Philip Franks. His performance is perfectly in keeping with the settings of the novel,with individual appropriate voicing for each character and a clear , well modulated reading of the text. A delight.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys Agatha Christie or Marjorie Allingham, (though in my opinion better than both), or any classic style whodunit, and highly recommended

Every detective ought to have a tame halfwit.

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