Source: Purchased
Description: It's murder in the little English village, but the two local spinsters, Miss Campanula, the victim, and Miss Prentice, her friend who may have been the intended victim, are not exactly the beloved little old ladies of song and story. They were (and are) waspish, gossiping snobs, passionate only about their own narrowly defined religion .and, perhaps, about the local vicar. But could they have been sufficiently unpleasant to provoke a murderer?
Genre: Mystery - Classic
Why I Picked This Book: I'm slowly reading my way through classic mysteries and while I have read some Ngaio Marsh but not anywhere close to all of them.
My Impression: This was the first time I have picked up this mystery and it was an absolute delight! In the past I have found some of Marsh's mysteries a bit dry or stodgy so I didn't have the highest expectations when I started this one. However, I was quickly pulled into small village life with lots of scandals and two spinsters who believe they are rivals for the handsome reverend's affections. The method of murder was incredibly unique and the motives are many.
Alleyn and Fox show up right after the murder happens and I remembered just how much I love Alleyn in full detective mode. He's clever and oh so polite and most of the time the person trying to hide something from him ends up confessing without ever knowing what's happening. It was fun to see the investigation through his eyes. I also really liked the characters of Henry and Dinah so I couldn't help but root for them.
I did guess a part of the mystery ahead of Alleyn but didn't put all the pieces together until Alleyn led the way. I really enjoyed the book from beginning to end and it may just be my favorite Marsh book! I'm looking forward to discovering more of her books.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to finding more books from her that I have yet to read.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy classic mysteries with a very traditional English village setting this is a good one!
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy classic mysteries with a very traditional English village setting this is a good one!
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