Softcover

ISBN 10: 0006512518 ISBN 13: 9780006512516

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2000

Ngaio Marsh's classic first novel, which introduced Inspector Alleyn and set Ngaio Marsh on the path to international recognition. 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, with a real dagger in the back. All seven suspects have had time to concoct skilful alibis -- and it is Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn who has to try and figure out whodunit...

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

From AudioFile:

Sir Hubert Handesley regularly invites a small group of friends and acquaintances to Frampton, his country estate. This weekend he has something special planned--a murder game. But then one of the players is discovered with a real dagger in his back. A MAN LAY DEAD introduces us to Inspector Roderick Alleyn, Marsh's intelligent, cool, and inscrutable inspector from Scotland Yard. James Saxon narrates with a wonderful British accent--just a bit upper crust--and perfect pacing to move the story through its startling revelations and subtle suggestions. However, his attempts to create individual voices for each character fall short. His women are fairly distinct, although the servants' voices come across as stereotypes, but his male characters are too similar, leading to some confusion in following the plot. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine