Death of a Fool (St. Martin's Dead Letter Mysteries) - Softcover

Marsh, Ngaio

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312968329 ISBN 13: 9780312968328

Publisher: St. Martin's Dead Letter, 1999

Synopsis

A ritual dance becomes a murderous mambo...

At the winter solstice, South Mardian's swordsmen weave their blades in an ancient ritual dance. But for one of them, the excitement proves too heady, and his decapitation turns the fertility rite into a pageant of death. Now Inspector Roderick Alleyn must penetrate not only the mysteries of folklore, but the secrets and sins of an eccentric group who include a surly blacksmith, a domineering dowager, and a not-so-simple village idiot.

About this title

About the Author:

From her first book in 1934 to her final volume just before her death in 1982, Ngaio Marsh's work has remained legendary, and is often compared to that of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. During her celebrated fifty-year career, Marsh was made a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, was named Dame Commander, Order of the British Empire, won numerous prestigious awards, and penned 32 mystery novels.

Now St. Martin's Dead Letter Mysteries is thrilled to make all of Marsh's novels available again for old fans to relish and new ones to discover. So sit back, draw the curtains, lock the doors, and put yourself in the hands of Grande Dame of detective novels...

From AudioFile:

Ancient ritual and murder combine for a romp through merry old England. Nadia May's narration covers territory throughout Britain and Germany. She enlivens an eccentric cast of characters led by the town matriarch, a crotchety old blacksmith, and the village idiot. As a folklore connoisseur delves a little too deeply into local tradition, a fertility rite turns into a ceremony of death. May's narration soars as the granddaughter of the deceased practices vocal exercises and further complicates matters with her romantic entanglement and family history. Before Inspector Roderick Alleyn gets his man, misogyny, greed, and the mysteries of folklore are revealed. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Dead Letter
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0312968329
• ISBN 13: 9780312968328
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288