Ngaio Marsh gallery 2

Died in the Wool (London, Collins, 1945)
Pan, 1948, 221pp.
Fontana, 1951.
Fontana 844, 1963, 256pp, 3/6. Cover: photo
Fontana, 3rd imp., 1968, 256pp.
Fontana 0006-14217-6, 1976, 256pp.
Fontana 0006-16151-0, Xth imp., 1981.
——, 18th imp., n.d. (c.1992?), 272pp, £3.50. Cover by unknown
HarperCollins 0006-51239-9, 1999, 272pp.

Final Curtain (London, Collins, 1947)
Fontana 55, (Apr) 1955, 2/-.
Penguin 1261, 1958, 256pp.
——, 2nd imp., 1959; 3rd imp., 1961, 2/6. Cover: design
——, Xth imp., 2/6. Cover by Bailey
Fontana 1096, 1965, 251pp.
Fontana, 3rd imp., 1971.
Penguin 0014-01261-3, 1978, 282pp.
Fontana 5957 (0006-15957-5), 1980, 251pp.
——, Xth imp., 1986, 251pp.
——, 9th imp., Jan 1989, 251pp, £2.95. Cover by unknown
 ——, 11th imp., n.d. (1992?), 265pp, £4.99. Cover still (photo by John Green/BBC)
HarperCollins 0006-51241-0, 1999, 272pp.

In Final Curtain Nagio Marsh's interest in drama and her knowledge of actors and their ways are given full play. Sir Henry Ancred, the celebrated Shakespearian actor, wishes to have his portrait painted in the role of Macbeth by Agatha Troy, the famous artist—but is only willing to spare her a week of his time in which to complete it! She is reluctant to go to his home, Ancreton, as she is awaiting the arrival of after a long absence of her husband, Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, at any moment. But such is the persuasive power of Sir Henry's family that she undertakes the commission and is whisked off to Ancreton, where the stage-like setting and the histrionic behaviour of the large family intrigue her, and all her powers of observation are needed when, amid a welter of practical jokes, Sir Henry dies and Chief Inspector Alleyn is called in to investigate.

Swing, Brother, Swing (London, Collins, 1949; as A Wreath for Rivera, Boston, Little Brown, 1949)
Fontana 93, (Jan) 1956, 255pp, 2/-. Cover by John Rose
——, 2nd imp., 1958
Fontana 929, 3rd imp., 1964.
Fontana 1384, 1966.
Fontana 2897, 6th imp., 1972.
——, 1974.
Fontana 0006-16441-2, 1981, 255pp.
——, 1982.
——, 11th imp., 1994
HarperCollins, 2002.

Gala night at the Metronome, gayest of all the fashionable night-clubs, with Breezy Bellairs and his Boys, slickest of swing bands. To-night there is a very special attraction, for it is rumoured that the eccentric Lord Pastern is appearing with the Boys as temporary drummer. Among the after-theatre crowd in the softly-lit, over-heated dance room Chief Inspector Alleyn of Scotland Yard and his wife Troy are enjoying a private celebration. While watching the gyrations of the Boys as they put over their latest number, the celebrated detective suddenly realises that he has unwittingly combined business with pleasure; for Carlos Rivera, the piano-accordionist, is murdered before his startled eyes. A superbly written story with fascinating character, Swing, Brother, Swing will be welcomed by all those agreeing with the critic who wrote: "The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers."

Opening Night (London, Collins, 1951; as Night at the Vulcan, Boston, Little Brown, 1951)
Pan Books 373,  (Apr) 1956. Cover by Sax
Pan Books  G129, (May) 1958. Cover by Glenn Steward
Fontana 764, 1963, 191pp.
Fontana, 3rd imp., Apr 1966, 3/6. Cover by unknown
Fontana, 1974, 192pp.
Fontana 5774 (0006-15774-2), 1979.
 ——, 8th imp., Jun 1987, 192pp, £2.50. Cover by unknown
HarperCollins 0006-51244-5, 2001, 240pp.

Spinsters in Jeopardy (Boston, Little Brown, 1953)
Fontana 387, 1960, 254pp, 2/6. Cover by Eileen Walters
Fontana 1193, 1965, 254pp.
Fontana 0006-13162-X, 1973, 255pp.
Fontana 0006-14405-5, 6th imp., Dec 1976, 255pp, 70p. Cover by Justin Todd
Fontana 0006-16530-3, 1980.
——, 1982.
——, 12th imp., n.d. (c.1992), 284pp, £3.99. Cover by unknown
HarperCollins 0006-51240-2, 2001, 288pp.

Mr Oberon is the adored leader of a coven of rich amateur witches—until one of them stumbles on his thriving heroin factory.
__Suddenly, Mr Oberon needs a new element for a special magic ceremony: one fresh, respectable, female, middle-aged corpse...

Scales of Justice (London, Collins, 1955)
Fontana 224, 1958, 256pp, 2/-.
——, 2nd imp., May 1961.
Fontana 931, 3rd imp., Apr 1964, 255pp.
Fontana, 4th imp., Dec 1969, 256pp.
Fontana, 5th imp., Dec 1973.
Fontana 0006-14384-9, Apr 1976, 256pp, 60p. Cover by Justin Todd
Fontana 0006-15777-7, 1979, 255pp.
——, 9th imp., 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51242-9, 1999, 272pp.

Nothing seemed to disturb the air of smug respectability surrounding the pretty village of Chyning. But as Sir Harold Lacklander lies dying in the big house on the hill he grapples with his conscience. Finally he summons his old and trusted friend, Colonel Cartarette, and hands him for publication, the memoirs containing the guilty secret of his life.
__These memoirs are of great interest to certain inhabitants of the village, and all sorts of reactions are sparked off when Colonel Cartarette is discovered on the river bank—murdered.
__The rich background of village life, its intrigues and eccentricities, an ingenious murder and a paralysing build-up of tension combine to make this a first-class detective novel.

Off with His Head (as Death of a Fool, Boston, Little Brown, 1956; as Off with His Head, London, Collins, 1957)
Fontana 329, 1959, 255pp.
Fontana 1383, 1966.
——, 6th imp., 1969, 255pp.
——, 7th imp., Dec 1970, 255pp, 5/- (25p). Cover: photo
——, Xth imp., 1974
Fontana, 8th imp., 1979, 255pp.
Fontana 0006-16919-8, 1984.
HarperCollins 0006-51245-3, 2000, 302pp.

When the versatile Mrs. Bunz arrived at Mardian determined to investigate the rare survival of folk-dancing still practised there, no one in the village considered their strange ritual to be any busines of the rest of the world, or of Mr. Bunz. They did not foresee the macabre tragedy that was to take place on "Sword Wednesday", amidst the disguises, the dancing and the torches that lit the ruins of Mardian Castle for the ancient ceremony. Nor did Superintendent Roderick Alleyn expect to find himself with a case of such boggling complexity on his hands.

Singing in the Shrouds (Boston, Little Brown, 1958)
Fontana 675, 1962, 255pp.
Fontana 1192, 1965.
Fontana 0006-13390-8, 1974, 255pp.
Fontana, 6th imp., 1976. Cover by Justin Todd
HarperCollins 0006-51246-1, 2002, 224pp.

False Scent (London, Collins, 1960)
Fontana 795, 1963, 254pp.
——, 4th imp., 1968.
Fontana, 1975. Cover by Philip Hood
Fontana 0006-15590-1, 1979.
——, Xth imp., 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-61247-X, 2001, 254pp.

Hand in Glove (London, Collins, 1962)
Fontana 1033, 1964, 256pp.
——, 2nd imp., Feb 1965.
Fontana, 3rd imp., Apr 1968, 256pp.
Fontana 0006-13740-7, 4th imp., Dec 1974, 256pp, 40p. Cover by Philip Hood
——, 1987.
Fontana 0006-16629-6, 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51248-8, 2001, 256pp.

The body was found in a drainage ditch after an April Fool's party that had featured a cross-country treasure hunt and a very noisy dog fight.
__The victim was Harold Cartell, a retired solicitor who was noted for his unbending principals and not noted for his generosity.
__The suspects included Cartell's penniless neice and nephew, several country neighbours and Mr. Pyke Period, an authority on etiquette.
__Superintendent Alleyn was faced with too many clues—and too many potential murderers.

Dead Water (Boston, Little Brown, 1963)
Fontana 1350, 1966, 220pp.
——, 2nd imp., 1966.
Fontana, 1973, 220pp.
Fontana 0006-15068-3, 5th imp., Dec 1977, 220pp, 75p. Cover by Justin Todd
Fontana 0006-16465-X, Xth imp., 1982.
——, 13th imp., Apr 1990, 220pp, £2.99. Cover by unknown
——, Xth imp., 1994
HarperCollins 0006-51249-6, 2000, 256pp.

Times are good in the Cornish village of Porthcarrow, as hundreds of unfortunates gather to taste the miraculous waters of Pixie Falls.
__Then Miss Emily Pride inherits Porthcarrorw—and decides to put an end to the villagers' thriving trade in miracle cures.
__She might have realized that one of them would decide to put an end to Miss Pride...

Death at the Dolphin (as Killer Dolphin, Boston, Little Brown, 1966; as Death at the Dolphin, London, Collins, 1967)
Fontana 0006-11828-3, 1969, 252pp.
Fontana 0006-14218-4, 5th imp., Dec 1976, 252pp, 70p. Cover by Justin Todd
Fontana 0006-16791-8, 1983, 253pp.
——,9th imp., Oct 1989, 284pp, £3.25. Cover by unknown
——, Xth imp., 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-61250-X, 1999, 284pp.

Peregrine Jay re-opens the derelict Dolphin theatre with a mysterious oil-millionaire for a patron and a good-luck charm beyond price: a glove that Shakespeare himself gave to his son.
__The thief waits six long months to steal it—and by then, he is ready for murder...

Clutch of Constables (London, Collins, 1968)
Fontana, 1970, 222pp.
Fontana 0006-12460-7, Jun 1975, 222pp, 50p. Cover: photo
——, 10th imp., 1977. Cover by Philip Hood?
Fontana 0006-16531-1, Xth imp., 1982; Xth imp., 1993.
HarperCollins 0006-51259-3, 2000, 253pp.

Troy and Mr. Lazenby were face-to-face. Even as close as she was now, Troy could make nothing of the eyes behind those sinister dark glasses.
__"If a poor person may make a suggestion, Mrs. Alleyn" he said, "I think perhaps you should leave the Zodiac. You have had a great shock. You look—"
__The meal bell rang. Mr. Lazenby turned his head sharply and, as the spectacles moved, Troy caught a glimpse of the left eye-socket behind its dark window.
__There was no eye in it.

When in Rome (London, Collins, 1970)

Fontana 0006-12709, 3rd imp., 1972, 250pp. Cover: photo
0006-15745-9, 1979, 224pp.
——, 1992.
——, 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51226-7, 1999, 250pp.

Tied Up in Tinsel (London, Collins, 1972)
Fontana 0006-13215-4, 1973, 224pp, 35p. Cover: photo
——, 2nd imp., Apr 1974.
Fontana 0006-15832-3, 1979, 224pp.
Fontana 0006-15832-3, 1992.
HarperCollins 0006-51227-5, 2000, 256pp.

'There's been a row in the kitchen,' said Cressida. 'They were at it hammer-and-tongs. Yelling. I was just wondering whether I ought to tell Hilly when I heard Moult come into the passage. He was shouting back at the others. He said: "You lot! You're no more than a bloody squad of bloody thugs"... And do you know what Cuthbert said? He said: "One more crack out of you and I'll bloody block your light"'
__'What do you suppose that means?' asked Troy.
__'I know what it sounded like,' said Cressida. 'It sounded like murder...'

Black as He's Painted (London, Collins, 1974)
Fontana 0006-13840-3, 1975, 220pp. Cover photo by Red Saunders
——, Xth imp., 1991; Xth imp., 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51228-3, 2000, 256pp.

Last Ditch (London, Collins, 1977)
Fontana 5175, 1978, 221pp, 80p. Cover: photo
——, 0006-16894-9, 1984.
——, 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51229-1, 2001.

Grave Mistake (London, Collins, 1978)
Fontana 0006-15768-8, 1979, 222pp.
Fontana 0006-16903-1, 9th imp., Jun 1987, 222pp, £2.50. Cover by unknown
——, 1992, 252pp.
HarperCollins 0006-51230-5, 2001, 256pp.

Photo-Finish (London, Collins, 1980)
Fontana 0006-16255-X, 1982, 254pp.
Fontana 0006-17071-4, 1985, 254pp.
——, 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51231-3, 1999, 256pp.

Light Thickens (London, Collins, 1982)
Fontana 0006-16793-4, 1984, 251pp. Cover by unknown
——, 3rd imp., n.d. (c.1992), 251pp, £3.50. Cover by unknown
——, 1994.
HarperCollins 0006-51232-1, 2002, 251pp.

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

Death on the Air and Other Stories (New York, International Polygonics, 1989)
HarperCollins 0006-47713-5, 1995.
——, Xth imp., 1996, xiii+240pp.
HarperCollins 0006-51233-X, 2000, 240pp.

The Collected Shorter Fiction of Ngaio Marsh, edited by Douglas G. Greene. New York, International Polygonics, 1989.



PUBLICATIONS

Novels (series: Inspector/Superintendent Roderick Alleyn in all books)
A Man Lay Dead. London, Bles, 1934; New York, Sheridan, 1942.
Enter a Murderer. London, Bles, 1935; New York, Pocket Books, 1941.
The Nursing-Home Murder, with Henry Jellett. London, Bles, 1935; New York, Sheridan, 1941.
Death in Ecstasy. London, Bles, 1936; New York, Sheridan, 1941.
Vintage Murder. London, Bles, 1937; New York, Sheridan, 1940.
Artists in Crime. London, Bles, and New York, Furman, 1938.
Death in a White Tie. London, Bles, and New York, Furman, 1938.
Overture to Death. London, Collins, and New York, Furman, 1939.
Death at the Bar. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1940.
Death of a Peer. Boston, Little Brown, 1940; as Surfeit of Lampreys, London, Collins, 1941.
Death and the Dancing Footman. Boston, Little Brown, 1941; London, Collins, 1942.
Colour Scheme. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1943.
Died in the Wool. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1945.
Final Curtain. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1947.
Swing, Brother, Swing. London, Collins, 1949; as A Wreath for Rivera, Boston, Little Brown, 1949.
Opening Night. London, Collins, 1951; as Night at the Vulcan, Boston, Little Brown, 1951.
Spinsters in Jeopardy. Boston, Little Brown, 1953; London, Collins, 1954; as The Bride of Death, New York, Spivak, 1955.
Scales of Justice. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1955.
Death of a Fool. Boston, Little Brown, 1956; as Off with His Head, London, Collins, 1957.
Singing in the Shrouds. Boston, Little Brown, 1958; London, Collins, 1959.
False Scent. Boston, Little Brown, and London, Collins, 1960.
Hand in Glove. Boston, Little Brown, and London, Collins, 1962.
Dead Water. Boston, Little Brown, 1963; London, Collins, 1964.
Killer Dolphin. Boston, Little Brown, 1966; as Death at the Dolphin, London, Collins, 1967.
Clutch of Constables. London, Collins, 1968; Boston, Little Brown, 1969.
When in Rome. London, Collins, 1970; Boston, Little Brown, 1971.
Tied Up in Tinsel. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1972.
Black as He's Painted. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1974.
Last Ditch. Boston, Little Brown, and London, Collins, 1977.
A Grave Mistake. Boston, Little Brown, and London, Collins, 1978.
Photo-Finish. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1980.
Light Thickens. London, Collins, and Boston, Little Brown, 1982.

Omnibus
The Roderick Alleyn Mysteries (includes The Nursing Home Murder, A Man Lay Dead, Final Curtain). London, HarperCollins, 1993.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 1 (includes A Man Lay Dead, Enter a Murderer, The Nursing Home Murder). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 2 (includes Death in Ecstasy, Vintage Murder, Artists in Crime). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 3 (includes Death in a White Tie, Overture to Death, Death at the Bar). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 4 (includes Surfeit of Lampreys, Death and the Dancing Footman, Colour Scheme). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 5 (includes Died in the Wool, Final Curtain, Swing, Brother, Swing). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 6 (includes Opening Night, Spinsters in Jeopardy, Scales of Justice). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 7 (includes Off With His Head, Singing in the Shrouds, False Scent). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 8 (includes Death at the Dolphin, Hand in Glove, Dead Water). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 9 (includes Clutch of Constables, When in Rome, Tied up in Tinsel). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 10 (includes Black as He's Painted, Last Ditch, A Grave Mistake). London, Harper, 2009.
The Ngaio Marsh Collection 11 (includes Photo-Finish, Light Thickens, Black Beech and Honeydew). London, Harper, 2009.

Short Stories
Death on the Air and Other Stories. New York, International Polygonics, 1989; London, HarperCollins, 1995.
The Collected Shorter Fiction of Ngaio Marsh, edited by Douglas G. Greene. New York, International Polygonics, 1989.

Plays
The Nursing-Home Murder, with Henry Jellett, adaptation of their own novel (produced Christchurch, 1935).
False Scent, with Eileen Mackay, adaptation of her own novel (produced Worthing, Sussex, 1961).
The Christmas Tree (for children). London, S.P.C.K., 1962.
A Unicorn for Christmas, music by David Farquhar (produced Wellington, 1962).
Murder Sails at Midnight (produced Auchland, 1963; Bournemouth, Hampshire, 1972).

Television Play
Evil Liver (Crown Court series), 1975.

Other
New Zealand, with Randal Matthew Burdon. London, Collins, 1942.
A Play Toward: A Note on Play Production. Christchurch, Caxton Press, 1946.
Perspectives: The New Zealander and the Visual Arts. Auckland, Auckland Gallery Associates, 1960.
New Zealand (for children). New York, Macmillan, 1964; London, Collier Macmillan, 1965.
Black Beech and Honeydew: An Autobiography. Boston, Little Brown, 1965; London, Collins, 1966; revised edition, Collins, 1981.