A delightfully eclectic assortment of short works by the renowned author, including stories featuring her famous detective Inspector Alleyn. Fans of Ngaio Marsh, the New Zealand-born author and Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, will find much of interest in this unique collection. Included are short stories—some featuring Roderick Alleyn, "the nonpareil among criminal investigators" (The New York Times)—as well as essays and even a detour into true crime. And for newcomers, this is a delightful introduction to one of the great writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and beyond. "A peerless practitioner of the slightly surreal, English-village comedy-mystery." —Kirkus Reviews "Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A." —The New York Times

In this, the first of Marsh's justifiably famous theatre-mysteries, Inspector Roderick Alleyn has been invited to an opening night by his journalist friend Nigel Bathgate. In the play, two characters quarrel and then struggle for a gun, with predictably sad results. Even sadder, on this particular performance, the gun was not, in fact, loaded with blanks.

One of Ngaio Marsh's most ingenious novels. The April Fool's Day had been a roaring success for all, it seemed – except for poor Mr Cartell who had ended up in the ditch – for ever. Then there was the case of Mr Percival Pyke Period's letter of condolence, sent before the body was found – not to mention the family squabbles. It was a puzzling crime for Superintendent Alleyn...

Pagan revelry and morris dancing in the middle of a very cold winter set the scene for one of Ngaio Marsh's most fascinating murder mysteries.When the pesky Anna Bünz arrives at Mardian to investigate the rare survival of folk-dancing still practised there, she quickly antagonizes the villagers. But Mrs Bünz is not the only source of friction -- two of the other enthusiasts are also spoiling for a fight.When the sword dancers' traditional mock beheading of the Winter Solstice becomes horribly real, Superintendent Roderick Alleyn finds himself faced with a case of great complexity and of gruesome proportions...

Inspector Roderick Alleyn has to date confined his investigations to England, but Vintage Murder finds him journeying to New Zealand (Ngaio Marsh's homeland). Traveling with Alleyn are the members of the Carolyn Dacres English Comedy Company. The actors' operatic intrigues offer an amusing diversion until, unexpectedly, they turn deadly. And Alleyn learns, not for the last time, that while he may be able to leave his badge back in Blighty, he's still a policeman, even on the other side of the world.

Ahhh, prussic acid, that hallmark of classic Golden Age mysteries. Did lovely Cara Quoyne get a whiff of the bitter almonds as she raised the goblet to her lips? We'll never know: With a single sip she transported herself to the Hereafter. At least, that's the romantic view. But Inspector Roderick Alleyn has little interest in romance; he's investigating a murder. Cara was a deeply spiritual young woman, a novice with the House of the Sacred Flame. It seems, however, that somebody was operating from very un-spiritual motivations.

A quirky Roderick Alleyn mystery about faith, greed -- and murder.Times are good in the Cornish village of Portcarrow, as hundreds of unfortunates flock to taste the miraculous waters of Pixie Falls.Then Miss Emily Pride inherits the celebrated land on which Portcarrow stands and wants to put an end to the villagers' thriving trade in miracle cures, especially Miss Elspeth Costs's gift shop.But someone puts an end to Miss Cost herself, and Miss Pride's guardian angel, Superintendent Roderick Alleyn, finds himself on the spot in both senses of the word...

A classic Ngaio Marsh novelYoung Rickie Alleyn had come to the Channel Islands to try to write, but village life was tedious --" until he saw the stablehand in the ditch. Dead, it seemed, from an unlucky jump.It might have ended there had Rickie not noticed some strange and puzzling things. But Rickie--™s father, Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn, had been discreetly summoned to the scene, and when Rickie disappeared, it was the last straw--¦

The killingly aristocratic Lamprey family exemplifies charm, wit, and terrific bone structure. Unfortunately, they also exemplify "dead broke." One slender hope stands between the Lampreys and catastrophe: The wealthy Lord Wutherford may perhaps be enticed into writing yet another check. To speak the truth, that's not looking likely, and the Lampreys may perhaps be forgiven for doing a little jig when his Lordship is killed and the resulting inheritance saves their bacon. Inspector Roderick Alleyn wouldn't dream of judging the Lampreys' joy. But he would like to figure out whether one or more of them murdered their longtime benefactor.

Murder, blackmail and drug-dealing on the Tiber combine in one of Ngaio Marsh’s liveliest and most evocative novels. When their guide disappears mysteriously in the depths of a Roman Basilica, the members of Mr Sebastian Mailer’s tour group seem strangely unperturbed. But when a body is discovered in an Etruscan sarcophagus, Superintendent Alleyn, in Rome incognito on the trail of an international drug racket, is very much concerned…

Essays and short stories of Ngaio Marsh, edited and with introduction by Douglas G. Greene

Often regarded as her most interesting book and set on New Zealand's North Island, Ngaio Marsh herself considered this to be her best-written novel.It was a horrible death -- Maurice Questing was lured into a pool of boiling mud and left there to die.Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, far from home on a wartime quest for German agents, knew that any number of people could have killed him: the English exiles he'd hated, the New Zealanders he'd despised or the Maoris he'd insulted. Even the spies he'd thwarted -- if he wasn't a spy himself...