
Tied Up in Tinsel
A Roderick Alleyn Mystery
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Narrated by:
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Wanda McCaddon
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By:
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Ngaio Marsh
About this listen
Holed up at Hilary Bill-Tasman's manor estate for Christmas, Troy Alleyn is to paint the man's portrait and, while she's there, view the Druid Christmas pageant. Along with a pack of eccentric guests, Troy enjoys the festivities, until one of the pageant's players mysteriously disappears into the snowy night. Did the hired help, each a paroled murderer from the nearby prison, have a deadly hand in this Christmas conundrum? Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives to join his wife in finding the lost man, and unraveling the glaring truth from the glittering tinsel.
©1972 Ngaio Marsh, Ltd. (P)1994 Blackstone AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Dame Ngaio has yet to write a mystery that is less than perfect." (Portland Oregonian)
Marsh is such a descriptive author that her novels are enjoyable- until you realize how bitter, vain and rigid her upper class characters are.
Clever detective can’t escape dated plot.
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Excellent country house mystery
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fun and intriguing
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This author is grand
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Agatha Troy Alleyn, the greatest painter England has ever seen, is spending Christmas at Hilary's home to paint him, since her husband, Detective Superintendent Roderick Alleyn, is pursuing a case in Australia. Hilary is expecting five more guests for Christmas. There are the eccentric Colonel and Mrs. Forester, otherwise known as his "Uncle Flea" and "Auntie Bed." They will bring their longtime manservant Alf Moult, who strongly hates the presence of the murderers. Fourth, Mr. Smith, Hilary's partner whom he inherited from his father in their antiques business, is coming. And finally is Hilary's fiance, Cressida Tottenham, a shallow, glamorous so-called actress whose job is to express art by taking off her clothes. Soon after all arrive, the visitors become victims of mean practical jokes, each one in the mode of a different murderer servant's crime.
Hilary traditionally holds a special celebration on Christmas Eve in which the Christmas Druid instead of Santa Claus elivers presents to all the families in his community, many of which work at the prison nearby. Uncle Flea takes his position as the Druid very seriously, but when Troy finishes cheering him on, Cressida tells Troy that Uncle Flea experienced heart trouble as he was dressing in the Druid's robe, so Moult substituted for Uncle Flea. But then Moult just disappears. . . .
Thus Roderick Alleyn enters the scene.
<strong>Tied Up in Tinsel</strong> earned Marsh an Edgar Award nomination for Best Mystery Novel in 1973. I find it curious that this book, out of Marsh's ouvre, was selected for this honor, given that she had so many stronger books. Her other nomination came in 1967 for <em>Death at the Dolphin</em>. In addition to these two nominations, both of which lost to less well-known books, Marsh received the Grand Master Award in 1978.
The plot of <strong>Tied Up in Tinsel</strong> is a bit darker than most of Marsh's books. The murderers provide a rather creepy touch at times, along with the darkness caused by the snowstorm. As with many of Marsh's books, Alleyn doesn't make an appearance until later in the book. But what makes this more unique is that it takes even longer before a body appears, since so much of the mystery is a missing person's case.
But what makes this book work is Marsh's gift for drawing characters and the unique people who appear in this book. One of the best characters in all of the Roderick Alleyn books is Alleyn's wife, Agatha Troy, so I appreciate the fact that she appears throughout the whole book. She has such a strong presence that we all fall in love with her. The murderers also have a lot of personality that brings the book to life. Each one has a unique set of features that makes every one so realistic, making the book feel creative.
Wanda McCaddon, who usually narrates her Marsh books under the nom de vox of Nadia May, performs the audio edition of this book effectively and creatively. She uses strong expression in her narration of this book and makes it an enjoyable listening experience.
While <strong>Tied Up in Tinsel</strong> is not one of Marsh's best books, it is still fun because almost any book by Marsh is a delight to read. The characters make the book creative, even more than most of her books, though all have clever depictions of characters. I give the book four stars.
A mystery full of murderers
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Solid
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A Gripping Christmas Mystery
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Wonderful Performances
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Better than expected
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Great Narrator
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