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Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn, #11)

Ngaio Marsh

Start date: November 1, 2018

Finish date: November 30, 2018

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: The last-but-one book in our 2018 Ngaio Marsh challenge - but the good news is that the challenge is cont…more
[close] The last-but-one book in our 2018 Ngaio Marsh challenge - but the good news is that the challenge is continuing next year

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* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
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What Members Thought

Nov 07, 2018 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, vintage-mystery, mystery, police-procedural, mount-tbr-2018, marsh-challenge

Death & the Dancing Footman (1941) by Ngaio Marsh is one of those Golden Age mystery stand-bys: a murder at a country house party--and in the middle of a snow storm no less. But Marsh gives the standard a slight twist. Jonathan Royal, who by his own reckoning is a stifled artist, has decided to use human beings in a drama of his own contrivance. He has deliberately invited a houseful of guests where each person is at odds with at least one other person (and sometimes more). And he has invited Au Death & the Dancing Footman (1941) by Ngaio Marsh is one of those Golden Age mystery stand-bys: a murder at a country house party--and in the middle of a snow storm no less. But Marsh gives the standard a slight twist. Jonathan Royal, who by his own reckoning is a stifled artist, has decided to use human beings in a drama of his own contrivance. He has deliberately invited a houseful of guests where each person is at odds with at least one other person (and sometimes more). And he has invited Aubrey Mandrake, a poet dramatist, to be his impartial audience.

It came to me that human beings could, with a little judicious arrangement, be as carefully "composed" as the figures in a picture. One had only to restrict them a little, confine them within the decent boundaries of a suitable canvas, and they would make a pattern...Of course, the right--how shall I put it?--the right ingredients must be selected, and this was where I came in. I would set my palette with human colours, and the picture would paint itself.

Aubrey Mandrake is horrified. "It seems to me that you have invited stark murder to your house. Frankly, I can imagine nothing more terrifying than the prospect of this week-end." And, yet, it is the horrified fascination of someone watching a train-wreck. He can't not stay and watch the drama unfold.

And unfold it does though the guests do try to keep a civil and even sometimes party atmosphere going until Aubrey is shoved into the freezing waters of the outdoor pool and both Nicholas Compline and Dr. Francis Hart each claim the other has mistaken Aubrey for themselves and that murder has been attempted. Other attempts are made...but when death final comes, it strikes an unexpected target. Mandrake sets out through the drifts of snow to bring back Inspector Roderick Alleyn--who he knows to be staying in the near-by village. Alleyn will have to comb through all the clues to discover if it is a case of a victim by mistake or if the murderer got the results intended all along.

One of the delights of this book for me is the naming of the butler. A butler named Caper just seems so perfect for a mystery given one of its definitions as "an activity or escapade, typically one that is illicit or ridiculous." It's also quite apt in a book that has a dancing footman to have someone named after a word for "skip or dance about in a lively or playful way." Marsh must have thought it a bit much to actually name the footman Caper, but obviously couldn't resist implying that the butler might once have capered about himself when he was young.

I did find myself missing Alleyn for a huge chunk of the book. He doesn't show up until the story is two-thirds along and even then he's without Fox, his right-hand man. I enjoy their interactions very much and wish that we had had more time with their investigation. But the twist on the country house murder was very interesting and made for an enjoyable read overall.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. ...more

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Aug 30, 2018 Louise Culmer rated it liked it

A house party of ill assorted guests leads to tensions,arguments, and eventually murder. This one is quite enjoyable, and there are some interesting characters. I remained uncertain of the identity of the murderer until the end, which is always satisfactory. Unfortunately Alleyn does not appear until two two thirds of the way through the book, and Inspector Fox only towards the end. The conversations between Fox and Alleyn are one of the most enjoyable features of this series, so this is a bit d ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Jinx rated it liked it

I tried and failed to finish a number of Ngaio Marsh's books - this is the first I've successfully completed. This may have been due to the fact I listened to it on audio, narrated by James Saxon. Not sure she is the author me me when it comes to mysteries, but I'm glad I've finally finished one of her books. ...more

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Oct 02, 2022 Laurie rated it it was amazing

This is one of my favorites of this series, maybe a close second to Death in a White Tie. It’s such a fun setup (who doesn’t love a snowed in house party full of enemies and a killer in the midst?) and the structure of it was interesting with the murder happening so late in the story.

I was genuinely surprised by who the victim turned out to be and while I did guess the killer because I’ve read too many mysteries and recognized some common elements, I wasn’t totally sure and was wondering about s ...more

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May 06, 2019 Zander rated it did not like it

Shelves: ngaio-marsh

This has been the book I've disliked the most so far of the series. It really made no sense. Everyone was ridiculous and I kind of wished they would all die. I only finished it as part of the reading challenge and I have to admit I skipped words as I went. The whodid was so very clear and the characters were written such scorn by the writer and the set up so ridiculous not mention that it had already been done by Christie and other writers that it was such a slog. It's really hard to know if Mar ...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Robin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Haven't read any Inspector Allyn books in a while. Think I'm ready for some more.

Marsh didn't provide many clues in this book toward the real murderer, and because of that, I think, the ending sort of tapered off. But it was still a good, involving read. ...more

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Nov 20, 2016 Melinda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well the author fooled me. I was positive the guilty party was another character. I was so wrong. Enjoyed this mystery yet I don't think it is one I would want to read again. ...more

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