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A review by crazygoangirl
Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
This is my first Inspector Allen book by Ngaio Marsh. In fact it’s my first Ngaio Marsh! I’ve watched a couple of Inspector Alleyn episodes but never read any of the books. I’m not sure this was the best place to start since it’s book #17 in the series but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on a lot of context.
Alleyn, wife Troy (wonder if Marsh named her Agatha after a certain Dame!) and son Ricky travel to the tiny village of Roqueville, France, motivated in part by letters from P.E. Barbel, a distant cousin of Agatha’s and in part for an undercover assignment that Alleyn accepts in conjunction with the French Surete. The plan to mix business with pleasure goes wrong right from the start when the family helps a fellow traveler who falls seriously ill from a ruptured appendix on the train taking them to Roqueville! They take her to the Château de la Chèvre d’Argent and things develop from there.
The writing is atmospheric and sinister and gave me Pale Horse vibes. Not much happens initially as Marsh sets the scene with very unlikeable characters! She implies a lot of background but reveals relevant bits of information only through Alleyn’s conversations with Monsieur DuPont, his Surete contact. Even Troy and Ricky got on my nerves at times - especially ‘precocious’ Ricky 😆 There’s no mystery as such. The criminals are known to us and to Alleyn from the start and it’s a matter of finding proof to apprehend them. There was however a neat twist that was cleverly done and I enjoyed Raoul, the chauffeur’s character very much!
I’m not sure if I should read this series from the beginning. Even if I decide to, it won’t be anytime soon. I would rather re-read Christie ♥️
Alleyn, wife Troy (wonder if Marsh named her Agatha after a certain Dame!) and son Ricky travel to the tiny village of Roqueville, France, motivated in part by letters from P.E. Barbel, a distant cousin of Agatha’s and in part for an undercover assignment that Alleyn accepts in conjunction with the French Surete. The plan to mix business with pleasure goes wrong right from the start when the family helps a fellow traveler who falls seriously ill from a ruptured appendix on the train taking them to Roqueville! They take her to the Château de la Chèvre d’Argent and things develop from there.
The writing is atmospheric and sinister and gave me Pale Horse vibes. Not much happens initially as Marsh sets the scene with very unlikeable characters! She implies a lot of background but reveals relevant bits of information only through Alleyn’s conversations with Monsieur DuPont, his Surete contact. Even Troy and Ricky got on my nerves at times - especially ‘precocious’ Ricky 😆 There’s no mystery as such. The criminals are known to us and to Alleyn from the start and it’s a matter of finding proof to apprehend them. There was however a neat twist that was cleverly done and I enjoyed Raoul, the chauffeur’s character very much!
I’m not sure if I should read this series from the beginning. Even if I decide to, it won’t be anytime soon. I would rather re-read Christie ♥️