I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Death in a White Tie
by
Ngaio Marsh
mystery, detective mystery, historical mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by Felony & Mayhem Press on December 15, 2012 and has 329 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dead Water, Killer Dolphin, A Man Lay Dead, Enter a Murderer, The Nursing Home Murder, Death in Ecstasy, Vintage Murder, Artists in Crime, Overture to Death, Death at the Bar, Surfeit of Lampreys, Death and the Dancing Footman, Died in the Wool, Swing, Brother, Swing, Night at the Vulcan, Colour Scheme, Spinsters in Jeopardy, Scales of Justice, The Death of a Fool, Singing in the Shroud, False Scent, Clutch of Constables, Hand in Glove, When in Rome, Tied Up In Tinsel
Seventh in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn vintage mystery series revolving around Alleyn’s life. This one takes place in London, and it’s early 1938.
My Take
Ooh, clothes shopping! Woohoo! Then comes the sad news that made me cry. Well, I did enjoy Death in a White Tie thoroughly, but the sadness continued throughout. Such a waste.
Bunchy sounds like an absolute love. Enjoying himself everywhere he goes and helping out everywhere. Quite the opposite of the selfish Sir Herbert. What a jerk he was!! Oh, lol, seems Sir Herbert’s nerves were shot from the war . . . which he spent in Tunbridge Wells *more laughter*.
It’s a combination of blackmail, unhappy debutantes, and running into debt. In particular, Lord Robert is most unhappy with Donald. Seems Donald can’t survive on £4 a week. Times like these, I wish I could go back in time with my current income, lol. Seems this spoiled boy wants to have his cake and eat it too.
Who’d’ve thunk noticing the decorations around a house could be a clue? Nor, it seems, does it pay to ignore the past.
Poor Troy has her confession about love and relationships. We also learn what she has against Roderick. Poor sap.
Per usual, it’s a lot of talk, as Alleyn interviews everyone from the ball and discusses his observations. He’s not alone however, as Marsh uses third person global subjective point-of-view from a number of perspectives, so we learn quite a bit from a number of characters. I did crack up at Fox’s upset over Carewe’s labors, lol.
The Story
With Lady Carrados bringing out her daughter and Lady Alleyn, an old friend of hers, bringing out her granddaughter, the two friends are determined to bring the girls out together.
It seems the Season will be so much more exciting when they learn that there’s a blackmailer about.
The Characters
Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn is county, dahling. He was in the army, went the diplomat route, and is now a copper. Vassily is his servant (A Man Lay Dead, 1). And yes, he has Troy’s painting from Suva (Artists in Crime, 6). His mother, Lady Alleyn, has quite a few hobbies and has decided to sponsor Sarah for the Season. George is the older son and a baronet. He’s married to Grace, and Sarah is their daughter who is coming out. George Alleyn had been their father and had been in Halcut-Hackett’s regiment.
The shy Agatha Troy is an artist with a show at the Wiltshire Galleries.
Scotland Yard
Alleyn’s team includes Detective Inspector Fox, Detective-Sergeant Thompson, and Dr Curtis, who is the divisional surgeon. Detective-Constable James D’Arcy Carewe is a new chap who takes going undercover a bit far. Police-Constable Titheridge reported. The Assistant Commissioner (AC) weighs in. Harrington-Barr is a lawyer.
Evelyn O’Brien Carrados née Curtis, a.k.a. Lady Carrados and “Donna“. Her first husband was Captain Paddy O’Brien. She’s currently married to the vain and pompous Sir Herbert “Bart” Carrados. Bridget is Evelyn’s daughter with Paddy. The focused and touchy Miss Violet Harris, the third daughter from a large family of a Buckinghamshire clergyman, is Evelyn’s new secretary. Sophie is Lady Carrados’ maid. General Arthur Marsdon is Evelyn’s uncle and is loaning out his house. Anthony Banks had been Paddy’s dearest friend in Australia.
Lord Robert “Bunchy” Gospell loves parties and society and is asked everywhere. He also enjoys helping the police. Mildred, Lady Potter, is his sister; Donald Potter is her spoiled son and Bunchy’s nephew, who is interested in pursuing a medical degree — on his terms. He’s dating Bridget and Carrados disapproves. Archery seems to be a house of Donald’s near Edinburgh. The sixteen-year-old Broomfield is Bunchy’s oldest nephew?? I’m assuming it’s via a Gospell brother.
The kind but not very bright General Halcut-Hackett and his mean, common wife, a much younger American actress, are bringing out Rose Birnbaum, a.k.a. Poppet, a very plain and unhappy girl. Poppet wants to be an art student; her grandfather had been Joseph Birnbaum, a known painter.
The eighty-year-old Lucy, Lady Lorrimer, the Dowager Marchioness of Lorrimer, is deaf, eccentric, rich, and speaks very loudly. Sir Daniel Davidson is Evelyn’s doctor on Harley Street. The Comstocks threw a bridge party for charity. The Gainscotts. Kremorn shot himself. The Debs’ Delight is a reference to those gentlemen whom the ladies like. Percy Percival and Trelawney-Caper are friends. Lady Jennifer Trueman was at the ball.
There is/was a hospital at Falconbridge in Buckinghamshire where Dr Bletherly attended Paddy. Miss Harris’ uncle Walter Harris was the rector here; Edith is his wife. Canon Worsley of All Saints, Chipton, is a friend of Walter’s. Young Hockley is in trouble.
Captain Maurice Withers, a.k.a. Wits, is accepted but not universally liked, especially by Bunchy. He’s running a not-so-secret gambling club in Leatherhead.
Columbo Dimitri owns the very popular catering company, Shepherd Market. François Dupont is Dimitri’s confidential servant. Hughie Bronx’s Band plays at Lady Carrados’ ball. Smithy is Miss Harris’ flatmate. The Matador is a club where Cuthbert is the manager. Simmons is a cloakroom attendant. The Peeping Tom of Peckham has a surprising identity. Thomas is a medical school in London.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of toasty browns, starting with the gradient in the upper half of the cover with a reverse gradient of cream to pale brown in the title. The ubiquitous banner that seems to be blowing in the wind is the creamy brown with the author’s name centered in it in its mash-up of dark brown to cream with the linear textures in the Art Deco font. On the sides, primarily in the lower half, are the one-sided scalloped lines of white that radiate from the bottom out to the sides, framing their own gradients of deep brown to toasty. The graphic centered in the charcoal gray background below the banner is a wooden hourglass with the sand running out. Crossing the bottom of the hourglass is an arched milk coffee banner with the series info in white.
The title is sadly true, for he was done to Death in a White Tie.
