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.
Singing in the Shroud
by
Ngaio Marsh
mystery, detective mystery, vintage mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by Felony & Mayhem Press on November 15, 2014 and has 235 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, Death in a White Tie, 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, False Scent, Clutch of Constables, Hand in Glove, When in Rome, Tied Up In Tinsel
Twentieth in the Inspector Roderick Alleyn detective vintage mystery series revolving around a Scotland Yard detective onboard a freighter in the mid-1950s. The focus is on a sexual serial killer.
My Take
It doesn’t take long into the story before we start learning about the passengers, and I sure wouldn’t want to be with most of them. Judgmental, bigoted, mean, nasty bits of mischief, irresponsible, silly, and more.
It’s definitely third person global subjective point-of-view, as we hear from all the passengers’ perspectives, although, yes, it is primarily from Alleyn’s perspective.
It’s through this POV that we learn that Jemima has a supportive family, how Makepiece falls for Jemima — it does lead to Rory’s story about how he fell in love with Troy while Jemima has an opposing viewpoint.
The cocksure Merryman is a man you’ll love to hate, and he believes he’s superior to everyone else. He, Jourdain, and Cuddy all enjoy reading crime fiction. In contrast Dale loves practical jokes, which alienates some.
The captain is not happy about having Alleyn on board — mostly because he’s an inverted snob. He’ll cooperate as far as he absolutely has to. And I wanna smack the bugger! He’s so narrowly focused and determined to control everything. You’ll want to scream at him yourself! He’s also thrilled by the presence of Mrs Dillington-Blick, foreseeing a voyage of enjoyable flirtation.
Dale is a personality adored by women and men who only want to kick him. Both Cuddys are mean, and Cuddy becomes too quickly enraptured with Mrs Dillington-Blick as do some of the others, to his wife’s disappointment. She’s also ticked that she’s not getting the attention Mrs Dillington-Blick is receiving. Well, I do have to say that Miss Abbott isn’t happy about that attention either. The doctor has fun assessing the passengers while Father Jourdain brings his religious background into play . . . predating the Omen.
Alleyn is undercover, slipping and sliding around the passengers, assessing their behavior, playing games, all while he’s watching each of them. He does find some useful allies.
It’s a fascinating look into the realities of the mid-1950s, especially the daily life of traveling as a passenger on a freighter. The stop at Las Palmas known for its walkie-talkie dolls — it’s not what you think, lol. There’s also the level of scientific knowledge that really makes me grateful for psychological progress in today’s world — and has me wondering what progress will be like in another seventy years!
A much less fascinating aspect of the time period is the men’s behavior, insisting that the ladies should stay in their cabins lest their wittle feewings be hurt. I did like Miss Abbott’s rejoinder! And I had to laugh at Troy’s cable to Alleyn aboard ship.
Per usual, these idiots aren’t truthful with Alleyn, and . . . oops.
It’s an interesting re-cap at the end, as each passenger has their own confessions as to what they learned on their voyage. As for the trigger for the murderer? Whoa.
The Story
It’s a scramble on board ship as the passengers attend to last minute matters . . . and the Flower Killer strews hyacinths over his latest victim.
The captain doesn’t want Alleyn on board. He doesn’t believe there’s any reason, and then there’s murder.
The Flower Killer has a schedule to keep.
The Characters
Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn is in CID at Scotland Yard. Usually. This time, he’ll be undercover on a working cruise as “C.J. Broderick” on the Cape Farewell in Singing in the Shrouds. Agatha Troy is Alleyn’s wife, a famous painter. Inspector Fox has remained behind to coordinate and research.
Police Constable Moir had a beat on the Royal Albert Docks. C.A. Marjorie Banks is with the Assistant Commissioner Criminal Investigation Department.
The Cape Line Company is . . .
The Cape Farewell is a freighter sailing for South Africa with a set of passengers. Jasper Bannerman is the stubborn (and alcoholic) captain. Dennis is the steward for the passengers. Dr Timothy Makepiece is the on-board doctor who wants to specialize in criminal psychiatry. Sparks is the wireless officer. The second mate is Welsh. The chef is Portuguese roused to enthusiasm with an advance tip. Sir Graeme Harmond is the chairman of the company. Las Palmas is one of the ports of call.
The passengers include Aubyn Dale, a television personality who is a nice guy who drinks too much and is having a breakdown, and is the host of the Pack Up Your Troubles show and Jolyon Swimsuits commercials; Ruby Dillington-Blick is a wealthy, large-size woman who knows how to work it; the hypocritical, gossipy Fred and Ethel Cuddy; Katherine Abbott, who is a practiced traveller with an authority on early church music; the snooty and crusty Philip Merryman is a retired English teacher at a public school and the product of St Chad’s, Cantor, and Caius. Father Charles Jourdain is being transferred to Durban; Jemima Carmichael, a sweet young girl, is reeling from a broken engagement; and, Donald McAngus, an elderly bachelor who likes to collect facts and stamps. G.B., also known as the Gorgeous Brute, attracts a lot of attention from the ladies, but I don’t think Troy is worried, lol.
The Flower Killer is a singing serial killer, leaving flowers around his victims. His victims include Beryl Cohen; Marguerite Slaters, who was found by a chauffeur, Stanley Walker; and, Coralie Kraus had been delivering flowers to the Cape Farewell. Bijou Browne works at Woolworth’s and had a nasty run-in. La Esmeralda is a doll souvenir from Las Palmas who looks very like Mrs Dillington-Black to whom it’s gifted.
Father Bernard is of Father Jourdain’s order; Father Copeland is with Winton St Giles. Hosted by Lady Agatha Panting, the Molton Medbury Midsummer Fair was the site of Dale’s humiliation.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a reddish cafe au lait gradating down from the sides and top in the top third of the cover with the title dead-center in a gradation moving up from dark brown to a pale pinkish white. Across the center is a billowing banner of a brownish pink forming the background for the author’s name in her usual art deco black in solids and closely spaced lines with a white glow around the letters. The bottom third is framed by angles of gradated rays separated by pale scalloped lines from bottom out to the sides. The bottom center graphic is a close-up of a black-and white freighter tied to a black bollard with a deep teal background. In the center, arching between the rays, is a brownish-pink banner showcasing the series info in white.
The title refers to a shared moment between Alleyn and Father Jourdain with the Singing in the Shrouds.
