I absolutely love British mysteries. True, they are not realistic: more an exercise in cerebration than realistic criminal investigation. It is a sort of magic trick-literary sleight of hand. We try to guess - without success - "whodunit"; and we are delighted when in the last chapter, the detective tells us how the trick was performed.Ngaio Marsh is one of queens of British crime fiction, up there with the likes of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and P.D.James. And she writes much of the same type of mystery. A murder takes place in a closed setting, with just the right amount of suspects to make it interesting and a victim against whom everybody has a grudge. I confess that, being a diehard Christie fan, I neglected most of the other mystery writers during my youth, and am just now discovering Ms. Marsh.A Wreath for Rivera is the classic British Crime story at its best. There is the eccentric peer, who wants to play drums in the jazz band and is the prime suspect; the sleazy Mexican piano-accordionist in the same band who wants to marry his stepdaughter but unfortunately ends up on the slab; the French wife of the Lord who wants to protect her flighty daughter from the villainous libertine; and the obligatory love triangle. The action is played out during a single night and day, and the novel sizzles ahead. It's an incredibly fast read.I had a complaint against an earlier novel by Ngaio Marsh that I saw the solution coming, so I felt let down, even though the story was good. Well, here she has redeemed herself. The thing was staring me in the face, but the red herrings were so good that slowly the eye was taken away from the hand - the classical trick of magicians. So in the end when all was revealed, I was kicking myself for not seeing it: in fact, I had considered the possibility in the beginning, but discarded it as the story progressed.I confess this is not much of a review, but I cannot go further without revealing secrets. And I have not mastered the method hiding spoilers in-between.
[These notes were made in 1985:]. A sleazy accordion-player in a fashionable swing band is shot at (as part of the act) by the guest drummer, an eccentric peer, whose daughter the accordion-player - Carlos - is courting. The accordion-player dies of a steel dart (part of an umbrella) through the heart. Later complications include the disclosure that Carlos was drug-running, and his manager/conductor, Breezy Bellairs, was one of his clients; that a newspaper agony columnist to whom they have all
What do You think about A Wreath For Rivera (1998)?
A highly enjoyable, riveting mystery, right up there with Night at the Vulcan as one of my favourite Marsh novels. I had almost given up on finding another book of hers that so perfectly balanced an interesting ensemble of characters, a puzzling mystery and slight romance until I picked this up.The characters here are probably the highlight, as well as Alleyn's constant presence. The mystery here is also very much a focus, unlike some of Marsh's other novels where it's almost an afterthought. Marsh has an effortless talent for setting the scene and revealing her characters' personalities and physical description without making an infodump. The complex relationships between the characters are very cleverly revealed through the dialogue in a few scenes; the growth of the relationship between Carlisle and Edward is particularly interesting as it unfolds, almost accidentally.My only complaint is that unlike Night at the Vulcan, this story did not have as satisfying an ending as I thought it ought to. Alleyn succeeds in his unmasking, but more closure regarding Edward and Carlisle, as well as a resolving of misunderstandings between them, Felicite and Lord and Lady Pastern would have been highly preferred. What we have is only a hint that at least Edward would make up with Carlisle, but little else.
—Hannah
Lord Pastern & Baggot is known for his eccentric, short-lived whims, and this time he's determined to play timpani in a popular local club band. Unfortunately, his French stepdaughter has fallen head over heels for the slick Argentinian piano-accordionist--or at least she insists she has, though his jealousy frightens her. Meanwhile, cousin Carlisle (female) is in town for a visit, and begins to take notice of her distant cousin Edward Manx--but is he interested in her, or in her French cous
—Rebecca
