I am going to depart a bit from my normal template I use when reviewing so if anyone is used to my regular posts, I hope you don't mind.This book was a surprise for me. I am a huge Ngaio Marsh fan but when I was originally reading these, I could not find this title in any of my used bookstores. A couple of decades later and I am now listening to all of the titles in order on audiobook. Since I have started listening to these I have been biased and prefer the editions narrated by James Saxon. I have yet to listen to a Nadia May that I really connected with. When this one started the first thing that threw me was the narrator. My initial reaction was that I did not care for Ric Jerrom as the narrator, however, within a few chapters he had completely won me over. (Surprise #1). He has a great range and does quite a bit of vocal acrobatics with the characters. Some of them grated on my nerves, but I soon realized they were supposed to. Continuing on I have habitually struggled with the novels in this series that are based on Maori backgrounds (being a flatfooted, dull American myself) and often do not enjoy them as much. When the story started I was pretty sure that was going to be the case as I quickly got lost in the magnificent names and terms and such for the local tribe. However, once again, after a few chapters I found that I was lost in the story and was oblivious to all of those things as the plot unfolded. (Surprise #2).As for the plot and characters, this is now among my favorites of this series in both. The characters were delightful (even the ones that I didn't quite like). None of them were so over-the-top that you simply could not identify with them or that they felt "unreal". I enjoyed the interplay of the personalities throughout the book and was soon predicting how the characters would react to the situations and what they would do next. I simply adored the primary character in this book which was not Roderick Alleyn (Suprise #3), in fact although Alleyn is mentioned several times throughout the book he isn't truly introduced until the end. The plot itself was one that you could feel building and could even predict somewhat what was going to happen, which I normally do not enjoy, however, in this book it completely worked at sucking me in and keeping me on the edge waiting for the murder to happen (Surprise #4).Finally, the ending where the killer is revealed and explained I found to be phenomenal! I loved how surprising it was and yet how it all worked in completely with the plot that had been building. There were multiple red herrings (as you should expect with Marsh book), but this is one of the few where I truly did not even begin to guess before it was revealed yet was not disgusted at the unlikeliness of the convention explained as to why the murderer was the person it was.I highly recommend this book to any and all fans of Ngaio Marsh, Roderick Alleyn, or even those who have never read one before. This is one of the few that does not need to be read in order (although you will not giggle at the Fuchling references as I did when the cranky old doctor kept using them).
Colour Scheme (1943) is one of the smaller number of detective novels that Ngaio Marsh set in her home country, New Zealand. Most of her books, which feature Roderick Alleyn as her detective, are set in England. But a few, including Colour Scheme and Died in the Wool, take Inspector Alleyn away from his accustomed haunts.This one is set during WW II at a small, privately owned health spa located on the coast of New Zealand's North Island. The spa features warm to hot mud and steam baths. Unfortunately, one of the members of the little community winds up taking a plunge in the more unhealthy boiling mud pools (in an area normally marked clearly by red flags). Was it an accident as it appears or did someone help Maurice Questing to his final mud bath? Unpleasant as the fellow was, it is a horrible death and, naturally, the local police must investigate. There are rumors of espionage, the raiding of ancient Maori burial grounds, underhanded dealings to take over the spa--possibly involving blackmail (or a similar hold)...plenty of motives to go around. There are also rumors that London's Chief Inspector Alleyn is in the neighborhood and taking an interest in spy activity.I am, generally speaking, a huge fan of Ngaio Marsh and her Inspector Alleyn novels. However, I can't say that I'm a huge fan of this one. There is a very long lead up to the murder. There is an even longer lead up to the appearance of Alleyn. There isn't a whole lot of real investigation on the part of Alleyn. Questing is a very unlikeable character and, while, his death is horrible, I didn't have the usual enthusiasm to have his murderer caught....until the final motive was revealed, that is. I did enjoy reading about the Maori culture and it is obvious that this is Marsh's home ground when she writes of New Zealand and its inhabitants. It just isn't a true Alleyn book. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if he had been left out of it and she'd given us a straight mystery novel with home-grown detectives only. Redeeming characteristics: descriptions of Maori culture and New Zealand and the characters of Dikon Bell and Barbara Claire. The mystery itself isn't very difficult. I caught on to one of the major clues fairly early. But, again, handled as a straight-forward New Zealand mystery without Alleyn (or more to the point...his obvious absence from most of the book when you keep expecting him to appear) would have made the mystery far more engaging. Two stars out of five
What do You think about Colour Scheme (2011)?
If I had not know going in that this was a murder mystery, I wouldn't have guessed it in the first half of the book. We meet various colorful characters at a spa in New Zealand, where they mostly bicker. Also there are some descriptions of the traditions of the local Maoris. The only hint of mystery is the conviction of some members of the family that owns the spa that someone, perhaps their unpleasant guest Questing, is an enemy spy and gave information leading to the recent torpedoing of a ship nearby. Finally, two thirds of the way through, someone disappears on the way home at night and the police are called. Once that happens the usual detective stuff happens in short order: alibis and motives and examined and precise times of whereabouts and details about articles of clothing are checked, and soon everything is solved. The end. Very odd pacing.Incidentally, my 1971 paperback says "100th anniversary edition," but the book was first published in 1943. Dunno.
—Miriam
What passes for mediocre Ngaio Marsh is better than the best from many mystery writers. This isn't the worst that Miss Marsh penned. (That dubious honor must go to the plodding Overture To Death.) But Colour Scheme suffers from one of the same setbacks: Inspector Alleyn isn't introduced until too late in the novel. (Actually, I didn't realize he was in the novel until late in the 11th chapter!) The description of Rotorua on the North Island was enchanting; I loved learning about the Maoris and the thermal springs. However, the Claires were stereotypical Poms and the resolution to the mystery wasn't very plausible. Colour Scheme simply doesn't rank with Marsh's better works, such as A Man Lay Dead, Artists in Crime, or Death In A White Tie.Most readers will prefer the very next novel Ngaio Marsh wrote, Died In The Wool, which is likewise set in New Zealand. It provides a different glimpse into the country, this time at life on New Zealand's sheep stations, but the story is more absorbing and more lively, and, happily, Inspector Alleyn in introduced right from the start. The latter, by itself, is enough to make all the difference!
—Ivonne Rovira
Another Agatha Christie! If you like her, you will like this. Another bonus is learning more about New Zealand and hot springs and boiling mudThe story takes place in the hot springs area of New Zealand and surrounds a thoroughly unpleasant man getting murdered by being pushed off the path into boiling mud. There are a number of suspects and a lot of twists and turns. The person who seems to be the logical murderer is, of course, the most likable one. Ngaio Marsh is a master of mystery and this one does not disappoint.
—Anne Hawn Smith
