A Man Lay Dead
Encyclopedia
A Man Lay Dead is a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh
; it is the first novel to feature Roderick Alleyn
, and was first published in 1934. The plot concerns a murder committed during a detective game of murder at a weekend party in a country house. Although there is a side-plot focused on Russians, ancient weapons, and secret societies, the murder itself concerns a small group of guests at Sir Hubert Handesley's estate. The guests include Sir Hubert's niece (Angela North), Charles Rankin (a 46 or 47 year old man about town), Nigel Bathgate (Charles's cousin and a gossip reporter), Rosamund Grant, and Mr and Mrs Arthur Wilde. Also in attendance are an art expert and a Russian butler. Unlike later novels, this novel is more focused on Nigel Bathgate and less so on Alleyn.
During the detective game of murder, one of the guests is secretly selected to be the murderer, with a victim of his own choosing. At the time of the murderer's choice, he taps the victim on the shoulder, indicating that "You're the corpse". At that point, the lights go out, a gong rings, and then everyone assesmbles to determine who did it. It is all intended to be light-hearted fun, except that the corpse is for real.
This novel was adapted for the television series The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
, with the most notable change being Angela North character replaced by Agatha Troy, who appears in later novels as Alleyn's romantic interest.
Ngaio Marsh
Dame Ngaio Marsh DBE , born Edith Ngaio Marsh, was a New Zealand crime writer and theatre director. There is some uncertainty over her birth date as her father neglected to register her birth until 1900...
; it is the first novel to feature Roderick Alleyn
Roderick Alleyn
Roderick Alleyn is a fictional character who first appeared in 1934. He is the policeman hero of the 32 detective novels of Ngaio Marsh. Marsh and her gentleman detective belong firmly in the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, although the last Alleyn novel, Light Thickens, was published as late as...
, and was first published in 1934. The plot concerns a murder committed during a detective game of murder at a weekend party in a country house. Although there is a side-plot focused on Russians, ancient weapons, and secret societies, the murder itself concerns a small group of guests at Sir Hubert Handesley's estate. The guests include Sir Hubert's niece (Angela North), Charles Rankin (a 46 or 47 year old man about town), Nigel Bathgate (Charles's cousin and a gossip reporter), Rosamund Grant, and Mr and Mrs Arthur Wilde. Also in attendance are an art expert and a Russian butler. Unlike later novels, this novel is more focused on Nigel Bathgate and less so on Alleyn.
During the detective game of murder, one of the guests is secretly selected to be the murderer, with a victim of his own choosing. At the time of the murderer's choice, he taps the victim on the shoulder, indicating that "You're the corpse". At that point, the lights go out, a gong rings, and then everyone assesmbles to determine who did it. It is all intended to be light-hearted fun, except that the corpse is for real.
This novel was adapted for the television series The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries is a British detective television series adapted from nine of the Roderick Alleyn novels by Ngaio Marsh. It originally aired between 1990 and 1994.In the pilot episode Detective Inspector Alleyn was played by Simon Williams...
, with the most notable change being Angela North character replaced by Agatha Troy, who appears in later novels as Alleyn's romantic interest.