40. Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh
Publication: Jove (1980) originally published 1955, Paperback, 256pp / ISBN 0515054364
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 
Read: February 24-25, 2010
Source: Bought
Summary from Amazon:
Swevenings village is pretty as a picture, but its secrets are ugly; and its gentry dread the publication of Sir Harold Lacklander’s memoirs. When one of them is murdered, Inspector Roderick Alleyn’s investigation takes him through petty vendettas, an ex-commander’s blend of whiskey and archery, and cocktails on the lawn with a femme fatale. But the motive he’s angling for lies even deeper than the trout stream beneath the rustic bridge…
Review
This is the second book I’ve read by Ngaio Marsh and though I can’t say she’s better than Christie, I do enjoy Marsh’s books. I really like Inspector Alleyn, and this book in particular was interesting because it gave a little look into the politics of a mid-1950′s English country village. It’s just about as twisted as you’d think, especially when everybody’s lives are tied up into one big ball of murder and betrayal.
I liked the mystery in this, for sure, but I was disappointed that Alleyn didn’t show up until nearly the whole way through. I didn’t particularly care about the inhabitants of Swevenings, and spending so much time reading about their weird habits and abrasive personalities was actually really boring. Plus, some of the dialogue was horrendously upper middle class, everyone-has-a-face-like-a-horse cliched. It was a good thing Alleyn eventually came in when he did, because I was really worried I’d end up not liking Scales of Justice.
I did like it, kind of. The mystery, Alleyn, and Fox almost completely made up for the rest of it, but I wish I had liked it more. I’m not sure if I just don’t like Marsh’s writing or if I’m just too used to Christie, who sometimes goes into the horse-faced dialogue herself but always makes it funny rather than grating. (Maybe I just don’t get Marsh’s humor?) I have at least one more Marsh book besides this one to read, so I guess we’ll find out!
And
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That cover isn’t actually the one on my book, but I can’t find it online and I can’t be bothered to scan it even if it DOES both horrify and contain spoilers. It’s pretty bad.
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