Preview
  • A Man Lay Dead

  • By: Ngaio Marsh
  • Narrated by: Philip Franks
  • Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (650 ratings)

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A Man Lay Dead

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: Philip Franks
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Publisher's summary

Wealthy Sir Hubert Handesley's original and lively weekend house parties are deservedly famous. To amuse his guests, he has devised a new form of the fashionable Murder Game, in which a guest is secretly selected to commit a 'murder' in the dark, and everyone assembles to solve the crime. But when the lights go up this time, there is a real corpse....

©1934 Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio
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What listeners say about A Man Lay Dead

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    352
  • 4 Stars
    205
  • 3 Stars
    71
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    117
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    6
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    294
  • 4 Stars
    176
  • 3 Stars
    77
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    6

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration

This is the first Inspector Alleyn Mystery. The story isn’t of the same caliber as the later stories, but worth a read if you want to learn how it all began.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A very good story

The voices of the characters are great. The story is both entertaining and intellectual. The story is a bit on the long side.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The beginning

First of the Alleyn novels a bit clunky but entertaining. Good to know where it all began.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Splendid!

I love listening to Philip Franks, especially when he pronounces Alleyn's name correctly. Not Ngaio Marsh's best but worth a listen anytime.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The first Alleyn novel

Highly entertaining and intelligent. Marsh was still working up to her full powers, but this is nonetheless excellent. Narration is brilliantly done.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ngaio Marsh deserves more recognition

Can recommend. Excellent narrator and absolutely typical (in the best way) golden age murder mystery.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Clever Story

Well plotted story and as expected well written. Characters not especially endearing and the Russian part of plot was a bit peculiar. still a pleasure to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator fabulous

Story well written great characters and kept me guessing the entire time - loved it and will read more by this author!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Page turner.

Page turner. Suspenseful great audio book. I love the twists, turns and details of the select stars like Marsh.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too many cliched

Save us from murders at British weekend house parties. And save us from mysterious gangs of foreigners. The introductory Alleyn novel had included these and other overworked British mystery themes. Alleyn himself is clever and intelligent but not well developed as a character. In short, give this a miss unless you are set on reading the whole series.

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2 people found this helpful