• Death at the Bar

  • By: Ngaio Marsh
  • Narrated by: James Saxon
  • Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (195 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Death at the Bar  By  cover art

Death at the Bar

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: James Saxon
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.36

Buy for $13.36

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A classic Ngaio Marsh novel in which a game of darts in an English pub has gruesome consequences.

At the Plume of Feathers in south Devon one midsummer evening, eight people are gathered together in the taproom. They are in the habit of playing darts, but on this occasion an experiment takes the place of the usual game - a fatal experiment which calls for investigation.

A distinguished painter, a celebrated actor, a woman graduate, a plump lady from County Clare, and a Devonshire farmer all play their parts in the unravelling of the problem....

©1940 Original Text of 1940 by Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Full marks...a really clever problem in detection. It will need a really sharp brain to discover the criminal." ( Times Literary Supplement)
"Read just one of Ngaio Marsh’s novels and you’ve got to read them all...." ( Daily Mail)
"The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress." ( The Sun)

What listeners say about Death at the Bar

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    131
  • 4 Stars
    49
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    142
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    112
  • 4 Stars
    47
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

murder or accident by the sea

famous barrister dies in seaside village. is it accident or murder. marsh provides lots of red herrings and a bit of humor followed by suspense. brilliantly read by Paxon. recommended

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Mystery Maven

Good story, great narration. The mystery was clearly, and concisely, laid out and the few options to the solution could have worked but the answer was good! Enjoy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Another good story.

NM like all of us had some bad days but this wasn’t one of them. The denouement was a little complex and a bit of a letdown because I was hoping for another character to hit the dust but that just shows I was was quite engaged. Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

One of Marsh’s Best

I loved this book. Marsh wrote a deceptively simple yet compelling and intricate story. To sum up:
1. Plot - excellent. A bit disappointed in the abrupt ending but that’s only worth a half-star demerit
2. Characters - well developed and compelling
3. Intrigue - first class
4. Narrator - superb job job of reading and bringing the characters to life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

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

Loved it

This was a good book and I loved the narrator! Can’t wait to start the next one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

methodical story

I always have the hardest time with this narrator mainly because they switch narrators so much with this series that it's hard for me to get into his voices. It interferes with the story and it takes me longer to get engaged. I finished it but that's the only drawback it has.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!