Scales of Justice

By: Ngaio Marsh

Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch

Length: 3 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

The lives of the inhabitants of Swevenings are disrupted only by a fierce competition to catch the Old Un, a monster trout known to dwell in a beautiful stream which winds past their homes.

Then one of their small community is found brutally murdered; beside him is the freshly killed trout. Both died by violence - but Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn's murder investigation seems to be much more interested in the fish...

©1958 Ngaio Marsh (P)2008 Hachette Digital

Cumberbatch is a great narrator!

Have you listened to any of Benedict Cumberbatch’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

On par with all of his brilliant voice performances. He's very good at keeping the listener engaged.

Any additional comments?

Inspector Roderick Alleyn is a favourite of mine and Benedict Cumberbatch does a great job. Please have him narrate more if possible.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

BC is glorious

Would you listen to Scales of Justice again? Why?

I would listen to it 10 times just to hear Benedict Cumberbatch read. His voice is wonderful. The story is excellent, old England as we all imagine it to be (well, not with a murderer, but the rest).

What about Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance did you like?

His voice is amazing and keeps you coming back for more.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

enjoyable light-mystery; beautifully read

I liked this book better than 'Death in a White Tie' by the same author, especially the character of the nurse. Honestly, though, I could listen to Benedict Cumberbatch read the phone book. For the most part, he is spot on - especially with female characters, which some male narrators can butcher.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

A wonderful mystery and so well read!

Ngaio Marsh is a Grand Dame of Crime. The mystery is a good length and well read. Enjoyed it in one afternoon.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

great story

i loved it. i have all books in the series and enjoy listening to them over and over.

Stunningly good narration!

Really, just beyond fabulous interpretation of this mystery classic! With Cumberbatch and Marsh, you cannot go wrong.

Abridged

The narrator was the reason I bought this and it was definitely worth it. Enjoy

Gifted narrator

Benedict Cumberbatch is a gifted actor, and he is no less skilled as a narrator. He is at the top of his game with this series, and it is a joy to listen to his effortless interpretation of interesting characters (young, old, male and female alike).

Excellent post-WWII snapshot

An interesting look at post war England and all it's gentrified glory and division. An excellent murder mystery.

can i give the performance a 6?

i wasnt previously familiar with ngaio marsh, but i have listened to several since this one, and checked the old bbc tv versions as well. these few that benedict cumberbatch has performed are by far my favorite! as an individual performer, he has a broader range of interesting, recognizable characters than the actors on the tv version! i find myself forgetting that it is just one person!

Cumberbatch is excellent

Where does Scales of Justice rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is not her best story BUT the narration by Benedict Cumberbatch brings something extra to it. It felt almost like a dramatisation. I sometimes had to remember that this was just one voice and not a radio play with a full cast. Superb!

What did you like best about this story?

The domestic intrigue.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Ensemble scenes

Any additional comments?

In order to get the best out of audible stories and the characters, there must be an 'aliveness' to them, differentiated voices, dramatic rendition of their words, emotions etc. Benedict Cumberbatch achieves this in spades and brings Ngaio Marsh's stories into vivid relief. Excellent!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A very fishy tale...

SoJ is a mildly entertaining way to pass a few hours, but it's far from NM's best work. Alleyn doesn't show up until 1/3 of the way through and there are some characters that are more caricatures than real people. The narration is 5* and does a great deal to lift the audio version from mediocrity.

Enjoyable classic English crime novel

This was my first Ngaio Marsh novel but the story follows the rather familiar lines of the English crime novel. The various characters with their eccentricities and their very clear place in the order of things. You’re immediately clear that this is the a more traditional, rural England. I enjoyed the twists of the plot – it was undemanding but still clever. The narration was very well done, with energy, expression and clearly distinct voices for all the characters. Very enjoyable several hours!