Try an audiobook on us
Artists in Crime
People who bought this also bought...
-
A Man Lay Dead
- By: Ngaio Marsh
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 127
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....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent as always
- By Michelle C on 05-04-17
-
The Crime at Black Dudley
- An Albert Campion Mystery
- By: Margery Allingham
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 78
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 69
When George Abbershaw is invited to Black Dudley Manor for the weekend, he has only one thing on his mind - proposing to Meggie Oliphant. Unfortunately for George, things don't quite go according to plan. A harmless game turns decidedly deadly and suspicions of murder take precedence over matrimony. Trapped in a remote country house with a murderer, George can see no way out. But Albert Campion can.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Campion's first appearance...
- By FictionFan on 27-01-17
-
Money in the Morgue
- By: Ngaio Marsh, Stella Duffy
- Narrated by: Stella Duffy
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 36
Roderick Alleyn is back in this unique crime novel begun by Ngaio Marsh during the Second World War and now completed by Stella Duffy. It's business as usual for Mr Glossop as he does his regular round delivering wages to government buildings scattered across New Zealand's lonely Canterbury plains. But when his car breaks down, he is stranded for the night at the isolated Mount Seager Hospital, with the telephone lines down, a storm on its way and the nearby river about to burst its banks....
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Ridiculous plot and strange narration
- By Susan Ganney on 23-03-18
-
The Paddington Mystery
- Detective Club Crime Classics
- By: John Rhode
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 21
When Harold Merefield returned home in the early hours of a winter morning from a festive little party at that popular nightclub, the Naxos, he was startled by a gruesome discovery. On his bed was a corpse. There was nothing to show the identity of the dead man or the cause of his death. At the inquest, the jury found a verdict of ‘death from natural causes’ - perhaps they were right, but yet?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining but predictable
- By Bucks Pedant on 29-08-18
-
The Affair of the Thirty Nine-Cufflinks
- By: James Anderson
- Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 150
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 151
Understandably, Lord Burford had some misgivings about hosting another house party at Alderley, his beautiful country mansion. After all, the previous two could at best be described as disastrous, since a couple of their guests were bumped off during their stay on each occasion. But with family members travelling down for the funeral of an elderly relative, the Earl really had no choice but to offer them accommodation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
If you're a fan of Ngaio Marsh's Alleyne, you'll LOVE this!
- By Carôle on 07-01-16
-
Whose Body?
- By: Dorothy L. Sayers
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 25
Amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey sets out to unravel a puzzling case involving the disappearance of a wealthy financier and the discovery of a corpse in a bathtub. He does succeed in solving things to everyone's ultimate satisfaction, but only after a series of bloodcurdling and hair-raising episodes that will hold the listener spellbound with anticipation.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
totally inappropriate narration
- By Mrs on 13-03-14
-
A Man Lay Dead
- By: Ngaio Marsh
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 127
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....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent as always
- By Michelle C on 05-04-17
-
The Crime at Black Dudley
- An Albert Campion Mystery
- By: Margery Allingham
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 78
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 69
When George Abbershaw is invited to Black Dudley Manor for the weekend, he has only one thing on his mind - proposing to Meggie Oliphant. Unfortunately for George, things don't quite go according to plan. A harmless game turns decidedly deadly and suspicions of murder take precedence over matrimony. Trapped in a remote country house with a murderer, George can see no way out. But Albert Campion can.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Campion's first appearance...
- By FictionFan on 27-01-17
-
Money in the Morgue
- By: Ngaio Marsh, Stella Duffy
- Narrated by: Stella Duffy
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 36
Roderick Alleyn is back in this unique crime novel begun by Ngaio Marsh during the Second World War and now completed by Stella Duffy. It's business as usual for Mr Glossop as he does his regular round delivering wages to government buildings scattered across New Zealand's lonely Canterbury plains. But when his car breaks down, he is stranded for the night at the isolated Mount Seager Hospital, with the telephone lines down, a storm on its way and the nearby river about to burst its banks....
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Ridiculous plot and strange narration
- By Susan Ganney on 23-03-18
-
The Paddington Mystery
- Detective Club Crime Classics
- By: John Rhode
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 22
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 21
When Harold Merefield returned home in the early hours of a winter morning from a festive little party at that popular nightclub, the Naxos, he was startled by a gruesome discovery. On his bed was a corpse. There was nothing to show the identity of the dead man or the cause of his death. At the inquest, the jury found a verdict of ‘death from natural causes’ - perhaps they were right, but yet?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining but predictable
- By Bucks Pedant on 29-08-18
-
The Affair of the Thirty Nine-Cufflinks
- By: James Anderson
- Narrated by: Cornelius Garrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 175
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 150
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 151
Understandably, Lord Burford had some misgivings about hosting another house party at Alderley, his beautiful country mansion. After all, the previous two could at best be described as disastrous, since a couple of their guests were bumped off during their stay on each occasion. But with family members travelling down for the funeral of an elderly relative, the Earl really had no choice but to offer them accommodation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
If you're a fan of Ngaio Marsh's Alleyne, you'll LOVE this!
- By Carôle on 07-01-16
-
Whose Body?
- By: Dorothy L. Sayers
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 25
Amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey sets out to unravel a puzzling case involving the disappearance of a wealthy financier and the discovery of a corpse in a bathtub. He does succeed in solving things to everyone's ultimate satisfaction, but only after a series of bloodcurdling and hair-raising episodes that will hold the listener spellbound with anticipation.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
totally inappropriate narration
- By Mrs on 13-03-14
Summary
One of Ngaio Marsh’s most famous murder mysteries, which introduces Inspector Alleyn to his future wife, the irrepressible Agatha Troy.
It started as a student exercise, the knife under the drape, the model’s pose chalked in place. But before Agatha Troy, artist and instructor, returns to the class, the pose has been reenacted in earnest: the model is dead, fixed forever in one of the most dramatic poses Troy has ever seen.
It’s a difficult case for Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn. How can he believe that the woman he loves is a murderess? And yet no one can be above suspicion....
Critic reviews
More from the same
What members say
Average customer ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars73
-
4 Stars23
-
3 Stars4
-
2 Stars2
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars69
-
4 Stars13
-
3 Stars4
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars1
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars59
-
4 Stars22
-
3 Stars3
-
2 Stars4
-
1 Stars0
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-08-17
Gets Alleyn's name wrong
Ngaio Marsh specified it is pronounced Allen. Really off putting to hear Allayne.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sharon Spiteri
- London
- 05-06-16
The pronunciation of Alleyn grates
It's pronounced Allen, the y is silent. Ngaio Marsh herself said so. Shame because the rest is fine. But I get a jolt every time I hear the pronunciation of Alleyn. And he's the main character. So he gets mentioned a lot. Groan.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ms Jane E. Knight
- 02-12-15
Brilliantly read
Phillip Franks creates the characters beautifully. This is a very satisfying novel by a "Queen of crime". It is an audiobook I can imagine listening to again - like a well loved radio play. I will seek out the narrator again.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sheryl Mason
- Auckland, - New Zealand
- 01-11-15
At last, more Golden Age Mysteries!
What made the experience of listening to Artists in Crime the most enjoyable?
Obviously, to me, the experience of hearing one of the few New Zealand authors to belong in the Golden Age of murder mysteries. Ngaio Marsh was also a member of The Detection Club in the UK in the 1930's.
Philip Franks does a superb job on this book. The characters are clearly sketched but not overdone (he even manages to get the Australian accent about right).
Overall, I'd have to say that this is my favourite Marsh book. The story combined with the narration make it a pure joy to listen to.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Artists in Crime?
The first meeting between Troy and Alleyn.
Which character – as performed by Philip Franks – was your favourite?
To be honest, they all were. He did such a great job.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No real emotional reaction. This book (and the others by Ngaio Marsh) rate up there with Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. They're what I'd call cozy murders.
Any additional comments?
Can we have the rest please?
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 24-12-17
Excellent
Superb story, and the narration was first rate. Will get more of Ms Marsh's books
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- slb
- UK
- 13-10-16
Wonderful
I devoured all the Alleyn books many years ago and still re read them. This Audible reading had me riveted. Although I knew the story well I was drawn completely into the world of the artists, Troy and Alleyn. Philip Franks has a very subtle style, the characters were credible and very distinctive, he never over plays things. So many male readers sound like pantomime dames when interpreting female parts...but his are quiet and distinctive. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Well done to all concerned.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Phebe
- 13-10-16
Brilliant reading
This is a reasonably obvious Ngaio Marsh mystery, set up as a venue for the courtship between Alleyn and his future wife, Troy. It is the reading that makes this story delightful: Philip Franks is brilliant with the accents and characterizations, all of them, men and women alike. He is especially good with English social class. Most of the mystery characters are artists, and are sharply differentiated. This reader is so good that I am getting more of his books.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- akinco
- 11-05-16
Good mystery ruined by reader mispronouncing name
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
So how in the holy hell does a reader, who has performed other stories in this series, MISPRONOUNCE the famous detective's name and how does the director, who has ALSO directed other stories in this series, not CORRECT that colossal blunder? It was irritating to continually hear the name mispronounced - it almost ruined the story for me.
How could the performance have been better?
Could a start by correctly pronouncing the MAIN CHARACTER's name
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacqueline Gomez
- 07-10-16
So much better than the unabridged version
Any additional comments?
This version of Artists in Crime is much better than the unabridged version. There is more humor and byplay between the main characters. I am so glad I purchased this version even though I had the older unabridged one already.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful