Grave Mistake cover art

Grave Mistake

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Grave Mistake

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: Jane Asher
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About this listen

A spa stay turns into a homicidal holiday.... A bit snobbish and a trifle high strung, Sybil Foster prides herself on owning the finest estate in Upper Quintern and hiring the best gardener.

In fact she is rapturous over the new asparagus beds when a visit from her unwelcome stepson sends her scurrying to a chic spa for a rest cure, a liaison with the spa's director...and an apparent suicide.

Her autopsy holds one surprise, a secret drawer a second. And Inspector Roderick Alleyn, CID, digging about Upper Quintern, may unearth still a third...deeply buried motive for murder.

©1978 Original Text of 1978 by Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio Cosy Crime Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Mystery Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Detective Crime Thriller

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Critic reviews

"The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." ( Times Literary Supplement)
"It's time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around." ( New York Magazine)
All stars
Most relevant
Well narrated, loved the "voices" and we'll developed story! A great escape from reality! Great story telling, characters suit, easy listening.

Brilliant Story

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I love Jane Asher as a reader, she lends an air of mystery to the reading. I agree that Alleyn's voice is a bit high, she has done this with other male roles, but after a bit you get used to it!

The story has lots of twists and kept me wanted to listen all the way through.

Well read, intriguing story

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This is typically deft Marsh -- a wry dissection of the English class system masquerading as a murder mystery. Her pithy descriptions always make me smile. Jane Asher is an irritating narrator, however. To portray Allen, she raises her voice to a grating pitch, one which is totally at odds with his considered, courteous personality. And that's before we get to the mispronunciation of his surname.

Enjoyed Marsh, not Asher

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I found the narrator’s voice for both Alleyn and Fox jarring, unfortunately, as got in the way of what, for other characters, was fine

Solid Ngaio Marsh story, narration sometimes jarring

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I listened at speed 85 and found this very much improved the reading. I loved the various voices although the Chief Inspector was rather more aloof than I'd have preferred. Like in the case of one or two other readers of Marsh's novels, his name was mispronounced which was an unnecessary minor irritation.

Sounds best at a lower speed

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