Tied Up In Tinsel

About this book

An English manor house on the moors! An ideal setting for a murder--and for one of Ngaio Marshs classic murder mysteries. The occasion is a Christmas party hosted by Mr. Hilary Bill-Tasman landed proprietor of Halberds Manor and authority on antiques. Attending the festivities are a number of unusual characters several of whom are perfectly logical candidates for murderer--and one of whom will elude the most prescient reader until tracked down by the indefatigable Superintendent Roderick Alleyn whose wife Troy innocently involved him in all the sinister goings-on in the first place. Herewith the murder victim: Moult the ill-favored tippling manservant of Hilarys uncle Colonel F. Fleaton Forrester. Moult is found missing and subsequently dead after portraying a Druid in the Halberds Christmas pageant. Herewith the murder suspects: Blore Mervyn Nigel Cooke and Vincent the staff of Halberds all of whom are certified ex-murderers ("oncers"). Hilary is rehabilitating them. Blore a baldish man with a loud voice murdered his wifes lover. Mervyn killed a burglar with a flatiron. Nigel once made effigies but became a religious maniac and killed a sinful lady. He is said to be cured. Cooke "not one hundred percent he-man " was already in prison but attacked a warder who approached him when he was not in the mood. And Vincent shut an offensive old lady into a greenhouse heavy with arsenical spray. And then there is Cressida Tottenham Hilarys fiance very beautiful and modern somewhat vulgar and severely disapproved of by Hilarys family; Bert Smith Hilarys antiques partner who affects a Cockney accent has a blackly comic sense of humor and knows a lot more than he lets on. And Hilary himself arrogant snobbish and a bit of a hedonist. One of them killed Moult. Alleyn tries to find out who--and nearly gets killed himself in the process.