Ngaio MARSH : Vintage murder - Roderick Alleyn #5

The leading lady of a theater company touring New Zealand was stunningly beautiful. No one - including her lover - understood why she married the company's pudgy producer. But did she rig a huge jeroboam of champagne to kill her husband during a cast party ? Did her sweetheart ? Or was another villain waiting in the wings ? On a holiday down under, Inspector Roderick Alleyn must uncork this mystery and uncover a devious killer...

 

 

Not the best of this author, I'm afraid.

This mystery took place among a theater company and the setting and proceeding felt like a play : a small number of suspects - I kept forgetting who was who, except the main characters, fortunately, there's a list at the beginning ; it took place mainly in the theater itself, so it felt very static.

But mostly, to be frank, it was rather boring and I didn't care very much who killed the victim or why.

I've read other novels by this author, that I don't remember much, yet they left me a good impression overall. Vintage murder was one of the two novels I have on my physical shelves, I'll have to see if the other is better, by any chance !