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Death and the Dancing Footman
- Narrated by: James Saxon
- Series: Roderick Alleyn, Book 11
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
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- By The Curator on 20-01-20
Summary
A winter weekend ends in snowbound disaster in a novel which remains a favourite among Marsh readers.
It began as an entertainment: eight people, many of them enemies, gathered for a winter weekend by a host with a love for theatre. They would be the characters in a drama that he would devise.
It ended in snowbound disaster. Everyone had an alibi - and most had motives as well. But Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn, when he finally arrived, knew it all hung on Thomas, the dancing footman....
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Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Keithj
- 26-06-16
Not much Alleyn in it.
The story rambles on from the beginning as do other books in the series, introducing characters and muddying the waters. So far, so usual but Alleyn appears very late in the proceedings and plays, I think, a lesser part than previously. The story is still a good one and the confusions are not resolved until the last few minutes but I didn't feel it was quite as good as the earlier books.
7 people found this helpful
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- jim
- 12-03-20
don't bother
Book one to book ten in this series are fabulous and easy to listen to but THIS one is not worth the effort, Started three times but could not pass chapter ten. It is overly complicated and painfully slow. I would like to return it, if I only KNEW how.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 30-03-20
Fine Traditional Murder Mystery!!
An excellent Golden Era murder/mystery, written by one of the finest writers of the genre. Thoroughly enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 30-07-21
My least favourite Audible Book
Story slow to get going. Allen didn't appear until last half of book. Narration was at times indistinct making it hard to distinguish between characters' names which were being discussed. I didn't find the plot plausible.
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- Just Some Woman
- 19-05-21
A superb reading of an excellent story
I much prefer Ngaio Marsh to Agatha Christie, and this is my favourite of her Inspector Alleyn books. Her story telling is wonderful and she creates a thoroughly authentic atmosphere. Although the culprit is perhaps the most obvious of her murderers, the story is so well told that it really doesn't matter. James Saxon is, as always, magnificent in his characterisations, and it really is easy to forget he is one man, rather than a whole cast.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-05-21
Death and the Dancing Footman
Intricately plotted, vividly written and richly portrayed by the reader, the late James Saxon. Another absorbing taken on the Alleyne series.
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- M McKenzie
- 01-12-15
Dissatisfaction incorrect narrator
Not the advertised narrator. This is narrated by James Saxon. Audible appear unable to correct this despite repeated complaint.
4 people found this helpful
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- Meep
- 18-12-15
NOT PHILIP FRANKS READING!!!
I love James Saxon reading Ngaio Marsh. I have every Marsh he's ever read that audible offers. However, Death and the Dancing Footman is not my favorite of his readings, which is why I thought I would have Philip Franks reading of it, as Philip Franks is a WONDERFUL reader and I hope that he will do every single one of Marsh's books for us in the near future. This, however, is NOT Philip Franks reading, it is James Saxon reading . Buyer beware.
7 people found this helpful
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- Helen L.
- 09-07-16
Never guessed it!
Once again, she had me hooked all the way to the end wondering who did it and exactly how? A peculiar and unsettling set-up this time, tinged with wartime jitters, with lots of snow and a number of unlikable suspects. The dancing footman proves to be a key witness, but the few moments he witnesses are hard to piece together even after they are recapped over and over. This is okay, of course, for the story is meant to be intricate in that way. And despite the malevolent intentions of many, I loved it.
1 person found this helpful
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- peter
- 24-08-21
Ok but not great
Even tho the writing is as good as usual this one reads more like a contractual obligation with no really like able characters and a slightly boring mystery.
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- Kindle Customer
- 11-08-21
classic manor house murder
A classic manor house murder in the play fair tradition. Beautifully acted by Saxon. Highly recommended
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- patticake
- 06-05-21
The only Ngaio Marsh book I don't enjoy
I've been reading Ngaio Marsh books for years and have enjoyed them all, but somehow I missed "Death and the Dancing Footman", so I was delighted to see a previously unread (by me) Inspector Alleyn book here on audible.
Unfortunately, for me this book lacks the character and the spark of the author's other books. Sure, some are better than others, but for me, this one is the bottom of the barrel. The narrator wasn't bad, but the story never really pulled me in. Most of the characters were either blah or unpleasant, the concept is contrived - and I don't mind a contrived concept with great characters, but this wasn't that. And after throwing so many red herrings at us, some of which would have made for an interesting ending, the person I felt was the most obvious was who done it.
If you're looking for a classic who done it featuring a house party full of people who either don't know each other or hate each other, could be worth a listen.
I think I'll go re-listen to "Surfeit of Lampreys" to clean my palette.
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- Belle
- 28-09-20
A perfect mystery!
Wow, this had it all! Clues, snowstorm, twists, characters! Loved it and would recommend to any who like a British house mystery.
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- H. Bray
- 16-05-19
Great mystery
Ngaio Marsh again finds a fascinating way to subvert the conventions of the sleuth mystery. The reader is somewhat jowly, and not so great with the women, but very good with the men's voices. This is a fascinating story I never came close to anticipating the solution.
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- Anne Georgiadis
- 06-01-19
Very good
But, you have to wait 7 hours before Allyn makes his appearance. You will definitely know all the characters well.
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- Christopher Bedford
- 21-06-16
Reader well past his best
What would have made Death and the Dancing Footman better?
Another reader!
What didn’t you like about James Saxon’s performance?
Mr Saxon's performance sounded as if he had just of the stage of a Victorian melodrama. His characterisation of the females was almost as bad as his German accent! I have only just recently finished a couple of Philip Franks renditions of Ngaio Marsh novels and the difference is extreme.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anne
- 04-11-15
Narrator is not Philip Franks
Philip Franks beautifully narrated two other books in this series, but not this one. The narrator is James Saxon. His style is far less natural and appealing.
1 person found this helpful