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Death in a White Tie

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Death in a White Tie

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch
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About this listen

 A body in the back of a taxi begins an elegantly constructed mystery, perhaps the finest of Marsh's 1930s novels.

The season had begun. Débutantes and chaperones were planning their luncheons, teas, dinners, balls. And the blackmailer was planning his strategies, stalking his next victim. But Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn knew that something was up. He had already planted his friend Lord Robert Gospell at the scene. But someone else got there first...

©1938 Ngaio Marsh (P)2008 Hachette Digital Cosy Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Crime Suspense

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All stars
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Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic at the voice acting in this one, there are times when you really forget that it is all just him and there isn't some elderly stiff upper lip gentleman or a querulous old woman acting it with him. The storyline itself is great and you will be working to figure out how the crime was pulled off, and serious kudos if you actually manage to guess it before the big reveal.

Great voice acting

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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yeees......... It was a pleasant way to pass a few hours and of course Benedict Cumberbatch is great but I literally can't remember what the book was about only a couple of weeks later!

What could Ngaio Marsh have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Made it more interesting

Which character – as performed by Benedict Cumberbatch – was your favourite?

cant remember any of them!

Do you think Death in a White Tie needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. One was enough

Forgetable!

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Would you consider the audio edition of Death in a White Tie to be better than the print version?

YES, the performance had the lively quality of a radio play. I felt every moment that I was in the room.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Death in a White Tie?

Inspector Alleyn description of Troy; "would he ever recover from the love of her"

What does Benedict Cumberbatch bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He has a mastery of voices that bring each character vividly to life, conjuring a whole person out of the air.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Allen and Troy' s reunion.

Any additional comments?

After listening to "death in white tie" I immediately downloaded another Marsh/Cumberbatch book.

a trip to 30's high society

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What made the experience of listening to Death in a White Tie the most enjoyable?

Benedict Cumberbatch's narration was amazing, proving he is as amazing narrator as well as a talented and amazing actor!! More please!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Death in a White Tie?

Excellent story, strong characters

Have you listened to any of Benedict Cumberbatch’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes listened to them all, I'd love more, he's someone along with Tom Hiddleston I could listen to all day long!.....

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, couldn't bring myself to stop listening

Talented Writer, Talented Narrator

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absolutely love the story telling, Benedict's voices are excellent. good story and well worth a re-listen. one of my Sunday morning favourites.

love it.

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The reading was lovely, beautiful acting, but oh dear there were bits when the voice dropped so low I simply couldn't catch the words. Story was lovely in its period fashion and the end quite a surprise after so many herrings had been landed

Not too clear

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I bought this abridged version by mistake so will no doubt wind up buying the full version at some point! Benedict Cumberbatch is a good narrator, giving clarity to both male and female characters. He does mispronounce 'Alleyn' as Allain all the through, which I found mildly irritating. It's such a fundamental slip on the part of the production team. Having said that, I have listened to this story more than once, so if you like abridged books, this one has been treated well.

Mild disappointment

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A classic who-dun-it from a still very popular author. The downside of this book is that it's abridged - shame! However, the upside is that it's narrated by the absolutely excellent Benedict Cumberbatch who brings it alive in such a way that it's quite a job to realise that it's just one person reading this book. I just wish that it was the whole book he was reading, and not an abridged version.

Entertaining and well read

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I’m enjoying re-reading Ngaio Marsh’s Insp Alleyn’s stories but was puzzled when I saw that the Benedict Cumberbatch narration was considerably shorter than the other version available on Audible. As a fan of Cumberbatch I chose his version and initially put the difference down to his brisk delivery. Only at the very end is it mentioned that this is an abridged version of Death in a White Tie. I don’t think it mattered too much nor did it detract from the story of blackmail in high society and I would choose another story narrated by him - love that voice

Short(er) and sweet?

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The story is one of NM's best and the excellent narration by BC brings the characters to life.

Superb!

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