Dame Ngaio Marsh was born in New Zealand in 1895 and died in February 1982. She wrote over 30 detective novels and many of her stories have theatrical settings, for Ngaio Marsh’s real passion was the theatre. She was both actress and producer and almost single-handedly revived the New Zealand public’s interest in the theatre. It was for this work that she received what she called her ‘damery’ in 1966.

‘Continues to be one of Ngaio’s most popular novels, and has outstripped all her other titles in sales.’MARGARET LEWIS‘Ngaio Marsh transforms the detective story from a mere puzzle into a novel.’DAILY EXPRESS‘She is astoundingly good.’DAILY EXPRESS‘The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunnit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.’THE SUN