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 the received what she called her ‘damery’ in 1966.

‘Marsh moves into top gear.’Susan Howatch‘The queen of the straight crime novel – long may she reign!’Sunday Times‘I rate Ngaio Marsh’s novels among the best in this genre, having read and re-read them many times over the years.’Joan Hickson‘The finest writer in the English language of the pure, classical puzzle whodunit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.’The Sun