Ngaio Marsh Trivia

1. Why does Alleyn agree to investigate Flossie Rubrick's murder?

From Quiz Died in the Wool

Answer: An enemy agent may be involved

Alleyn is in New Zealand continuing his espionage investigation during World War II. Although he has met Flossie Rubrick previous to her murder and he declined to dine at Mt. Moon with her, Alleyn is only interested in rumors that her death may be connected to enemy agents. Flossie's nephew, Douglas Grace, insists there is an enemy agent at large so Alleyn goes and investigates. Since Flossie was an MP interested in wartime enemies, the possibility she was killed by a foreign enemy cannot be ruled out.

From Quiz Colour Scheme

Answer: Flashing lights

Specifically, Dr. Ackrington is concerned that Maurice Questing is an enemy agent working for the Axis during World War II. Ackrington witnessed Questing climb the nearby mountain where flashing lights in Morse Code appeared. Soon after, the Hippolyte, an allied submarine, was sunk off the coast of Harpoon. Ackrington writes to Alleyn of Scotland Yard who is in New Zealand to alert him of this activity.

From Quiz Death at the Bar

Answer: Car crash

On his way to meet his friend and cousin for a few weeks holiday in Ottercombe, a village by the sea, a car crashes into Watchman's vehicle. The damage is minor, but Watchman loses his temper at the other driver, Bob Legge. Legge had been driving recklessly and was only mildly apologetic. Later on, Watchman and Legge meet again as they are both staying at the same inn: The Plume of Feathers.

From Quiz Artists in Crime

Answer: On a ship

Alleyn is beginning his return voyage to England after his months-long holiday (previously seen in the previous novel "Vintage Murder"). He takes a ship out of Suva where he comes across the famous painter Agatha Troy. Troy is painting a scene of the port they just departed from and Alleyn becomes infatuated with both the painting and its creator.

From Quiz Vintage Murder

Answer: It went up a spiral mountain

Inspector Alleyn was in New Zealand recovering from an operation. He traveled with the Carolyn Dacres Comedy Company on their tour of New Zealand. As the train wound through New Zealand, the passengers were jolted awake by turbulence. The train started up a spiral mountain and thus made sharp, bouncing turns frequently. Alfred Meyer, Carolyn Dacres' husband and proprietor of Incorporated Playhouses, complains to Alleyn (whose occupation as a police inspector is known only to very few members of the company) that he was nearly murdered and shoved off the train. Alleyn suspects this might have been an accident caused by the bounciness of the train or simply by someone accidentally bunking into him.

From Quiz Death in Ecstasy

Answer: Chosen vessel

The Church of the Sacred Flame was some kind of religious organization with vague beliefs and history. To Alleyn, Fox and Bathgate, it was an obvious scheme to swindle wealthy gullible patrons out of their money. Cara Quayne was the richest among the patrons and Father Garnette chose her to be the Chosen Vessel, a position of some note. During the ceremony, Miss Quayne drinks from the sacred chalice and promptly falls dead from cyanide poisoning.

From Quiz The Nursing Home Murder

Answer: Home Secretary

Sir Derek is an MP who serves as the Home Secretary at a time when the Red Scare ran rampant. The Home Secretary had been feeling ill lately but repeatedly refused to see a doctor because of his stubbornness and because he took the lead on a bill dealing with Communists and anarchists he wished to see passed.

From Quiz Enter a Murderer

Answer: The Rat and the Beaver

Nigel Bathgate invites his friend Inspector Roderick Alleyn for a night out at the Unicorn where a production of "The Rat and the Beaver" is underway. Nigel's friend Felix Gardener plays the lead role of "The Rat" while Arthur Surbonadier plays "The Beaver". During the dramatic climax of the play, Gardener shoots Surbonadier but the drama becomes real when the prop gun fires a bullet and kills "The Beaver".

From Quiz A Man Lay Dead

Answer: A Russian dagger

Charles explains that he acquired the dagger from a man he met in Switzerland as a token of gratitude for having saved the man's life. Charles claims he does not know the man, and never saw him again. Doctor Tokareff, a Russian guest at the party, is horrified to learn that Charles is now the owner of the dagger. The dagger belonged to a vague Russian brotherhood and could only be possessed by a member, which Charles is not.

From Quiz Grave Mistake

Answer: The gardener dies

Sybil Foster is a middle-aged woman who is slightly scatterbrained and overly dramatic. She has employed her gardener for many, many years, but they have recently been having disputes over various plans for Sybil's elaborate gardens and the gardener walked away from Sybil after their most recent argument. Sybil wants to fire him but feels like she cannot because domestic help is extremely difficult to find and because the gardener had been with her for decades. Verity tells her all will be fine in a few days. However as soon as she says this, the elderly gardener dies and Sybil is forced to find a new one. As luck would have it, the widowed Mrs. Black's brother, who just moved to the town of Upper Quintern, is a gardener ironically named Bruce Gardener. Bruce's ideas are much more in line with Sybil's and Sybil soon dotes over him and recommends Bruce to her friends, including Verity.

From Quiz Hand in Glove

Answer: To type his etiquette book

Nicola is a typist for hire and Mr. Pyke Period hires her to type his etiquette book on antiquated manners. Mr. Pyke Period is very well aware that his views on etiquette are outdated but thinks people will read the book anyway. He is best known locally for his sympathy cards.

From Quiz Scales of Justice

Answer: Vic

Sir Harold was the patriarch of the Lacklanders, one of the last true country aristocratic families. They were called the Lucky Lacklanders because scandal and misfortune never seemed to find them. Sir Harold was in the process of writing his memoirs when he died. These memoirs prove to be controversial and contain information about "Vic" who it turns out is Ludovic Danberry-Phinn, son of a neighbor, Octavius.

From Quiz Spinsters in Jeopardy

Answer: P.E. Garbel

Troy says she P.E. Garbel has been writing to her for some time and that she has never met this person before. The Alleyns explain to their son Ricky (who makes his debut in this novel) that Garbel clearly has an obsession with Troy. Although they are suspicious of Garbel, the Alleyns travel to Roqueville in France to visit Garbel. This is a good excuse for Alleyn because he is investigating an international drug ring that seems to be operating from the Chateau de Chevre d'Argent nearby Roqueville.

From Quiz Final Curtain

Answer: New Zealand

Alleyn had spent the previous four years doing intelligence work in New Zealand during World War II. Both Alleyn and Troy were worried about how this long separation would affect the marriage once they reunited. Troy was worried her husband had lost interest in her, while Alleyn worried they would have nothing to talk about.

From Quiz Death in a White Tie

Answer: Mr. Dimitri

Mrs. Halcut-Hackett went to speak to Inspector Alleyn about "a friend" who was being blackmailed. Alleyn correctly deduces that the friend is Mrs. HH (as she is sometimes called) herself. Alleyn and his friend Lord Robert "Bunchy" Gospell were already onto the blackmailing scheme of Mr. Dimitri, a famous caterer to London's elite. Mrs. HH leaves the money in a sofa at a concert as instructed by her anonymous letter. Bunchy is sent to the same concert to obtain proof that Dimitri is the blackmailer. However, Bunchy misses Dimitri steal the money when he falls asleep. Bunchy's presence at the concert and his watchful glances convince Mrs. HH that Bunchy is the blackmailer.

From Quiz The Mystery Novels of Dame Ngaio Marsh

Answer: On an ocean liner off Fiji

Alleyn and Troy meet in 'Artists in Crime' (1938) on the boat deck of a ship docked at Suva, Fiji. Troy, a renowned painter, is sketching the scene on the nearby wharf. Alleyn is escaping from a flirtatious fellow passenger.

From Quiz Ngaio Marsh

Answer: Roderick Alleyn

Her first book was "A Man Lay Dead", published in England in 1934. She wrote more than 30 mysteries; the last one, "Light Thickens" was published in 1982.

From Quiz Died in the Wool

Answer: A clip

Flossie had two large diamond clips on her coat on the evening before she disappeared. Douglas noticed one of the clips was missing and Flossie sent him and the others to search for it while she practiced her speech in the wool shed. The clip was later found that night by Flossie's husband Arthur in the zinnia bed. This was the last time anyone claimed to have seen Flossie alive.

From Quiz Death and the Dancing Footman

Answer: Aubrey Mandrake

Nicholas and William have a bet that Nicholas, who cannot swim, won't jump into the frozen swimming pond on Jonathan's grounds. Nicholas accepts the bet despite everyone warning him against it. While he changes into his swimsuit in the shed, an unknown assailant pushes Mandrake, who also cannot swim, into the pond. Nicholas pulls him out and everyone is left with the question of who would do such a thing. Mandrake was wearing a similar overcoat to the one Nicholas had. But Royal and Hart also have similar ones. Moreover, Mandrake has a clubfoot and wears a boot so it seems strange that someone would mistake him for anyone else.

From Quiz Colour Scheme

Answer: Maurice Questing

Wai-ata-tapu hot springs is owned by the Claires who are struggling to turn a profit. Colonel Claire is heavily indebted to Questing who seems to be taking matters into his own hands. He travels north to personally ask the famous actor Geoffrey Gaunt to visit the springs to heal his leg. Questing speaks with Daikon Bell, Gaunt's valet, who is shocked to learn Gaunt actually wants to go to the spa once he is promised privacy.

From Quiz Death at the Bar

Answer: Blood

Luke Watchman grows nervously uncomfortable when his cousin Sebastian Parish and his friend Norman Cubitt begin talking about poison. It has long been one of Watchman's fears that he would be poisoned. Just the talk of it turned his skin pallid. Watchman also despises blood. Parish tells a story of how Luke once fainted from just a tiny scratch when he was younger.

From Quiz Artists in Crime

Answer: The fact that they both believe they insulted the other

Troy's painting of the port in Suva is the exact image that Alleyn tries to take in as the ship sails away. He tells her not do anything more to the painting, which she finds insulting. Later, Troy regrets being so harsh to Alleyn and worries she's insulted him. In a series of letters the two write to friends and family in England, we learn the tension only increases throughout their journey. Despite this, Troy insists on painting Alleyn's head. Alleyn later buys said painting for his mother's birthday.

From Quiz Vintage Murder

Answer: Valerie Gaynes

Valerie Gaynes was a young actress who was apparently only with the Carolyn Dacres Company because her father was rich. She had no acting talent whatsoever. Shortly after Meyer claimed to have avoided death, Valerie told Mayer that she was missing quite a bit of money her father gave her for the trip. He then gave her the replacement money as a loan.

From Quiz Death in Ecstasy

Answer: Samuel Ogden

When Alleyn inspected the chalice, he discovered a small, crumpled piece of paper that he suspected someone dropped into the chalice to dump the poison. He immediately found this revealing because everyone who participated in the ceremony (except for the two acolytes and Father Garnette) drank from the cup without being poisoned. Although he does not say so right away, Alleyn suspected Samuel Ogden because he was the last to drink the cup before Cara Quayne. However, Father Garnette and the acolytes also handled the cup before Miss Quayne drank from it. The order the cup was passed around is as follows: Father Garnette (who did not drink from it), Dagmar Condour, M. de Ravigne, Ernestine Wade, Maurice Pringle, Janey Jenkins and Samuel Ogden. Ogden returned the cup to Father Garnette who then passed it on to the Chosen Vessel, Cara Quayne.

From Quiz The Nursing Home Murder

Answer: Sir John Phillips

Sir John Phillips is an old friend of Sir Derek's and also serves as his personal physician. However, Sir John fell in love with a woman named Jane Harden whom Sir Derek had an affair with. Sir John wants to marry Jane but she refuses because she loved Sir Derek who disposed of her when he was finished. Sir John confronts his friend about this and says he wishes to see him dead. Sir Derek plays coy over the situation but his increasingly poor health means he lacks the will to put up much of an argument.

From Quiz Enter a Murderer

Answer: In a desk

During the climax of the play, the pistol is loaded in front of the audience. Prior to the show, the stage manager places the blanks in the desk which is part of the stage scenery. However, someone switched them with real bullets, presumably before the show began when the lights went out backstage.

From Quiz A Man Lay Dead

Answer: Marjorie Wilde

Nigel knew his cousin was always a womanizer but he did not realize just to what extent until he eavesdropped on Charles and Marjorie Wilde, whose husband Arthur was also in attendance. It is unclear what the specific nature of the relationship is between Charles and Mrs. Wilde, but Nigel is embarrassed by it.

From Quiz Grave Mistake

Answer: Dr. Basil Schramm

Nikolas Markos is a man of Greek origin who has recently purchased an old house in Upper Quintern after failing to convince Sybil to sell him her home. He lives with his son Gideon, who is immediately smitten with Prunella, Sybil's daughter and Verity's goddaughter. Verity is shocked to discover that a late-arriving guest named Dr. Basil Schramm is actually one Basil Smythe whom Verity has a past connection with. The reader is not immediately told what this connection is, but is left with the impression that something is suspicious about Dr. Schramm.

From Quiz Hand in Glove

Answer: A cigarette case

Mr. Pyke Period was showing off his expensive cigarette case to Cartell's sister Connie and her adopted ward Mary ("Moppett") and her boyfriend, Leonard. It is an open secret that Leonard is something of a petty criminal. Leonard and Moppett were looking at the cigarette case shortly before it disappeared. Mr. Pyke Period accused Leonard or Moppett of stealing it. Harold came to their defense and blamed the butler Alfred Belt. However, privately Harold told his sister he thought it was either Moppett or Leonard who stole it.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:05 AM

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