Nadia May's masterful reading is at first tainted by poor sound-editing; tape hiss, page-turns, and heavy breathing make it difficult to suspend disbelief. But the exotic setting, the brilliant writing, and May's lovely performance quickly make it easy for the listener to overlook these technical flaws. Set at Wai-ata-tapu, a remote New Zealand health resort known for its therapeutic sulfur baths, the story involves deception and murder. Is there a Nazi spy at work? Will the unpleasant Maurice Questing take over the Claire family resort? Will misunderstandings abate between the Maori natives and the English colonists? Will awkward Barbara Claire find true love? And where is Inspector Alleyn? Nadia May (Wanda McCadden) delivers the goods in this WWII-era Golden Age mystery. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
Review
'The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers' Times Literary Supplement 'The queen of the straight crime novel -- long may she reign!' Sunday Times 'The brilliant New Zealander Ngaio Marsh claims a high level as to sheer writing and still more as a view of humanity.' Elizabeth Bowen 'Nobody begins to touch Ngaio Marsh's skill at creating corpses and suspects... her dialogue is a continuous delight.' New York Herald Tribune 'The finest writer in the English languange of the pure, classical puzzle whodunnit. Among the crime queens, Ngaio Marsh stands out as an Empress.' The Sun
