Singing in the Shrouds (Library Binding)

The cast of characters are vividly drawn and Ms. Marsh does a wonderful job in making us switch our suspicion from one character to the next. As with most mysteries of this sort, much of the fun comes from the interplay between the characters as opposed to the mystery itself.

As always, Marsh provides us with the necessary clues to guess the murderer. If you pay close attention, you may figure out the solution within the first half of the novel. A drawback here, is that the list of the possible guilty parties is narrowed rather early on. Part of this is, however, made up for by trying to perceive who the next victim will be.

Something has been made about the character of a gay character. I've always thought that it is somewhat dangerous to attempt to place the latest views of morality/society upon works of fiction written in the past. Was Ms. Marsh prejudiced against homosexuals, or was she portraying the reality of her day? One could easily interpret that the unfavourable characteristics of the character may have arisen from the need to hide their sexuality. Also, because of its role in the outcome of the mystery, its uncertain as to what could have been changed and still keep the mystery intact. Finally, in regard to how gay characters are treated by other characters in the novel, it seems more likely that they would have suffered prejudice, etc., rather than open acceptance and celebration of their sexual preferences.

Marsh is particularly noted for her ability to create well-rounded, convincing characters... but there is an exception: on the rare occasions when she deals with either implicitly or obviously gay characters, she inevitably characterizes them as slimy, dismissable, and unlikable--and even Inspector Allen, who is inevitably polite to one and all, feels free to behave toward them in the most obnoxious manner imaginable.

Marsh's tendency toward homosexual hysteria is noticeable in DEATH IN ECASTY and PHOTO FINISH, but it is particularly obvious here, and it is so powerful that it renders an otherwise wonderful bit of writing progressively distasteful. Marsh is among my favorite mystery writers, and I did read the book to the end--but it was not a book that I kept on my shelf afterward.