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Preview
  • Death at the Dolphin

  • By: Ngaio Marsh
  • Narrated by: James Saxon
  • Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (88 ratings)

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Death at the Dolphin

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: James Saxon
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Summary

The restoration of a bombed-out London theatre ends in violent death - and one of Marsh’s most vivid and dramatic novels.

When the bombed-out Dolphin Theatre is given to Peregrine Jay by a mysterious wealthy patron, he is overjoyed. And when the mysterious oil millionaire also gives him a glove that belonged to Shakespeare, Peregrine displays it in the dockside theatre and writes a successful play about it.

But then a murder takes place, a boy is attacked, and the glove is stolen. Could it be that oil and water don’t mix? Inspector Roderick Alleyn is determined to find out....

©1967 Original Text of 1967 by Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio
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Critic reviews

"The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." ( Times Literary Supplement)
"A first-rate book - an enticing opening, a fine whodunnit plot and exceptional richness in characterisation, background and humour. Don’t miss it on any account." ( Sunday Times)
"Shows Ngaio at the top of her form, combining a strong plot with well-developed characters and a variety of unexpected detail." (Margaret Lewis)

What listeners say about Death at the Dolphin

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Worth waiting for...

I love Ngaio Marsh and this is one of her best plus beautifully performed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The laugh out loud wit.

Aside from everything else that is wonderful in the writing of the great Dame, it's often overlooked how fantastically funny she can be. Death at the Dolphin has large dollops of brilliant, sparkling humour on top of the usual brilliance of her Inspector Alleyn, so wondrously read by the magnificent James Saxon.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lacking a twist

Another colourfully told story by narrator James Saxon, who really brings the characters to life. The story itself however simply lacks that all important twist. The writing is always superb and filled with comical character description, but Marsh just doesn't have that Agatha Christie genius for a plot.

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