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Light Thickens
- Narrated by: Philip Franks
- Series: Roderick Alleyn, Book 32
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
Non-member price: $29.96
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good plot excellent reader
- By Camilla Smith on 20-01-2018
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Rickie Alleyn, son of the famed detective Roderick Alleyn, had taken to the peaceful Channel Island village of Deep Cove to write his book. However, soon enough the tedium of provincial life threatens to send him packing - until, that is, he finds a dead stablehand, and the sleepy community's world is upturned. His father is called to take proceedings into hand, but as a darker side to island life emerges, one of illegal drugs and smuggling, Rickie goes missing.
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A Man Lay Dead
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Not one of her best
- By Anonymous User on 26-05-2018
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- Narrated by: James Saxon
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Overall
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Performance
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The luxury mansion on New Zealand's Lake Waihoe was the ideal place for the world-famous soprano to rest after her triumphant tour. Chief Superintendent Alleyn and his wife were among the houseguests - but theirs was not a social visit. When tragedy struck, the peace of the island was shattered. With a houseful of suspects now isolated by one of the lake's sudden storms, Alleyn was to face one of his trickiest cases....
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A spa stay turns into a homicidal holiday.... A bit snobbish and a trifle high strung, Sybil Foster prides herself on owning the finest estate in Upper Quintern and hiring the best gardener. In fact she is rapturous over the new asparagus beds when a visit from her unwelcome stepson sends her scurrying to a chic spa for a rest cure, a liaison with the spa's director...and an apparent suicide. Her autopsy holds one surprise, a secret drawer a second.
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good plot excellent reader
- By Camilla Smith on 20-01-2018
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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.
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Not one of her best
- By Anonymous User on 26-05-2018
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Satisfying treatment of a favorite story
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Final Curtain
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Ngaio Marsh’s most popular novel begins when a young New Zealander’s first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford - with a meat skewer through the eye.... The Lampreys had plenty of charm - but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar - and rather gloried in it. The double and triple charades, for instance, with which they would entertain their guests - like rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, who was always such a bore.
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Good for its type
- By Yoga Satya on 03-07-2018
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Overture to Death
- By: Ngaio Marsh
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It was planned as an act of charity: a new piano for the parish hall, an amusing play to finance the gift. But its execution was doomed when Miss Campanula sat down to play. A chord was struck, a shot rang out and Miss Campanula was dead. A case of sinister infatuation for the brilliant Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn.
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SO GREAT!
- By Karyn on 29-07-2020
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Scales of Justice
- By: Ngaio Marsh
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Overall
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Story
The lives of the inhabitants of Swevenings are disrupted only by a fierce competition to catch the Old Un, a monster trout known to dwell in a beautiful stream which winds past their homes. Then one of their small community is found brutally murdered; beside him is the freshly killed trout. Both died by violence - but Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn's murder investigation seems to be much more interested in the fish.... Scales of Justice was first published in 1955.
Publisher's Summary
Peregrine Jay, owner of the Dolphin Theatre, is putting on a magnificent production of Macbeth, the play that, superstition says, always brings bad luck.
But one night the claymore swings, and the dummy's head is more than real: murder behind the scene.
Luckily, Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn is in the audience....
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What listeners say about Light Thickens
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Helen L.
- 06-02-2017
Disappointing
It seems that Ngaio Marsh became more deeply involved in theater herself and simultaneously ran out of plots for compelling mysteries. This is not her best. In fact, it is probably one of the least successful overall. No idea what the title has to do with the story? But plot swirls around Macbeth. Alleyne is incidental. Much back and forth and repetition. No way to redeem it. It's an homage to production of Macbeth and little more.
3 people found this helpful
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- Anniebligh
- 22-05-2016
Reflects Ngaio Marsh's interest in Macbeth
For those who already enjoy Ngaio Marsh's stories, this brings together her love of the theater,her love of Macbeth, her varied interests in the power of things and old rituals, and a mystery. Not only who did it but how it was done.
The very detailed presentation of the staging of this great play may be tedious for those who have not become intrigued by the Shakespeare play of 'Macbeth' .For them it may be as interesting as railway time tables, yet the detail and the personalities do matter.
2 people found this helpful
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- Virginia
- 21-06-2019
Only if you love theatre...
So sad to have finished the last Ngaio Marsh book, and more sad that it ended with a whimper. Most of the story concerns the mounting a production of Macbeth. I love everything about the theatre but it was very tedious. Marsh’s usually elaborate characters took a faraway seat to the intricacies of theatrical production. I yearned for Inspector Alleyn to make his appearance, which didn’t come until the last third of the book. At least the narrator was brilliant as usual.
1 person found this helpful
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- milla
- 26-07-2016
Great Aside From Incorrect Pronunciation
What did you love best about Light Thickens?
It's a great mystery, with well-rounded characters. Alleyn is not as prevalent as usual, but it's made to work with another character to the fore.
What other book might you compare Light Thickens to and why?
Any other Marsh, Christie, or James title. It's a classic murder mystery.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
I was really irritated that he had not made the slightest effort to get the Māori pronunciation even remotely correct. Normally Franks is really good, but the complete ignorance of one of the most easily mastered sets of sounds on the planet was really rubbish, especially given that there are resources for learning this readily available. A real let-down.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
No.
Any additional comments?
Franks does great voices.
1 person found this helpful
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- CATS3
- 24-12-2020
Positively thrilling
Phillip Franks voices all the varied parts exceptionally well and made me want to see the production being rehearsed at the Dolphin! The people we are supposed to like are especially likable in this, her last novel. The perpetrator was well hidden among several difficult people. Some knowledge of the Scottish Play (MacBeth) is almost essential to enjoy the characters and plot. A quick review on Wikipedia could refresh English class memories- and - then do delve into this engaging and entertaining book. I did not want it to end.
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- Rose Gilbert
- 10-09-2018
Slow to start but a neat finish.
A very slow start though might appeal to those classic drama lovers. Over all narration was impeccable. However I struggled listening to the Te Reo Māori being butchered. His pronunciation was diabolical and very hard to listen to and culturally disrespectful.
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- Mack Tennyson
- 10-02-2018
Read Macbeth First
I really enjoyed this book. I wish I had read (or listened) to Macbeth prior to listening to this book. It is not necessary to have done so to understand the plot of this book but it would have made listening more enjoyable. I don’t know a thing about theater jargon but the author’s assumption I did actually made it more enjoyable. I occasionally looked up a term but enjoyed the insider’s view of a theatrical production.
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- C. A. Bujeaud
- 21-03-2017
A lot of fun!
If you love theater in general, or more specifically love Macbeth, like I do, there is much to like, the murder mystery itself is a tad predictable. But fun regardless.
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- Idontlikegivingreviews
- 07-02-2016
There's nothing light about this :/
Seriously, struggled to finish this.
Had I wanted a book about the production of Macbeth I'd have looked for one. 4/10.
Franks narrates well.
6 people found this helpful
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- Samima
- 24-02-2016
Dull and dated
The novel purports to be an Inspector Alleyne mystery, but no crime is committed until part 2 chapter 6, well over four and a half hours into a seven hour book. That first section should have been condensed into forty minutes. The characters were tedious and unsympathetic. At first I thought the narrators RADA voice was appropriate for actORs, but after an hour it really began to pall especially the simpering female voices, and there was no difference between the voice of the inspector and the main character, Perry. I only wish I had taken up the Audible offer to exchange the book. I just kept thinking it must improve. It didn't.
3 people found this helpful
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- Jay
- 05-02-2017
slow
slow and predictable. ....... .....
...... ....... ....... ....... ...... ... .. .... ..
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2 people found this helpful
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- M. Andersen
- 14-11-2020
If you are REALLY interested in staging Macbeth...
Marsh loved, and was very knowledgeable, about Shakespeare and theatre. As a traditional whodunit, the story is swamped by the play and the murderer is obvious even before the crime is committed. But if you love theatre production, this could be for you. The reader is excellent.
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- Robin Hood's sister
- 29-08-2019
Not one of her best
It is an odd book really. I like her writing despite a few flaws. This story has a common flaw of longer books, which is a great load of not really much happening that isn't needed for the mystery before the murder happens. But this book is mainly a description of the rehearsals for Macbeth. It's like what she was really interested in writing was how a play is put on. Then a very weak mystery she didn't care about was bunged on the end to justify it. Maybe there was a deadline to meet or her heart wasn't in it. Who knows? It is interesting but not as a whodunnit.
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