Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh ( ; 23 April 1895 – 18 February 1982) was a New Zealand

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

. As a crime writer during the "

Golden Age of Detective Fiction The Golden Age of Detective Fiction was an era of classic murder mystery novels of similar patterns and styles, predominantly in the 1920s and 1930s. While the Golden Age proper is usually taken to refer to works from that period, this type of f ...

", Marsh is known as one of the "Queens of Crime", along with

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers ( ; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime novelist, playwright, translator and critic. Born in Oxford, Sayers was brought up in rural East Anglia and educated at Godolphin School in Salisbury and Somerv ...

, and

Margery Allingham Margery Louise Allingham (20 May 1904 – 30 June 1966) was an English novelist from the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", and considered one of its four " Queens of Crime", alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. All ...

. She is known primarily for her character Inspector Roderick Alleyn, a

gentleman detective The gentleman detective is a type of fictional character. He (or she) has long been a staple of crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories set in the United Kingdom in the Golden Age. While not necessarily aristocracy, the ...

who works for the Metropolitan Police (London). The Ngaio Marsh Awards are awarded annually for the best New Zealand mystery, crime and thriller fiction writing.

Youth

Marsh was born in the city of

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

, New Zealand, where she also died. In the Introduction to ''The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh'', Douglas G. Greene writes: "Marsh explained to an interviewer... that in New Zealand European children often receive native names, and Ngaio... can mean either 'light on the water' or ' little tree bug' in the Māori language. Other sources say that it is the name of a native flowering tree."''The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh'' ed. by Douglas G. Green, International Polygonnics, Ltd., 1989 Her father neglected to register her birth until 1900 and there is some uncertainty about the date. She was the only child of Rose and bank clerk Henry Marsh, described by Marsh as "have-nots". Her mother's sister Ruth married the geologist, lecturer, and curator Robert Speight. Ngaio Marsh was educated at St Margaret's College in Christchurch, where she was one of the first pupils when the school was founded. She studied

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

at the Canterbury College (NZ) School of Art before joining the Allan Wilkie company as an actress in 1916 and touring New Zealand. For a short time in 1921 she was a member of the Rosemary Rees English Comedy Company, a touring company formed by actor-manager Rosemary Rees. In 1928 Marsh went to London with friends (on whom she would base the Lamprey family in '' Surfeit of Lampreys''). From then on she divided her time between living in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In London she began writing syndicated articles, which were published in New Zealand. In addition she and one of the friends with whom she had come to London opened Touch and Go, a handicraft shop that sold items such as decorated trays, bowls and lampshades. From 1928 to 1932 she ran the shop in Knightsbridge, London.Book and Magazine Collector No.263 2005 Ngaio Marsh biography and bibliography pp.90–92 During that time she wrote her first book, '' A Man Lay Dead''. She wrote about the process of writing her first book in an essay, "Roderick Alleyn". Marsh was a member of The Group, an art association based in

, New Zealand. She exhibited with them in 1927, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940 and 1947.

Career

Internationally she is best known for her 32

detective novels Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal investigation, investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around ...

published between 1934 and 1982. Along with Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham and Agatha Christie, she has been classed as one of the four original "Queens of Crime" —female writers who dominated the genre of crime fiction in the

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

of the 1920s and 1930s. Agatha Christie held that both

Muriel Spark Dame Muriel Sarah Spark (; 1 February 1918 – 13 April 2006). was a List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist, short story writer, poet and essayist. Life Muriel Camberg was born in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, the daughter of Bernar ...

and Ngaio Marsh wrote ''a very good detective story''. All her novels feature British CID detective Roderick Alleyn. Several novels feature Marsh's other loves, the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

and painting. A number are set around theatrical productions (''Enter a Murderer'', ''Vintage Murder'', ''Overture to Death'', ''Opening Night'', ''Death at the Dolphin'', and ''Light Thickens''), and three others are about actors off stage (''Colour Scheme'', ''False Scent'' and ''Final Curtain''). Her

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

"'I Can Find My Way Out" is also set around a theatrical production and is the earlier "Jupiter case" referred to in ''Opening Night''; the short story won third prize in 1946 in the inaugural short story contest of ''

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' is a bi-monthly American digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction, and mystery fiction. Launched in fall 1941 by Mercury Press, ''EQMM'' is named after the fic ...

''. Alleyn marries a painter, Agatha Troy, whom he meets during an investigation (''Artists in Crime''), and who features in three later novels. Most of the novels are set in England, but four are set in New Zealand, with Alleyn either on secondment to the New Zealand police (''Colour Scheme'' and ''Died in the Wool'') or on holiday (''Vintage Murder'' and ''Photo Finish''); ''Surfeit of Lampreys'' begins in New Zealand but continues in London. Notably, ''Colour Scheme'' includes

Māori people Māori () are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of Māori migration canoes, c ...

among its cast of characters, unusual for novels of the British mystery genre. This novel is said to further subvert the genre by incorporating elements of spy fiction and providing a veiled critique of the British Empire. In 2018, HarperCollins Publishers released ''Money in the Morgue'' by Ngaio Marsh and

Stella Duffy Stella Frances Silas Duffy (born 1963) is a London-born writer and theatremaker. Born in London, she spent her childhood in New Zealand before returning to the UK. Early life and education Born in London in 1963 to a New Zealand father and an ...

. The book was started by Marsh during World War II but abandoned. Working with just the book's title, first three chapters and some notes –but no idea of the plot or motive of the villain– Duffy completed the novel.

Theatre

Marsh's great passion was the theatre. In 1942 she produced a modern-dress ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' for the Canterbury University College Drama Society (now University of Canterbury Dramatic Society Incorporated or Dramasoc), the first of many Shakespearean productions with the society until 1969. In 1944, ''Hamlet'' and a production of ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'' toured a theatre-starved New Zealand to rapturous acclaim. In 1949, assisted by entrepreneur Dan O'Connor, her student players toured Australia with a new version of ''Othello'' and Pirandello's ''

Six Characters in Search of an Author ''Six Characters in Search of an Author'' ( ) is an Italian play by Luigi Pirandello, written and first performed in 1921. An absurdist metatheatric play about the relationship among authors, their characters, and theatre practitioners, it p ...

''. In the 1950s she was involved with the New Zealand Players, a relatively short-lived national professional touring repertory company. In 1972 she was invited by the Christchurch City Council to direct Shakespeare's ''Henry V'', the inaugural production for the opening of the newly constructed James Hay Theatre in Christchurch; she made the unusual choice of casting two male leads, who alternated on different nights. She lived to see New Zealand develop a viable professional theatre industry having realistic

Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

support, with many of her protégés to the forefront. The 430-seat Ngaio Marsh Theatre at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury (UC; ; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was founded in 1873 as Canterbur ...

is named in her honour.

Museum

Her home, now known as Ngaio Marsh House, in Cashmere, a suburb of Christchurch on the northern slopes of the

Port Hills The Port Hills () are a range of hills in Canterbury Region of New Zealand, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton, New Zealand, Lyttelton. They are an eroded remnant of the Banks Peninsula Volcano ...

, is preserved as a museum.

Awards and honours

* 1948 – Appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services in connexion with drama and literature in New Zealand, in the 1948 King's Birthday Honours * 1962 – Conferred an honorary doctorate by the University of Canterbury * 1966 – Appointed a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services in the arts, especially writing and theatre production, in the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours * 1974 – Inducted into the

Detection Club The Detection Club was formed in 1930 by a group of British mystery writers, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Arthur Morrison, Hugh Walpole, John Rhode, Jessie Louisa Rickard, Baroness Orczy, ...

* 1978 – Received the Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement as a detective novelist from the Mystery Writers of America * 1989 – Honoured with a stamp by New Zealand Post as part of a New Zealand authors series * 2015 – Honoured on 23 April 2015 with a

Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...

Personal life

Marsh was unofficially engaged to Edward Bristed, who died in action in December 1917. She never married and had no children. She enjoyed close companionships with women, including her lifelong friend Sylvia Fox, but denied being lesbian, according to biographer Joanne Drayton. "I think Ngaio Marsh wanted the freedom of being who she was in a world, especially in a New Zealand that was still very conformist in its judgments of what constituted 'decent jokers, good Sheilas, and 'weirdos'", Roy Vaughan wrote after meeting her on a P&O Liner. A detective novel,"Blue Blood" (1997), by Stevan Eldred-Grigg in a pastiche of her style, portrays her in a lesbian relationship. In 1965, she published an autobiography, ''Black Beech and Honeydew''. British author and publisher Margaret Lewis wrote an authorized biography, ''Ngaio Marsh, A Life'' in 1991. New Zealand art historian Joanne Drayton's biography, ''Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime'' was published in 2008. Towards the end of her life she systematically destroyed many of her papers, letters, documents and handwritten manuscripts. Marsh died in Christchurch and was buried at the Church of the Holy Innocents, Mount Peel.

Bibliography

Detective novels

All 33 novels, including one finished after Marsh's death, feature Chief Inspector Alleyn (later Chief Superintendent) of the

Criminal Investigation Department The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes criminal investigation, detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is disti ...

, Metropolitan Police (London). The series is chronological: published and probably written in order of the fictional history. List (with the exception of ''Money in the Morgue'') is from a list in ''The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh'' ed. Douglas G. Greene (see below under Short Fiction). # '' A Man Lay Dead'' (1934) # '' Enter a Murderer'' (1935) # ''

The Nursing Home Murder ''The Nursing Home Murder'' (1935) is a work of detective fiction by New Zealand author Ngaio Marsh and Henry Jellett. It is the only book Marsh co-authored. Background Ngaio Marsh suffered from cancer which she obliquely refers to as a "recurr ...

'' (1935) # '' Death in Ecstasy'' (1936) # '' Vintage Murder'' (1937). Marsh's working title was ''The Case of the Greenstone Tiki'' (Otago Daily Times, 13 March 1937) # '' Artists in Crime'' (1938) # ''

Death in a White Tie Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose shor ...

'' (1938) # '' Overture to Death'' (1939) # '' Death at the Bar'' (1940) # '' Surfeit of Lampreys'' (1941); ''Death of a Peer'' in the U.S. # '' Death and the Dancing Footman'' (1941) # ''

Colour Scheme In color theory, a color scheme is a combination of 2 or more colors used in aesthetic or practical design. Aesthetic color schemes are used to create style and appeal. Colors that create a harmonious feeling when viewed together are often us ...

'' (1943) # '' Died in the Wool'' (1945). Serialised: Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser (1946) # '' Final Curtain'' (1947) # '' Swing Brother Swing'' (1949); ''A Wreath for Rivera'' in the U.S.. Serialised: Home Magazine (1949) # '' Opening Night'' (1951); ''Night at the Vulcan'' in the U.S. Serialised in the US, Woman's Day (1951). Serialised in abridged form in the UK, Woman's Journal, March to May 1951 # '' Spinsters in Jeopardy'' (1953); abridged later in the U.S. as ''The Bride of Death'' (1955). Serialised in abridged form in the UK, Woman's Journal, October 1953 to January 1954 # '' Scales of Justice'' (1955). Serialised: Australian Women's Weekly (1956). Serialised in abridged form in the UK, Woman's Journal, May to August 1955 # '' Off With His Head'' (1956); ''Death of a Fool'' in the U.S. # '' Singing in the Shrouds'' (1958). Serialised: Australian Women's Weekly (1959). Serialised in abridged form in the UK, Woman's Journal, June to September 1958 # ''

False Scent A false scent or false trail is an incorrect scent which may mislead an animal which hunts by smell, especially a hound. This may be the result of deliberate interference by a hunt saboteur or it may be a form of control by the master. Aniseed, a ...

'' (1959). Serialised: Australian Women's Weekly (1960). Serialised in abridged form in the UK, Woman's Journal, February to May 1960 # ''

Hand in Glove "Hand in Glove" is the debut single by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was released in May 1983 on independent record label Rough Trade. It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Indie Chart but did ...

'' (1962). Serialised in abridged form in the UK, Woman's Journal, April to July 1962 # '' Dead Water'' (1963) # '' Death at the Dolphin'' (1966); ''Killer Dolphin'' in the U.S. # '' Clutch of Constables'' (1968) # '' When in Rome'' (1970) # '' Tied Up in Tinsel'' (1972) # '' Black As He's Painted'' (1974) # '' Last Ditch'' (1977) # '' Grave Mistake'' (1978) # ''

Photo Finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the fini ...

'' (1980) # '' Light Thickens'' (1982) Posthumously Published: # ''Money in the Morgue'' (2018) (unfinished – completed by

)

Short fiction

*''The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh'', ed.

Douglas G. Greene Douglas G. Greene (born September 24, 1944) is an American historian, editor, and author. He is the son of Margaret Chindahl Greene and the Reverend George L. Greene, He is married to Sandi Greene with whom he has a son, Eric and a daughter, Kathe ...

, 1989 and 1991 editions (UK title ''Death on the Air and Other Stories'', 1995). Includes: **Two essays: ***"Roderick Alleyn" ***"Portrait of Troy" **Three short stories featuring Alleyn: ***''Death on the Air''. The Grand Magazine, February 1937. Co-authored with A Drummond Sharpe. (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions) ***''I Can Find My Way Out'' (1946—USA). (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions) ***''Chapter and Verse: The Little Copplestone Mystery'' (1974—USA). Republished 1936—NZ, 2009). (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions). Marsh's original title was 'Chapter and Verse' **Other short stories: ***''The Hand in the Sand''.

American Weekly ''The American Weekly'' was a Sunday newspaper supplement published by the Hearst Corporation from November 1, 1896, until 1966. History During the 1890s, publications were inserted into Joseph Pulitzer's ''New York World'' and William Rando ...

, 15 March 1953. (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions) ***''The Cupid Mirror'' (1972). (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions) ***''A Fool about Money'' (1973—USA). Australian Women's Weekly, 19 February 1975. (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions) ***''Morepork'' (1979—USA). (in both the 1989 and 1991 editions) ***''The Figure Quoted''. (Christchurch) Sun, Christmas 1927. Reprinted New Zealand Short Stories (1930, l ed. O N Gillespie). (only in the 1991 edition) **A television script: ***''Evil Liver,'' with an ending to be supplied by a jury chosen from the audience; Greene suggests 5 possible solutions.

Uncollected short stories

*''Moonshine''. (Christchurch) Sun, date unknown. Reprinted '' Yours and Mine: Stories by Young New Zealanders'' (1936: ed. Warwick Lawrence) *''My Poor Boy'' (1959)

Stage plays

*''Noel''. First performed at St Michael's Hall (1912) *''The Moon Princess''. First performed at St Michael's Hall (1913) *''Mrs 'obson''. First performed at St Michael's Hall (1914) *''So Much for Nothing''. First performed at the Military Sanatorium (1921) *''Little House-Bound''. First performed at Leeston Town Hall (1924) *''The Wyvern and the Unicorn'' (play), ''A Unicorn for Christmas'' (opera) libretto, music by David Farquhar, first performed by the New Zealand Opera Company, 1962

Letters

*''Speech of New Zealanders''. Press, 1 July 1939

Reviews

*''Marie Tempest'' by Hector Bolitho. Press, 9 January 1937

Adapted works

*''Exit Sir Derek'' by Henry Jellett, adapted from ''

'', unpublished at the time. First performed at the Little Theatre, Canterbury (1935)

Songs

*''Columbine and Pantaloon''. First performed at Choral Hall, Christchurch (1919) *''The Hawthorn Gate''. First performed at Choral Hall, Christchurch (1920) *''The Gift''. First performed at Choral Hall, Christchurch (1920)

Television plays

*''Slipknot'' (1967) (Alleyn). Anthologised under Marsh's original title, 'A Knotty Problem', in ''Bodies from the Library: Volume 3'', ed. Tony Medawar (HarperCollins, 2020) *''Evil Liver'' (script of an episode of the series ''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

'' by Granada Television Ltd; recorded in England in 1975). Broadcast ITV, 23 August 1975. Collected in ''The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh''

Non-fiction books

* ''New Zealand'' (1942). Coauthored with RM Burdon * ''A Play Toward'' (1946) * ''Black Beech and Honeydew'' (1965, autobiography; revised 1981) * ''Singing Land'' (1974)

Short non-fiction articles

* ''The Night Train from Grey'' (published under the pseudonym Kowhai). Sun, 7 June 1919. * ''The Novelist's Problem''. Press, 22 December 1934 * ''Theatre: A Note on the Status Quo''. Landfall, March 1947 * ''A National Theatre''. Landfall, March 1949 (Co-authored with George Swan and Arnold F Goodwin) * ''An Author's Defence of the Hackneyed Classics''. ABC Weekly, 2 April 1949 * ''The Development of the Arts in New Zealand''. Journal of the Royal Society of the Arts, 9 February 1951 * ''Theatre in a Young Country''.

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

, 29 April 1951 * ''New Zealand: Welfare Paradise''. Holiday, November 1960 * ''The Quick Forge''. Article within ''Shakespeare's Quatercentenary''. Landfall, March 1964 (Coauthored with James Bertram, DF McKenzie, and Frank Sargeson) * ''Stratford-upon-Avon''. Atlantic Monthly, February 1967

Adaptations

Two novels were adapted as television episodes in the 1960s; '' Death in Ecstasy'' in 1964 with

Geoffrey Keen Geoffrey Keen (21 August 1916 – 3 November 2005) was an English actor who appeared in supporting roles in many films. He is well known for playing British Defence Minister Sir Frederick Gray in the ''James Bond'' films. Biography Early li ...

as Alleyn, and '' Artists in Crime'' in 1968 with Michael Allinson as Alleyn. Four of the Alleyn novels were adapted for television in New Zealand and aired there in 1977 under the title '' Ngaio Marsh Theatre'', with George Baker as Alleyn. Marsh appears in a cameo in the episode "Vintage Murder". Nine were adapted as ''

The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries ''The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries'' is a British detective television series, broadcast on BBC1, which was adapted from nine of the novels by Dame Ngaio Marsh, featuring the character Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. The pilot episode was shown ...

'' and aired by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

in 1993 and 1994 (the pilot originally in 1990), with Simon Williams (pilot) and then

Patrick Malahide Patrick Gerald Duggan (born 24 March 1945), known professionally as Patrick Malahide, is a British actor of stage and screen. His acting credits include '' The New Avengers'' (1976), '' ITV Playhouse'' (1977), '' The Eagle of the Ninth'' (1977) ...

as Alleyn. In the 1990s the BBC made radio adaptations of ''Surfeit of Lampreys'', ''A Man Lay Dead'', ''Opening Night'', and ''When in Rome'' starring Jeremy Clyde as Inspector Alleyn, and in 2010 ''Death and the Dancing Footman'' featuring Nigel Graham. Ngaio Marsh co-wrote the 1951 episode ''Night at the Vulcan'' of the Philco Television Playhouse; and appeared as herself in the sixth episode ''The Central Problem'' in a television series of the unfinished

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

mystery novel ''

The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirm ...

''.

References

External links

* *
Image of Ngaio Marsh as Hamlet

Images of Ngaio Marsh

Dame Ngaio Marsh's Christchurch Home, open to visit

Ngaio Marsh at Timaru (from NZBC Sound Archives)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Ngaio 1895 births 1982 deaths 20th-century British novelists 20th-century British women writers 20th-century New Zealand novelists 20th-century New Zealand women writers Edgar Award winners Members of the Detection Club New Zealand autobiographers New Zealand crime fiction writers New Zealand Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand mystery writers New Zealand theatre directors New Zealand women theatre directors New Zealand women novelists People educated at St Margaret's College People from Christchurch University of Canterbury alumni Women autobiographers Women mystery writers Writers of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction People associated with The Group (New Zealand art)