Killer Dolphin

by Ngaio Marsh

Book Overview

The impresario Peregrine Jay has fulfilled a long-cherished dream: He now owns the Dolphin Theatre, and has restored it to its former glory. To celebrate the re-opening, a no-expenses-spared... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312970102
• ISBN13: 9780312970109
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Good Reading

I thought that I had all the Ngaio Marsh books. Was excited to find this is one that I do not have. Am currently re-reading all of her books. The book was exciting and Ms. Marsh's ability to weave a scene is outstanding.

One of her best

I have read about ten of Marsh's mysteries and would put this one in the top tier.

Not to be confused with HAND IN GLOVE

"Mayde by my father for my sonne on his XI birthedy and never worne butte ync" - note purportedly written by William Shakespeare, accompanying an elegant child-sized glove If the reader expects a conventional puzzle, this book may disappoint; it's a novel deeply concerned with showing the life of a working theatre during a major production. The crime (which is all the more shocking for the extended development) erupts into the story a third of the way through the book, and serves to bring the characters under a searching examination as well as to set the mystery on its way. As in some of Marsh's other theatrical mystery novels, life off stage is often a distorted reflection of the current production, and players who die on stage may well face death off it. Peregrine Jay and his flatmate Jeremy Jones are both theatre professionals, but on the production side rather than as actors, one as a director and sometime playwright, the other as a designer - and as their flat is directly across the river from the dilapidated Dolphin Theatre, Peregrine eventually notices it and wangles his way inside to sightsee under the guise of the theatre's ancient "for sale" notices. (Apart from having been out of use as a playhouse for many years, it was damaged in the Blitz and never repaired.) In his fascination with the decayed splendor of the building, Peregrine falls through a hole in the stage into a well of filthy rainwater. Peregrine's accident proves to be a lucky break; the theatre's landlord, the eccentric Mr. Conducis, drops in to look the place over before Peregrine drowns, and not only saves him, but reaches out just a little from his shell and carts Peregrine off to be cleaned up by his household staff - possibly just the possessive reaction one might have toward a life one has just saved, mixed with the natural reaction of a man who had himself nearly drowned in a shipwreck some years earlier. With some hot rum in him after the shock of nearly drowning in icy water, Peregrine is unusually eloquent in defence of the Dolphin as a beautiful riverside playhouse that could be recreated as a first-class working theatre in the tradition of the Globe. From this chance meeting arise two events that will change Peregrine's life: an inspiration for a new play, and a job offer. Conducis owns an antique child's glove with apparent provenance that it was made for Hamnet Shakespeare, the playwright's only son who died as a boy. From this glimpse grows Peregrine's next play, THE GLOVE, written over the next several weeks as experts (at Peregrine's suggestion) begin officially authenticating the glove. (Peregrine's friend Jeremy, meanwhile, works with him on shadow-casting the play and eventually designing the production, while clarifying for the reader how a passionate expert on such artifacts would react to the possible existence of such a relic, not least to the desirability of keeping it in England, preferably in a museum.) The job offer materializes when Cond

Short on Mystery but Long on Excellent Writing

Although it is a bit short on actual mystery, KILLER DOLPHIN is probably the best-written of Marsh's novels set in the theatrical world, offering a sharply-written peep behind the curtain into a way of life that combines creativity, hysteria, obnoxious egos, and unexpected self-discipline.On a whim, a promising young director tours a dilapidated theatre and almost falls to his death, only to be unexpectedly rescued by the property's eccentric and incredibly wealthy owner. The incident sets in motion a chain of unexpected events: the property owner, who is in possession of a glove made by William Shakespeare, rennovates the theatre and installs the young man as artistic director--who in turn writes a play inspired by the Shakespeare glove--which is in turn displayed to promote the play. But with such a valuable artifact in the mix, theft and murder are inevitable.Marsh writes this particular novel with remarkable brilliance--so much so that the slightness of the story is actually rather beside the point. KILLER DOLPHIN is a remarkably well-written work, and should be required reading for all Marsh fans.

Mystery and the Theatre

This is my second Ngaio Marsh book. It starts with a director who is also a playwright visiting a theatre long unused. Unusual circumstances introduce him to a mysterious and very wealthy individual who helps him restore the theater and provides inspiration for a play. The book is a wonderful look into theatre. The play is new and the book follows the introduction of the actors and the staging of the production. The reader can explore the atmosphere of backstage and the actors personalities. The murder and the introduction of Inspector Alleyn come into the story after all the atmosphere has been laid. This book is part of a series, but stands on its own with its own characters and atmosphere. The central character of this story is the director/playright rather than the detective. The detective and the reader are both visiting another world and are guided by the character who understood it best. I look forward to exploring this writer's world again.