Detective Fiction, Cozy Mysteries & Amateur Sleuths, Occupations - Fiction, Police Stories, Character Types - Fiction

Black As He's Painted

Name: Black As He's Painted
Author: Ngaio Marsh
ISBN: 9780745172279

by Ngaio Marsh

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Overview

Portrait of a murder...

Superintendent Roderick Alleyn's old school chum— whom his wife Troy longs to paint— is now President of Ng'ombwana, a brand-new African republic. This handsome, charismatic dictator has enemies of every stripe: from ruddy-faced ex-colonists to new rivals, from dispossessed businessmen to racist crackpots. But when a ceremonial spear deals death at his lavish embassy party in London, Alleyn must decipher the victim's last utterance and expose an assassin's true colors...

Synopsis

Ng?ombwana is a (fictional) African nation to have emerged in the wake of colonialism; as it happens, its President is Inspector Alleyn?s old school chum, the "Boomer." Old school ties being what they are, the Boomer?making an official visit to London?insists that Alleyn handle his security, rather than Her Majesty?s Special Branch. The Special Branch is not best pleased about this, as the Boomer is known to have some very deadly enemies, and the threats only increase when the Ng?ombwanan ambassador is killed. Happily for the Boomer, not only is Alleyn up to the task, but he is assisted by the rescued cat Lucy Lockett, who may have lost her pocket but proves extremely adept at finding clues.

About the Author, Ngaio Marsh

From her first book in 1934 to her final volume just before her death in 1982, Ngaio Marsh's work has remained legendary, and is often compared to that of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. During her celebrated fifty-year career, Marsh was made a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, was named Dame Commander, Order of the British Empire, won numerous prestigious awards, and penned 32 mystery novels.

Now St. Martin's Dead Letter Mysteries is thrilled to make all of Marsh's novels available again for old fans to relish and new ones to discover. So sit back, draw the curtains, lock the doors, and put yourself in the hands of Grande Dame of detective novels...