Overture to Death, the 8th Detective Alleyn novel, is the book for which Ngaio Marsh was knighted as a Dame of the British Empire, and she does not disappoint.
The youth need a new piano – they have played and played
with the piano to the point of it being in disrepair. Seven of the locals have an idea of putting
on a play to raise money for a new piano, so they begin planning and practicing. They decide it will be a whole program with
introductory piano music – therein lies the rub.
Idris Campanula and Eleanor Prentice have many things in common
– they are both spinsters in their fifties, both interested in the attentions
of the local vicar, and both piano players who believe they should get priority
in playing at any event.
After much haggling, the actors decide to allow Miss
Prentice the honor of playing, but in the week before the event, she severely
injures one of her fingers and can’t play.
Good for her, for as Miss Campanula begins to play, a gun goes off
ripping through her skull.
Who would have so much hate?
[This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel,
Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]
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