Ngaio Marsh Reading Order

6 books (1979–2021)

Ngaio Marsh edited six collections of mystery short stories published between 1979 and 2021, beginning with Verdict of Thirteen and concluding with Murder Takes a Holiday. These anthologies should be read in publication order to follow Marsh's curation choices across the decades. The series appears to be complete, offering readers curated selections of mystery and thriller stories spanning the genre's history.

Start with Verdict of Thirteen, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.

#	Title
1	Verdict of Thirteen 1979Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Chapter and Hearse 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Murder for Christmas 1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	English Country House Murders 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Fifty Best Mysteries 1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Murder Takes a Holiday 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1965–1989)

Ngaio Marsh's two-book non-fiction series spans from 1965 to 1989 and is now complete. These works should be read in publication order, beginning with Black Beech and Honeydew, followed by New Zealand. The series combines the author's perspectives on mystery, thriller elements, and factual narratives.

Start with Black Beech and Honeydew and read in order.

#	Title
1	Black Beech and Honeydew 1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	New Zealand 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

35 books (1934–2018)

The Roderick Alleyn series comprises 35 mystery novels written by Ngaio Marsh, spanning from 1934 to 2018. The series follows Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn as he investigates murders across various settings and social contexts. These books should be read in publication order, beginning with A Man Lay Dead, to fully appreciate the character's development and the evolving detective work throughout the complete series.

Start with A Man Lay Dead, the first of 35 books in the Roderick Alleyn series.

#	Title
1	A Man Lay Dead 1934Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Enter a Murderer 1935Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Nursing Home Murder 1935Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Death in Ecstasy 1936Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	Vintage Murder 1937Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	Artists in Crime 1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Death in a White Tie 1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	Overture to Death 1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	Death at the Bar 1940Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	Death of a Peer / Surfeit of Lampreys 1940Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	Death and the Dancing Footman 1941Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	Colour Scheme 1943Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	Died in the Wool 1945Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	Final Curtain 1947Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	A Wreath for Rivera / Swing, Brother, Swing 1949Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16	Night at the Vulcan / Opening Night 1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17	Spinsters In Jeopardy / The Bride of Death 1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18	Scales of Justice 1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19	Death of a Fool / Off With His Head 1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20	Singing in the Shrouds 1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21	False Scent 1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22	Hand in Glove 1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23	Dead Water 1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24	Killer Dolphin / Death at the Dolphin 1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25	Clutch of Constables 1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26	When in Rome 1970Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27	Tied Up in Tinsel 1971Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28	Black As He's Painted 1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29	Last Ditch 1976Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30	A Grave Mistake 1978Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31	Photo Finish 1980Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32	Light Thickens 1982Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33	Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34	Still Unsolved 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35	Money in the Morgue(With: Stella Duffy) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1989–1995)

Ngaio Marsh's short story collections span from 1989 to 1995 and comprise two complete volumes. These mystery stories should be read in publication order, beginning with Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh, followed by Death on the Air and Other Stories. The series collects Marsh's shorter works alongside her better-known full-length mystery novels.

Start with Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh and read in order.

#	Title
1	Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Death on the Air and Other Stories 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible