Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Ngaio Marsh

Ngaio Marsh Reading Order

4 series · 45 books · Born 1895-04-23

Mystery & ThrillerNon-Fiction

Ngaio Marsh was a New Zealand mystery writer and Shakespearean theater director who created the sophisticated detective Roderick Alleyn across a prolific series of crime novels spanning multiple decades. Her elegant plots and sharp characterization established her as one of the most influential British detective fiction authors of the twentieth century, frequently compared to her contemporaries in the golden age of mystery writing. Beyond her celebrated novels, Marsh remained deeply involved in theatrical production, bringing the same meticulous attention to detail from her crime fiction to her acclaimed Shakespearean stage productions.

Anthologies Series

Likely Complete

6 books (1979–2021)

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

Start this series with Verdict of Thirteen

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

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

2 books (1965–1989)

Start with Black Beech and Honeydew and read in order.

Start this series with Black Beech and Honeydew

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

Roderick Alleyn Series

Complete

35 books (1934–2018)

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

Start this series with A Man Lay Dead

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

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

2 books (1989–1995)

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

Start this series with Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Ngaio Marsh written?
Ngaio Marsh has written 45 books across 4 series. Their published works span from 1934 to 2021.
What is the first book in each Ngaio Marsh series?
Here are the first books in Ngaio Marsh's series: Anthologies: Verdict of Thirteen; Non-Fiction: Black Beech and Honeydew; Roderick Alleyn: A Man Lay Dead; Short Story Collections: Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh.
What order should I read Ngaio Marsh's books?
We recommend reading Ngaio Marsh's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are Ngaio Marsh's series complete?
Ngaio Marsh has 3 completed series.

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