A-Z reaches letter N this week and this one was an easy choice, once I had heard of her! Ngaio Marsh is a crime writer from New Zealand who made an huge impact in the U.K., she was made a Dame in the 1960’s and is considered one of the great female crime writers of The Golden Age, alongside Agatha Christie, Margary Allingham and Dorothy L Sayers.

Marsh is best known for her Metropolitan Detective, Inspector Alleyn.  She wrote 32 detective novels between 1934 and 1982 all featuring him.  She read a couple of Agatha Christie’s novels and wondered if she could write one in the genre, bought herself some exercise books and set about it.   Most of the novels were set in London though four ventured to New Zealand.  Many featured her life loves liking painting and the theatre.  Allen is known as the gentleman detective and has been the subject of tv adaptation.

Ngaio Marsh divided her time between the UK and NZ though was born and died in Christchurch.  She never married and had no children.  She was a member of the crime club along with the great crime writers of the Golden Age