Preview
  • Dead Water

  • By: Ngaio Marsh
  • Narrated by: James Saxon
  • Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (133 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Dead Water

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: James Saxon
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.52

Buy for $14.52

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The elderly Emily Pride is perfectly pleased to have inherited an island, even if her starchy pragmatism is ever so faintly appalled by the Pixie Falls spring and its reported miraculous healing properties.

But really, the locals' attempts to capitalize on the 'miracles' are entirely too tacky - Ye Olde Gift Shoppe, the neon signs…not on Miss Emily’s watch, thank you. Of course, the locals are not exactly thrilled to give up their trade (Pixie Falls may be merely be known for healing warts, it’s true, but you take your shillings where you can find them). Could their frustration have bubbled up into murderous rage?

Inspector Alleyn will have to sort it out. And this time, it’s personal.

©1964 Original Text of 1964 by Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers." ( Times Literary Supplement)
"A beauty.... Miss Marsh is a fine, sly, comic writer." ( The Sun)
"A brilliant traditional detective story." ( Evening Standard)
"Reading a Ngaio Marsh mystery is like being in the company of a gracious, spirited raconteur." ( Newsweek)

What listeners say about Dead Water

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    88
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    90
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    76
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

If it is what you want, it is just the ticket.

This is an English mystery of the old school. It's not quite a country house mystery, but set along the same lines. The mystery itself is not so mysterious, but the inspector and his side kicks are all present, and it has a satisfying ending. If you what you are looking for is a comfortable mystery with old friends, this book has it.

The narration itself is competent, transparent, and not at all stagey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Marsh's wit

I love her turns of phrase in all her books! Clever character dialogue' winning characters as always.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Reasonable Book but Irritating Performance

Where does Dead Water rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks among my ongoing pleasure with the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries.

What other book might you compare Dead Water to and why?

I would compare it to Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Dorothy Sayers.

Would you listen to another book narrated by James Saxon?

Usually James Saxon is a competent narrator. However, like others, he mispronounces Alleyn's name throughout. I cannot believe that narrators have not been corrected on this by the publishing house. Saxon pronounces the name as "Allaine". Once again I wish someone would let the narrators know that Ngaio Marsh, herself, made it clear that the pronunciation is "Allen". This is just so irritating.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A very strange group of people live on this island.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mispronounced

Very disconcerting for Inspector Alleyn’s name to have changed so drastically. Kept forgetting who was being referred to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Five stars for James Saxon

James Saxon deserves five stars for being best improved narrated ever. Great plot .Great characters

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mispronounced the main character’s name

Repeatedly. A fail for both the narrator and the producers. Highly distracting for Marsh fans. Otherwise not terrible, but not great as a narrator. It’s a book I’ve always enjoyed. Marsh is my favorite of the golden era writers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Murder in the Highlands

Would you listen to Dead Water again? Why?

I would definitely listen again. It's one of my favorite of Ngaio Marsh's stories and is very well done.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I wasn't on the edge of my seat, but I did listen longer than I had planned because I was enjoying it so much.

What about James Saxon’s performance did you like?

I like his characterizations of Chief Inspector Alleyn and Miss Emily. Both were well done.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but I had to space it out for a bit. It's a fun listen though. Great for a road trip or even your daily commute.

Any additional comments?

If you like this one, you might want to check out the wonderful performances by Benedict Cumberbatch on three of Dame Ngaio's novels. They're excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It annoys me when the lead character's name is mispronounced.

Narration fairly good otherwise, but obviously the narrator hadn't read other books in the series. Alleyn - the y is completely silent! The name is not like the word allay plus n.
Alleyn sounds like Alan, or Allen.
However, careful and correct on a few other words like flaccid which is as if flax-id, not flassid.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good but for one detail

Narrator James Saxon is good. But it is so jarring when the main character who has appeared in 20 books previous to this has his name mispronounced . But the story is good; not Ngaio Marsh’s Best or her worst. And I do give Saxon credit for the wonderful way he does all of the many voices.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!