Money in the Morgue — Ngaio Marsh

This novel of murder and espionage in World War II New Zealand is “an exquisite reminder of the brilliance of Marsh's London detective” (The Guardian).

Inspector Roderick Alleyn just wants to write a letter to his wife, but World War II, for one, keeps intruding. It's war-work, after all, that has brought Alleyn to this seedy hospital in New Zealand's hinterlands, and it's the war that has left the hospital swimming in convalescing soldiers -- noisy, often drunk, and always over-interested in the nurses. Nor is the weather helping. A storm has killed the electrical power, leaving Alleyn, the soldiers, and the medical staff stranded in the dark . . ..with a murderer. It's a good thing for everyone that there's a Scotland Yard detective on hand . . .

An unfinished novel by the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master seamlessly completed by Crime Writers of America Dagger Award winner Stella Duffy, Money in the Morgue is “an intriguing mystery” with a “satisfyingly varied and vivid cast” (The Guardian).

“A taut atmospheric whodunit . . .Duffy's facility at injecting wit into fair-play detecting will make Marsh fans hope she'll continue the series.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)