Ngaio Marsh published 41 novels, 1 short story collection, 1 children's book and 1 other book, beginning with A Man Lay Dead (1934). The series is Roderick Alleyn (38 books, starting with A Man Lay Dead).
Updated September 2026
Roderick Alleyn books in order (38)Series page
Reading order: 1 A Man Lay Dead (1934) · 2 Enter a Murderer (1935) · 3 The Nursing Home Murder (1935) · 4 Death in Ecstasy (1936) · 5 Vintage Murder (1937) · 6 Artists in Crime (1938) · 7 Death in a White Tie (1942) · 8 Overture to Death (1939) · 9 Death at the Bar (1940) · 10 Surfeit of Lampreys (1941) · … all 38 below
- 1.
A Man Lay Dead (1934)
- 2.
Enter a Murderer (1935)
- 3.
The Nursing Home Murder (1935)
- 4.
Death in Ecstasy (1936)
- 5.
Vintage Murder (1937)
- 6.
Artists in Crime (1938)
- 7.
Death in a White Tie (1942)
- 8.
Overture to Death (1939)
- 9.
Death at the Bar (1940)
- 10.
Surfeit of Lampreys (1941)
- 11.
Death and the Dancing Footman (1941)
- 12.
Colour Scheme (1943)
- 13.
Died in the Wool (1945)
- 14.
Final Curtain (1956)
- 15.
Swing, Brother, Swing (1956)
- 16.
Opening Night (1974)
- 17.
Scales of Justice (1955)
- 18.
Off With His Head (1957)
- 19.
Singing in the Shrouds (1958)
- 20.
False Scent (1960)
- 21.
Hand in Glove (1962)
- 22.
Dead Water (1964)
- 23.
Death at the Dolphin (1967)
- 24.
Clutch of Constables (1968)
- 25.
When in Rome (1970)
- 26.
Tied Up in Tinsel (1972)
- 27.
Black As He's Painted (1974)
- 28.
Last Ditch (1976)
- 29.
Grave Mistake (1978)
- 30.
Photo Finish (1980)
- 31.
Light Thickens (1982)
Spinsters in Jeopardy (Roderick Alleyn #17) (1953)
Death Of A Fool (1956)
Ngaio Marsh (1982)
The Roderick Alleyn Mysteries (1993)
Death on the Air (Travelman Crime) (1995)
The Ngaio Marsh Collection, Book 1 (2009)
Money in the Morgue (2018)
Where to start with Ngaio Marsh
Start here
A Man Lay Dead
Ngaio Marsh's most-read book and the first of the 38 Roderick Alleyn books.
Standalone novels in order
Black Beech and Honeydew (1965)
Curtain Calls (1966)
Dead Water Black As Hes Painted Artists (1994)
Short story collections in order
The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh (1989)
Children's books in order
Death of a Peer (1940)
Other books in order
Alleyn and Others (1995)
About Ngaio Marsh
Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh was a New Zealand writer.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ngaio Marsh FAQ
- How many books has Ngaio Marsh written?
- Ngaio Marsh published 41 novels, 1 short story collection, 1 children's book and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Ngaio Marsh's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Roderick Alleyn with A Man Lay Dead. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Ngaio Marsh's last book?
- Ngaio Marsh (1982).
- What is Ngaio Marsh's most famous book?
- A Man Lay Dead (1934) is Ngaio Marsh's most widely read book.
- Are Ngaio Marsh's books connected?
- 38 books belong to 1 series (Roderick Alleyn); the other 6 books stand alone.
Authors like Ngaio Marsh
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.