📖 About Roderick Alleyn

Roderick Alleyn is a series universe written by Ngaio Marsh. The complete collection runs to 34 books across 1 series, published between 1934 and 1990.

The main series is Publication Order of Roderick Alleyn Books with 34 books. It opens with A Man Lay Dead (1934) and currently runs to Still Unsolved (1990).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Roderick Alleyn

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: A Man Lay Dead (1934), book 1 of Publication Order of Roderick Alleyn Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Roderick Alleyn Books in Order

Publication Order of Roderick Alleyn Books
34 books
1
A Man Lay Dead book cover1A Man Lay Dead1934Buy on Amazon
Enter a Murderer book cover2Enter a Murderer1935Buy on Amazon
The Nursing Home Murder book cover3The Nursing Home Murder1935Buy on Amazon
Death in Ecstasy book cover4Death in Ecstasy1936Buy on Amazon
Vintage Murder book cover5Vintage Murder1937Buy on Amazon
Artists in Crime book cover6Artists in Crime1938Buy on Amazon
Death in a White Tie book cover7Death in a White Tie1938Buy on Amazon
Overture to Death book cover8Overture to Death1939Buy on Amazon
Death at the Bar book cover9Death at the Bar1940Buy on Amazon
Death of a Peer / Surfeit of Lampreys book cover10Death of a Peer / Surfeit of Lampreys1940Buy on Amazon
Death and the Dancing Footman book cover11Death and the Dancing Footman1941Buy on Amazon
Colour Scheme book cover12Colour Scheme1943Buy on Amazon
Died in the Wool book cover13Died in the Wool1945Buy on Amazon
Final Curtain book cover14Final Curtain1947Buy on Amazon
A Wreath for Rivera / Swing, Brother, Swing book cover15A Wreath for Rivera / Swing, Brother, Swing1949Buy on Amazon
Night at the Vulcan / Opening Night book cover16Night at the Vulcan / Opening Night1951Buy on Amazon
Spinsters In Jeopardy / The Bride of Death book cover17Spinsters In Jeopardy / The Bride of Death1953Buy on Amazon
Scales of Justice book cover18Scales of Justice1955Buy on Amazon
Death of a Fool / Off With His Head book cover19Death of a Fool / Off With His Head1956Buy on Amazon
Singing in the Shrouds book cover20Singing in the Shrouds1958Buy on Amazon
False Scent book cover21False Scent1959Buy on Amazon
Hand in Glove book cover22Hand in Glove1962Buy on Amazon
Dead Water book cover23Dead Water1963Buy on Amazon
Killer Dolphin / Death at the Dolphin book cover24Killer Dolphin / Death at the Dolphin1966Buy on Amazon
Clutch of Constables book cover25Clutch of Constables1968Buy on Amazon
When in Rome book cover26When in Rome1970Buy on Amazon
Tied Up in Tinsel book cover27Tied Up in Tinsel1971Buy on Amazon
Black As He's Painted book cover28Black As He's Painted1973Buy on Amazon
Last Ditch book cover29Last Ditch1976Buy on Amazon
A Grave Mistake book cover30A Grave Mistake1978Buy on Amazon
Photo Finish book cover31Photo Finish1980Buy on Amazon
Light Thickens book cover32Light Thickens1982Buy on Amazon
Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh book cover33Alleyn and Others / The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh1989Buy on Amazon
Still Unsolved book cover34Still Unsolved1990Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Roderick Alleyn books are there?
There are 34 books in the Roderick Alleyn collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1934 and 1990.
What is the first Roderick Alleyn book?
The first book is A Man Lay Dead, published in 1934.
What order should I read the Roderick Alleyn books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Roderick Alleyn books?
The Roderick Alleyn books were written by Ngaio Marsh.
Is the Roderick Alleyn series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Roderick Alleyn Books, has 34 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Roderick Alleyn series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1934, and the most recent in 1990.