Tied Up in Tinsel

The acclaimed author brings us crime at a country-house Christmas party in "e;one of her best and most baffling mysteries"e; (Daily Express). It's the Christmas season in 1972, and Agatha Troy is at a house party, enjoying the local holiday pageant and also painting the host's portrait. The painting's coming along fine, but the pageant goes a little pear-shaped when one of the players disappears. Could one of the eccentric guests have been involved? Or could the finger of blame come to rest on one of the manor-house servants, each of whom happens to be a recent prison parolee? Inspector Alleyn is on hand to wrap up the case . . . "e;So dashed entertaining."e; Kirkus Reviews"e;Any Ngaio Marsh story is certain to be Grade A."e; The New York Times