Preview
  • Scales of Justice

  • By: Ngaio Marsh
  • Narrated by: Philip Franks
  • Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (149 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.

Scales of Justice

By: Ngaio Marsh
Narrated by: Philip Franks
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 lives of the inhabitants of Swevenings are disrupted only by a fierce competition to catch the Old Un, a monster trout known to dwell in a beautiful stream which winds past their homes.

Then one of their small community is found brutally murdered; beside him is the freshly killed trout. Both died by violence - but Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn's murder investigation seems to be much more interested in the fish....

Scales of Justice was first published in 1955.

©1955 Ngaio Marsh (P)2015 Hachette Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Scales of Justice

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    110
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    107
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    94
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

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

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

Fishy

I sometimes imagine NM writing her novels, seizing plot twists out of the air Harry Potter style while parading her memories of England and NZ past her third eye. This satisfies my sense of the fitness of things but I think it is more true that she composed her novels in a sort of Golden Age-ish mystery 6th dimension bubble occupied by herself, Agatha, Dorothy, etc. The plots are always beyond believable yet at the same time fully credible within the conventions of the genre, and the characters are usually far too nice or too civilized for a modern reader to identify with. After being lulled into coziness it's always a jarring moment when she describes the wound or death blow in graphic Cornwellian detail. But it's never a disappointment and always a pleasure to follow her fine prose down another avenue of entertaining crime fiction. This tale of a large trout and its part in the lives of a troupe of amusing characters is very entertaining and deserving of a nibble.

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

Excellent story and performance!

A deep plot with detailed characters without one “f” word. Highly recommend if you are a fan of “whodunnits” looking for a clean read that’s not cheesy. Can’t wait to read the next!

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
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

classic Marsh murder in manor grounds

Well performed by Franks. Marsh gives us a murder by the manor trout stream, complete with red herrings right up until the end. Recommended

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Delightful fish story

Another tightly woven tale with an array of characters whose relationships are initially impossible to comprehend. But of course Chief Inspector Alleyne understands everything almost instantly once he arrives on the scene and again Marsh compresses time such that Alleyne miraculously solves a crime almost overnight. This does not diminish the pleasure of solving it with him. Amazing that Marsh wrote these tales over so many decades and maintained her gift for it.

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

Top notch

Excellent mystery, wonderful characterisation and superbly narrated. Ngaio Marsh is, dare I say it… a cut above Agatha Christie.

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

Another excellent mystery by Ms. Marsh

I had listened to most of the Inspector Alleyn audiobooks, but had missed this and one other. I don’t know if they’ve just been released or if I just missed them. I’ve enjoyed them all thoroughly, but I especially appreciated the dialogue between Alleyn and his team and of the “suspects.” Mr. Phinn’s comments are particularly entertaining. I would stop and read certain passages just to better enjoy Ms. Marsh’s writing.
The narration was excellent. In fact, all of the narrators for Ms. Marsh’s books have been. However, Mr. Franks was especially well suited for this story and it’s characters. Enjoy!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful