Black As He's Painted

I have enjoyed many of Ngaio Marsh's Roderick Alleyn books. I especially love it whenever Agatha Troy appears. However, many of the views in this novel, particularly in terms of race, are very outdated and make uncomfortable reading. The bright spot in the book was Mr. Whipplestone and his cat Lucy Locket. It wasn't a surprise as to whodunit, with such a small group of suspects. Overall, a rating of 3.5 seems fair.