Ngaio Marshs most popular novel begins when a young New Zealanders first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford with a meat skewer through the eye The Lampreys had plenty of charm but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar and rather gloried in it. The double and triple charades, for instance, with which they would entertain their guests like rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, who was always such a bore. The Lampreys thought if they jollied him up he would bail them out yet again. Instead, Uncle Gabriel met a violent end. And Chief Inspector Alleyn had to work our which of them killed him