IT'S that joyous, festive season again, the perfect time for . . .
"Death on the Air."
By Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982; Wikipedia HERE; the GAD Wiki HERE; Mike Grost's megasite HERE; and the IMDb HERE) with technical advice from A. Drummond Sharpe.
First appearance: The Grand Magazine, February 1937.
Many reprints:
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine #50, January 1948
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (Australia) #32, February 1950
Ellery Queen’s Anthology #16, 1969
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Jackpot, 1970
Grande Dames of Detection, 1973
Masterpieces of Mystery: The Grand Masters Up to Date, 1979
Murder for Christmas, 1982 (covered in a review HERE)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Mid-December 1984 (today's text)
Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense, 1988
English Country House Murders, 1988
Murder for Christmas Volume II, 1988
The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh, 1989
The Oxford Book of English Detective Stories, 1990
The Collected Short Fiction of Ngaio Marsh (var. 1), 1991
'Death on the Air' and Other Stories, 1995
Murder Under the Christmas Tree, 2016
A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries, 2020
Classic Christmas Crime Stories, 2023.
Novelette (26 pages).
Online at Archive.org (HERE; go to text page 120).
"On the 25th of December at seven thirty A.M. Mr. Septimus Tonks was found dead beside his wireless set."
CHIEF DETECTIVE-INSPECTOR Roderick Alleyn and his crack detective team solve the HOW of this one three ways from Sunday—but as for the WHO and the WHY, that's going to take a little longer . . .
Principal characters:
~ Septimus Tonks (deceased), Emily Parks, Chase, Mr. Hislop, Guy Tonks, Dr. Meadows, Arthur, Phillipa, Isabel Tonks, Chief Detective-Inspector Roderick Alleyn, Inspector Fox, Curtis, and Detective-Sergeant Bailey.
References:
- "his wireless set":
Universally known as "radio" nowadays. Septimus was probably listening to the BBC at the time of his . . . departure.
"The British Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on 1 January 1927, and Reith – newly knighted – was appointed its first director general. To represent its purpose and (stated) values, the new corporation adopted the coat of arms, including the motto 'Nation shall speak peace unto Nation.'
"British radio audiences had little choice apart from BBC's programming approach. Reith was viewed as taking a moralistic approach as an executive, aiming to broadcast 'all that is best in every department of human knowledge, endeavour and achievement,' and putting the programming in moral or ethical terms, advocating 'a high moral tone' as 'obviously of paramount importance.' Reith succeeded in building a high wall against a more tabloid, free-for-all in radio aimed at merely attracting the largest audience (and advertising revenue). There was no paid advertising on the BBC; all the revenue came from a tax on receiving sets. Highbrow audiences, however, greatly enjoyed it." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "Galvanized":
"Galvanization (also spelled galvanisation) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are coated by submerging them in a bath of hot, molten zinc." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "If it's electrocution":
"Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from 'electro' and 'execution,' but it is also used for accidental death.
"The term 'electrocution' was coined in 1889 in the US just before the first use of the electric chair and originally referred to only electrical execution and not other electrical deaths. However, since no English word was available for non-judicial deaths due to electric shock, the word 'electrocution' eventually took over as a description of all circumstances of electrical death from the new commercial electricity." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "tuning his hurdy-gurdy":
Alleyn is speaking metaphorically, of course.
"The hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that produces sound by means of a hand-cranked rosined wheel which rubs against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin (or nyckelharpa) bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents—small wedges, typically made of wood or metal—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board and hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "turned his torch":
We colonials call it a "flashlight."
"A flashlight (North American English) or electric torch (Commonwealth English), usually shortened to torch, is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the early 2000s. A typical flashlight consists of the light source mounted in a reflector, a transparent cover (sometimes combined with a lens) to protect the light source and reflector, a battery, and a switch, all enclosed in a case.
"The invention of the dry cell and miniature incandescent electric lamps made the first battery-powered flashlights possible around 1899." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "Like Dr. Johnson perhaps?":
From childhood, Samuel Johnson struggled with money problems. See Wikipedia (HERE).
- "Bakelite knobs":
"Bakelite was one of the first plastic-like materials to be introduced into the modern world and was popular because it could be molded and then hardened into any shape.
"Because of its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties, it became a great commercial success. It was used in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "The odd wisp of blotting paper":
"Blotting paper is a highly absorbent type of paper used to absorb ink or oil from writing material, particularly when quills or fountain pens were popular. It could also be used in testing how much oil is present in products. Blotting paper referred to as bibulous paper is mainly used in microscopy to remove excess liquids from the slide before viewing. Blotting paper has also been sold as a cosmetic to aid in the removal of skin oils and makeup." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "perhaps it was D.T.'s":
"Delirium tremens (DTs; lit. 'mental disturbance with shaking') is a rapid onset of confusion caused by withdrawal from alcohol. DT typically occurs 48–72 hours after the last use of alcohol and symptoms last 1–8 days. Typical symptoms include nightmares, confusion, disorientation, heavy sweating, elevated heart rate, and elevated blood pressure. Visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations are also common. DT can be fatal, especially without treatment." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "the Radio Times":
"Radio Times is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manager of the British Broadcasting Company, it was the world's first broadcast listings magazine. In September 2023 it became the first broadcast listings magazine to reach and then pass its centenary." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "Heavier flex from adapter to radiator":
"A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is an electrical cable that temporarily connects an appliance to the mains electricity supply via a wall socket or extension cord. The terms are generally used for cables using a power plug to connect to a single-phase alternating current power source at the local line voltage (generally 100 to 240 volts, depending on the location). The terms power cable, mains lead, flex or kettle lead are also used. A lamp cord (also known as a zip cord) is a light-weight, ungrounded, single-insulated two-wire cord used for small loads such as a table or floor lamp." (Wikipedia HERE.)
Resources:
- About this story, Mike Grost writes:
"'Death on the Air' (1939) is a short story concentrating on a 'death-trap' that kills a victim. In this it recalls Overture to Death (1939). The trap in 'Death on the Air' is so technological that the story qualifies as Scientific Detection. Marsh goes into detail about the trap, showing the police gradually reconstructing how it works, a step-by-step process that involves observation of clues and detailed analysis. Marsh also offers a detailed account of the killer's activities setting the trap up." (A Guide to Classic Mystery and Detection HERE.)
- Over the years another supersleuth, Hercule Poirot, encountered several Christmas bafflements, including a locked room problem (HERE).
- Ngaio Marsh's Overture to Death caught our attention twelve years ago (HERE).
The bottom line:
 |
| A powerful medium in its heyday. |
Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment