Ngaio Marsh 
Last Ditch 

Detection becomes a father-and-son activity in the Channel Islands: “A mystery novelist of world renown.” —The New York Times Ricky Alleyn, son of the renowned police detective Roderick Alleyn, has taken himself to a secluded island to write a novel. Or think about writing a novel. Or look for distractions so he can avoid writing a novel. The distractions abound, mostly in the form of colorful local characters, so all is beer and skittles until Ricky stumbles across a murder and then gets himself kidnapped. Naturally his father rushes to the island to save the day . . . “It’s time to start comparing Christie to Marsh instead of the other way around.” —New York Magazine