Colour Scheme (Roderick Alleyn #12), Ngaio Marsh. New York: Felony & Mayhem, 2013 (first published in 1943).

Summary: A struggling New Zealand spa by some sulphur springs becomes the scene of espionage, the visit of a famous stage actor, and murder.

This is one of Marsh’s New Zealand novels, in which Roderick Alleyn is engaged in anti-espionage World War II. The story is set at a down-at-heel struggling resort by the fictional town of Harpoon, near the coast on New Zealand’s North Island. The resort, a spa located near sulphur springs and pits is run by Colonel Claire, his wife, and daughter, Barbara and son, Simon. They’ve recruited the Colonel’s brother-in-law, Dr. James Ackrington, a retired physician of some reknown to be the house doctor. The “staff” is rounded out by Bert Smith, an often-drunk handyman, and Huia, from the nearby Maori village, who serves as housekeeper and cook.

The main “guest” at the start is Maurice Questing, a businessman. It becomes apparent that he has an interest in the spa, having given the Colonel a loan on which he has fallen behind. Questing has big plans for the spa and one of his first acts is to advertise it, resulting in recruiting a distinguished guest. Geoffrey Gaunt is a Shakespearean actor with a leg that is paining him. He’s accompanied by his secretary, Dikon Bell, and his dresser, Colley.

Questing is not well liked. Both Ackrington and Simon suspect him of spying. He’s been seen on a volcanic peak, near a Maori preserve. In a couple of instances, flashing lights had been observed at times that coincided with the sinking of ships. Ackrington has written to Alleyn, a friend, sharing his suspicions. At one point, Questing was driving in sight of a railroad signal when he waved Bert Smith across a railroad bridge when a train was coming, claiming later that the signal wasn’t working, when it was. Subsequently he alienates Gaunt,

During all this, another unusual guest, Septimus Falls turns up, ostensibly to undergo treatments for lumbago. Simon suspects him to be in league with Questing, based on witnessing him tapping his pipe in what sounds like Morse code.

You guessed it. Questing ends up dead, falling into one of the dangerous sulfur pits. And there is no shortage of suspects with motives–Claire, Ackrington, Smith, Simon, Gaunt, and the mysterious Septimus Falls, as well as several people from the Maori village. Septimus Falls, who had been walking at some distance behind Questing, heard him scream, and subsequently gets them all discussing their stories, to prepare for questioning from Detective Sergeant Webley, the local man.

In all this, Alleyn is noticeably absent and you keep waiting for him to turn up, one of the interesting twists in this story. There are really three mysteries in the story: who is the spy, who murdered Questing, and where is Alleyn? Have fun figuring all that out. I sure did!