Death at the Bar - Classic Mystery Novel by Ngaio Marsh | Perfect for Book Clubs & Crime Fiction Fans" (Note: Assuming this is a book title based on the original text. If it refers to a different product category, please provide more context for accurate optimization.)

The scene is an isolated country inn. Three friends — a lawyer, an actor and an artist — go there for a holiday having been there before. The lawyer, Luke Waterman, is a bit of a heckler and he irritates the star darts player of the pub. He is subsequently struck by a dart and soon after dies of cyanide poisoning. It seems impossible to prove how the poison was introduced.Chief Inspector Alleyn of Scotland Yard is called in. He quickly launches into endless interrogations. The solution of the crime depends on personalities on the one hand — and equally heavily on logistics. Where people stood at critical moments is very important.The red herrings are especially strong in this book. The clues are peculiar. Death at the Bar was first published in 1940. The complexity of the plot, the cleverness and wit of the gentleman detective, the quirky characters, and the fair play structure of the mystery make this book quintessential Golden Age.Inheritances, romantic rivalry, and political fanaticism vie for the reader’s attention to supply a possible motive.It took me a while to warm up to this book, but when I did, I liked it very much.