A famous writer, a recognized master of intellectual detective fiction, Nayo Marsh was born in New Zealand, but spent most of her life in England, where she took a prominent place in the galaxy of such authors as A. Christie, D. Sayers and P. Wentworth. In her novels, the main character of which is the aristocrat and detective Roderick Allen, the reader invariably encounters an intricate plot, excellent literary language and real English humor. For literary merits, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain awarded the writer the Order of the British Empire in 1966, and in 1978 she was awarded the Grandmaster Prize, awarded to the best of the best by the Crime Writers Association of America.