Photo Finish is a 1980 work of detective fiction by Ngaio Marsh, featuring Superintendent Roderick Alleyn.
In the midst of an otherwise-triumphant tour, the world-famous soprano Isabella Sommita (known as "La Sommita") is being persecuted by a malevolent photographer with the pseudonym "Strix" who takes an unflattering snaps of her to sell to the newspapers. Her very wealthy gentleman friend, Montague Reece, whisks her away to an opulent island home in New Zealand's Lake Waihoe so that she can rest from the tour without fear of persecution. Meanwhile, she is infatuated with young composer Rupert Bartholomew, whose one-act opera she intends to perform; she takes him as her secretary and lover, to the consternation of her manager Ben Ruby and her former teacher Signor Beppo Lattienzo.
Superintendent Roderick Alleyn and his artist wife Troy come to the mansion at Reece's invitation, she to paint a portrait of La Sommita and he to investigate the identity of Strix. La Sommita is preparing a performance of Bartholomew's opera which he will conduct, and many distinguished guests from the press and the upper circles of musical society have been invited. During a dress rehearsal, during which Troy is in the audience discreetly making preparatory sketches, a mysterious stranger is spotted lurking outside and a camera lens cap found in his wake after he vanishes. Bartholomew has come to realise that his work is mediocre and that La Sommita, despite her magnificent voice, has no musical judgement; he pleads with La Sommita and Reece to cancel, to their furious denial. The performance goes ahead, but right afterwards, Bartholomew tries to publicly apologise for its mediocrity, and falls in a faint. Shortly after, a dead body is found, stabbed through with a stiletto and a photograph attached. Alleyn is immediately on the case, especially since a storm on the water will prevent the arrival of the police for some time.
The story contains examples of:
- Big Fancy House: Reece's magnificent luxury mansion surrounded by lake. He has built in all manner of features to cater for La Sommita, not least the large performing space. Marsh's description of it includes large amounts of Scenery Porn.
- Brawn Hilda: La Sommita is an Italian, temperamental, larger-than-life operatic Large Ham.
- Camp Gay: Ned Hanley, Reece's secretary. His mannerisms and speech patterns are pretty camp (some of his words are demonstratively italicised), and at one point he makes a subtle pass at Alleyn. Although most of the other characters snicker at and dismiss him frequently, he is shown to be dependable and trustworthy.
- Clock Discrepancy: The murder is dressed up to look like it was committed later than it actually was. It was originally thought that La Sommita kicked Maria and Mr. Reece out of her room. Actually, she was dead when they left.
- Feuding Families: La Sommita's persecution by Strix and much of her trouble, as well as the murder, are connected to a long-standing feud between the Pepitene and Rossi families.
- Gambit Pile Up: Both Strix and the murderer of La Sommita tried to carry out their plans at the same time, leading to interference. Specifically, Marco was about to put the photograph he took of La Sommita into the mailbag in an envelope, but was interrupted by Maria and compelled to throw the envelope in the fireplace. She then found the photograph and took it to pin to La Sommita's dead body.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Isabella Sommita is based on Maria Callas, while Strix a.k.a. Marco is based on the paparazzo Ron Galella.
- Paparazzi: A particularly malign example of this trope. Strix actively seeks out La Sommita to capture her in the worst light possible, and have the photos published in the news.
- Screaming Woman: Both La Sommita and Maria have several quite hysterical screaming fits.
