Book 2

Thou Shell of Death

by Nicholas Blake

Published 12 October 1970
That will give you over three weeks to settle your affairs, say your prayers, and eat a hearty Christmas dinner. I shall kill you, most probably, on Boxing Day.


In the lead up to Christmas, Fergus O’Brien, World War One flying ace turned introspective recluse, suspects someone is out for his blood. Having received three threatening letters promising his death, O’Brien takes his fate into his own hands.


Inviting all the prime suspects to a Christmas party at his grand country home, O’Brien enlists private investigator Nigel Strangeways to help suss out the culprit.


But amid the falling snow and cutting wind, a murderer lurks in Dower House. Nigel must work quickly to uncover the secrets of O’Brien’s past to catch the criminal before it’s to late…


Timeless mysteries with the ingenious plots of Agatha Christie, the wit of Michael Innes… and the most charming investigator in Golden Age Crime.

Book 12

The Worm of Death

by Nicholas Blake

Published 1 January 1973
So there it is. He intends to kill me. And I must let him kill me.


A thick fog has settled over London as Nigel Strangeways and Clare make their way through Greenwich to dine with Dr. Piers Loudron. Over a bizarre evening, Nigel observes the strange relationships between the Loudron siblings and their father. Dismissive of some and doting on others, it seems that Dr. Loudron plays favourites. And as discussion turns to investigations and criminality, diaries and balance sheets, Nigel feels a little troubled.


Three days later, Nigel learns that Dr. Loudron has gone missing – wearing only his overcoat. Loudron’s children all have varying theories: he was distrait at dinner – no, he was sulking – or was he waiting for something? Addled by the suffocating fog still ensconcing Greenwich, no one can agree. A search ensues for Loudron’s diary – and the secrets it may hold.


But when a mangled body is pulled from the Thames, suspicion turns inward on the family. With the cause of death unable to rule out suicide or murder, more questions arise, more fingers are pointed, and more alibis are discredited. It seems the culprit (if there is one) is flinging suspicions around indiscriminately.


As Nigel becomes more and more embroiled with the family’s affairs, his own life may be at risk. With too many motives and too many clues, will Nigel be able to solve his mystery before it costs him his own life?

Book 15

The Sad Variety

by Nicholas Blake and C. Day Lewis

Published 3 September 1971

A VINTAGE MURDER MYSTERY

The government's security department have asked private detective Nigel Strangeways to keep a discreet eye on Professor Alfred Wagley, a research scientist who is spending the Christmas holidays in the South-West of England. But someone else is also very interested in the professor and his work, and when his young daughter is kidnapped, Nigel finds himself in a race to avert a tragedy.

A Nigel Strangeways murder mystery - the perfect introduction to the most charming and erudite detective in Golden Age crime fiction.


A Question of Proof

by Nicholas Blake

Published June 1969

A VINTAGE MURDER MYSTERY

The annual Sports Day at respected public school Sudeley Hall ends in tragedy when the headmaster's obnoxious nephew is found strangled in a haystack. The boy was despised by staff and students alike, but English master Michael Evans, who was seen sharing a kiss with the headmaster's beautiful young wife earlier that day, soon becomes a prime suspect for the murder. Luckily, his friend Nigel Strangeways, nephew to the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, is on hand to help investigate the case.

A Nigel Strangeways murder mystery - the perfect introduction to the most charming and erudite detective in Golden Age crime fiction.


Malice in Wonderland

by Nicholas Blake

Published 10 December 1973
Tampered pianos, tennis balls dipped in treacle, and mysterious forces pulling idle swimmers underwater: the ‘Mad Hatter’ is wreaking havoc at Wonderland summer camp and his pranks are getting dangerous.


Private detective Nigel Strangeways receives a call for help from Wonderland, a new holiday camp that has recently opened only to be plagued by a series of cruel practical jokes conducted by the self-proclaimed ‘Mad Hatter’.


The camp’s owners are convinced a rival firm, desperate to put them out of business, are behind the events. But with four hundred guests, an angry hermit, and plenty of disgruntled employees, who is the ‘Mad Hatter’?