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Nigel Strangeways #11
Rare Nicholas BLAKE, Cecil Day LEWIS / Whisper in the Gloom First Edition 1954 [Hardcover] Detective) BLAKE, Nicholas; LEWIS, Cecil Day (AKA
This rare and vintage book is a perfect addition to any bibliophile's collection
Hardcover
First published June 1, 1954
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 19, 2019
This is the eleventh in the Nigel Strangeways series, which was first published in 1954. It is an odd combination of mystery and adventure story, which half-reminded me of the Just William books and of black and white Sunday afternoon movies.
A young boy is sailing his ship in a park pond, when a man stumbles against him and passes him a note. Suddenly, the young boy, Bert Hale, finds himself being chased by all kinds of criminals, helped by his friends, Foxy and Copper. Also, initially, by Nigel Strangeways, who, walking through the park, helps Bert evade capture by the men chasing him.
This is a strange addition to the series, but – despite the bizarre coincidences and rather wayward plotting – I enjoyed it. There are some interesting characters, including the louche Alec Gray, new love interest, Clare Massinger and club owner, Sam Borch. There are also shoot outs, kidnappings and a visiting Soviet delegation. Good fun and, despite the flaws, enjoyable.
A young boy is sailing his ship in a park pond, when a man stumbles against him and passes him a note. Suddenly, the young boy, Bert Hale, finds himself being chased by all kinds of criminals, helped by his friends, Foxy and Copper. Also, initially, by Nigel Strangeways, who, walking through the park, helps Bert evade capture by the men chasing him.
This is a strange addition to the series, but – despite the bizarre coincidences and rather wayward plotting – I enjoyed it. There are some interesting characters, including the louche Alec Gray, new love interest, Clare Massinger and club owner, Sam Borch. There are also shoot outs, kidnappings and a visiting Soviet delegation. Good fun and, despite the flaws, enjoyable.
March 19, 2019
I like that Nigel works along with the police and not make them look like plodding incompetents. Also, it was good to see him finding love again since the death of Georgia.
July 9, 2016
A Nigel Strangeways book that doesn't deal with a straightforward murder case, but rather with a political intrigue, which I think is a weakness. It starts with a police snitch being expertly stabbed during a concert in a London park. Incredibly, the dying man manages to write a few words on a newspaper, stagger over to a boy sailing a toy boat on the pond, put the torn-off bit of paper into the boy's boat and shove it into the middle of the pond before collapsing. Bert Hall, the boy in question, instinctively resists the two men who appear out of nowhere with first, an offer to buy his boat, and second, threats to rearrange his face. By another incredible coincidence, the adult he latches onto to escape from the park and the menacing strangers, is Nigel Strangeways. By another incredible coincidence, the note found in the boat contains his name and the number twelve.
What follows is a confusing story involving a Russian political delegation arriving in London, not one but two hired assassins, an unsavory playboy, a former actress giving costume parties, a senile former nanny.... To me it sounded like the author was trying to capitalize on the paranoia of the Cold War (the book was printed in 1954) rather than to deal with good oldfashioned private murder. So I thought the book was okay, but certainly not one of the best Strangeways books.
What follows is a confusing story involving a Russian political delegation arriving in London, not one but two hired assassins, an unsavory playboy, a former actress giving costume parties, a senile former nanny.... To me it sounded like the author was trying to capitalize on the paranoia of the Cold War (the book was printed in 1954) rather than to deal with good oldfashioned private murder. So I thought the book was okay, but certainly not one of the best Strangeways books.
October 22, 2019
A man hands a piece of paper to a young boy in the park, moments before he collapses and dies. Before long, the boy is fleeing from a gang of criminals, and by chance encounters Nigel Strangeways, who soon becomes involved in a complex investigation involving robberies, assassinations and kidnapping.
This was great fun if totally unbelievable. Blake throws every kind of crime and criminal into the mix, and there's also a gang of schoolboys (who reminded me of Just William and his friends) who get involved with potentially deadly consequences. It is more a thriller than a mystery, as the workings of the plot are evident quite early on, but it's quite an enjoyable one.
This was great fun if totally unbelievable. Blake throws every kind of crime and criminal into the mix, and there's also a gang of schoolboys (who reminded me of Just William and his friends) who get involved with potentially deadly consequences. It is more a thriller than a mystery, as the workings of the plot are evident quite early on, but it's quite an enjoyable one.
December 7, 2020
Nigel Strangeways gets pulled into an unusual thriller by an encounter with a 12-year-old boy in this entry in the series. I really liked how much of the story is told from the perspective of the boys involved.
August 11, 2024
La trama del libro es interesante, pero hasta que logras hilar todas las partes te zampas muchas páginas bastante prescindibles. El final es un gran thriller, eso sí.
June 23, 2016
Grf. Maybe I'm just sick of Nicholas Blake. Had high hopes for this, because the other adventure (not mystery) featuring Nigel Strangeways was so good. This features 12 year-old boys, and I'm guessing Blake wrote it to entertain his own. They are not particularly interesting 12 year-old boys and Blake makes the horrible mistake (three times) of having a character withhold vital information because he doesn't see its relevance. Anyway, I got sick of the story getting longer and longer because the boys wouldn't tell the right people the truth, so I threw it at the wall. Will try again when I'm not feeling so impatient.
April 30, 2018
I've read several Nicholas Strangeway's mysteries and this was the least appealing. It had more in common with a boy scout adventure story(the unknown man behind the scenes,secret messages,an mysterious plot...)than with a mystery.
September 29, 2025
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...
September 24, 2020
I really enjoyed this rollicking mystery novel! Blake begins with a suspenseful sequence in a London park involving a young boy with a boat, a spy, and a Quack. I was so taken with this beginning that I found it hard to wait until I went to bed each night to read more. Nigel Strangeways is also in the story from the beginning and meets a sculptor who is more than his match in intelligence and deduction ability.
The charm in this novel comes from the three young boys, Bert, Foxy, and Copper. Foxy especially proves to be fearless at times. While they want what the police want, and what Nigel wants, they go about it much differently with some hilarious results. And some scary ones, too. Very clever to learn eventually what the message on the paper in Bert's boat really means -- Bert thinks it's all about him and he can't imagine how that happened at all since the man who gave him the piece of paper was a complete stranger. Blake does a good job of showing the boys realistically, and I found their plans and actions quite plausible.
I also really enjoyed the sparks that flew between Nigel and Clare. Those two have a future, I'm sure. And watch out for all the misdirection -- there's quite a lot, but it makes for a fun read. What the message really means gets twisted several times until the real meaning is finally deduced and that sets in motion quite a wonderful action sequence -- actually 2 of them -- at the end.
I'd recommend this book to mystery readers who like some complexity to their mysteries, anyone interested in old fashioned mysteries like Agatha Christie, and readers who'd like something different. I'm reading another Nicholas Blake mystery right now!
The charm in this novel comes from the three young boys, Bert, Foxy, and Copper. Foxy especially proves to be fearless at times. While they want what the police want, and what Nigel wants, they go about it much differently with some hilarious results. And some scary ones, too. Very clever to learn eventually what the message on the paper in Bert's boat really means -- Bert thinks it's all about him and he can't imagine how that happened at all since the man who gave him the piece of paper was a complete stranger. Blake does a good job of showing the boys realistically, and I found their plans and actions quite plausible.
I also really enjoyed the sparks that flew between Nigel and Clare. Those two have a future, I'm sure. And watch out for all the misdirection -- there's quite a lot, but it makes for a fun read. What the message really means gets twisted several times until the real meaning is finally deduced and that sets in motion quite a wonderful action sequence -- actually 2 of them -- at the end.
I'd recommend this book to mystery readers who like some complexity to their mysteries, anyone interested in old fashioned mysteries like Agatha Christie, and readers who'd like something different. I'm reading another Nicholas Blake mystery right now!
October 29, 2020
Twelve-year-old Bert, known as "the Brain" to his friends, is about to sail his toy boat in Kensington Gardens when a dying man thrusts a message into the hull. Two men try to take his boat, and realizing he is in danger, he attaches himself to a strolling stranger, who happens to be Nigel Strangeways. Strangeways helps him get away safely, but Bert runs off without giving his name or any details. Realizing that the dead man was murdered for the information he now has, and fearing to trust any adult, Bert and his fellow Martian Society members, Foxy and Copper, try to solve the mystery themselves. In the meantime, Nigel, making the connection between the unknown boy and the murder, tries to find the boy and help Scotland Yard find the reason behind the assignation.
This was not a typical Strangeways novel, as it is more adventure than mystery. The attentive reader will recognize the guilty party early on, and the rest of the story is a race to see who will find Bert first, Nigel or the bad guys, and if either Bert or Nigel will correctly interpret the coded message. The boys were nicely written and their part of the story was thoroughly enjoyable. Nigel's actions played a minor role, but still made a good tale. On the whole, this is one of the best of the series that I've read so far.
This was not a typical Strangeways novel, as it is more adventure than mystery. The attentive reader will recognize the guilty party early on, and the rest of the story is a race to see who will find Bert first, Nigel or the bad guys, and if either Bert or Nigel will correctly interpret the coded message. The boys were nicely written and their part of the story was thoroughly enjoyable. Nigel's actions played a minor role, but still made a good tale. On the whole, this is one of the best of the series that I've read so far.
May 9, 2022
This is the first work by Nicholas Blake, the pen name of c. Day Lewis, and it is most worthwhile. Both the beginning and the end are real standouts. A young boy sailing his toy boat in a boat park is moments away from both a brutal killing and a note of international importance being placed in his boat. The ending, a frantic search for an assassin at Albert Hall, evokes memories of the final scenes of both "The Day of the Jackal" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
February 2, 2018
This book was quite a pleasant read, and although it felt a little "famous five" like I did enjoy it. I had a little trouble visualizing the characters in this book, probably due to the era that this book was written. I was a good story with a bit of drama and a nail biting ending.
March 18, 2018
A good classical mystery. It's well written, with interesting characters and an entertaining plot.
Some partes reminded me when I was reading when I was a child like the Three Investigators.
Really likeable.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ipso Books
Some partes reminded me when I was reading when I was a child like the Three Investigators.
Really likeable.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ipso Books
September 16, 2019
Kindle Unlimited Free Trial | Finished while the internet was out, no time for review.
October 16, 2019
Completely far fetched, with so many coincidences and unlikely circumstances, but a fun adventure with a small gang of young boys taking on criminal gangs and political assassinations.
August 16, 2020
Suspenseful! A little more cloak and dagger than my usual, but hard to put down.
December 22, 2021
Couldn’t finish—lost interest
July 5, 2023
A good thriller/mystery that could have taken place any time during a 40 or 50 year span. Yes, it is a little dated by todays standard but it still stands up well. A fun read.
September 1, 2025
Boys Own BS.
June 6, 2009
Very tightly written mystery. Actually by C. Day Lewis. Nicholas Blake is is nome de plume for mysteries. Facinating plot. Great sentences.
Read
June 6, 2018Skimmed to the end of this so that I didn't have to carry it with me on my travels. Not impressed.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews