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Nigel Strangeways #14
The Worm of Death
An old doctor is killed; his body put into the river. Family members are two sons, daughter and adopted son. Nigel Strangeways and Clare are invited to help, to find motive and means.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1961
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107 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Blake
97 books73 followersNicholas Blake is the pseudonym of poet Cecil Day-Lewis C. Day Lewis, who was born in Ireland in 1904. He was the son of the Reverend Frank Cecil Day-Lewis and his wife Kathleen (nee Squires). His mother died in 1906, and he and his father moved to London, where he was brought up by his father with the help of an aunt.
He spent his holidays in Wexford and regarded himself very much as Anglo-Irish, although when the Republic of Ireland was declared in 1948 he chose British citizenship.
He was married twice, to Mary King in 1928 and to Jill Balcon in 1951, and during the 1940s he had a long love affair with novelist Rosamond Lehmann. He had four children from his two marriages, with actor Daniel Day-Lewis, documentary filmmaker and television chef Tamasin Day-Lewis and TV critic and writer Sean Day-Lewis being three of his children.
He began work as a schoolmaster, and during World War II he worked as a publications editor in the Ministry of Information. After the war he joined Chatto & Windus as a senior editor and director, and then in 1946 he began lecturing at Cambridge University. He later taught poetry at Oxford University, where he was Professor of Poetry from 1951-1956, and from 1962-1963 he was the Norton Professor at Harvard University.
But he was by then earning his living mainly from his writings, having had some poetry published in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and then in 1935 beginning his career as a thriller writer under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake with 'A Question of Proof', which featured his amateur sleuth Nigel Strangeways, reputedly modelled on W H Auden. He continued the Strangeways series, which finally totalled 16 novels, ending with 'The Morning After Death' in 1966. He also wrote four detective novels which did not feature Strangeways.
He continued to write poetry and became Poet Laureate in 1968, a post he held until his death in 1972. He was also awarded the CBE.
He died from pancreatic cancer on 22 May 1972 at the Hertfordshire home of Kingsley Amis and Elizabeth Jane Howard, where he and his wife were staying. He is buried in Stinsford churchyard, close to the grave of one of his heroes, Thomas Hardy, something that he had arranged before his death.
He spent his holidays in Wexford and regarded himself very much as Anglo-Irish, although when the Republic of Ireland was declared in 1948 he chose British citizenship.
He was married twice, to Mary King in 1928 and to Jill Balcon in 1951, and during the 1940s he had a long love affair with novelist Rosamond Lehmann. He had four children from his two marriages, with actor Daniel Day-Lewis, documentary filmmaker and television chef Tamasin Day-Lewis and TV critic and writer Sean Day-Lewis being three of his children.
He began work as a schoolmaster, and during World War II he worked as a publications editor in the Ministry of Information. After the war he joined Chatto & Windus as a senior editor and director, and then in 1946 he began lecturing at Cambridge University. He later taught poetry at Oxford University, where he was Professor of Poetry from 1951-1956, and from 1962-1963 he was the Norton Professor at Harvard University.
But he was by then earning his living mainly from his writings, having had some poetry published in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and then in 1935 beginning his career as a thriller writer under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake with 'A Question of Proof', which featured his amateur sleuth Nigel Strangeways, reputedly modelled on W H Auden. He continued the Strangeways series, which finally totalled 16 novels, ending with 'The Morning After Death' in 1966. He also wrote four detective novels which did not feature Strangeways.
He continued to write poetry and became Poet Laureate in 1968, a post he held until his death in 1972. He was also awarded the CBE.
He died from pancreatic cancer on 22 May 1972 at the Hertfordshire home of Kingsley Amis and Elizabeth Jane Howard, where he and his wife were staying. He is buried in Stinsford churchyard, close to the grave of one of his heroes, Thomas Hardy, something that he had arranged before his death.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 31, 2020
This is the fourteenth Nigel Strangeways mystery, published in 1961. Strangeways is now living in Greenwich with artist, Clare. Author Nicholas Blake (Cecil Day-Lewis) apparently also lived in Greenwich and so there is a strong feeling of place and of the river, which is a real presence in the novel.
On a foggy, February Day, Nigel and Clare are invited to dinner with Dr Piers Loudron; a well-respected member of the community who was well known for being a hero during the blitz. The meal is uncomfortable, with Dr Loudron's children being quarrelsome and Dr Loudron sarcastic. There is James, also a doctor, who lacks confidence. Daughter Rebecca, who is in love with artist, Walter Barn; of whom her father disapproves. Businessman Howard, whose wife Sharon is something of a vamp. Plus adopted son, Graham, who seems to be Dr Loudron's favourite. After the tense evening, Nigel and Clare return home and forget all about it. That is, until they hear that Dr Loudron has gone missing and, suddenly, Nigel is involved in another murder case.
This is an interesting addition to the Strangeways series. I liked the setting, although the author seems a little uncomfortable with the changing times. There is much about jazz, angry young men and the working class. That aside, this is a series that - however uneven - is sometimes really good and there are also some interesting historical and social details, which make the books well worth reading.
On a foggy, February Day, Nigel and Clare are invited to dinner with Dr Piers Loudron; a well-respected member of the community who was well known for being a hero during the blitz. The meal is uncomfortable, with Dr Loudron's children being quarrelsome and Dr Loudron sarcastic. There is James, also a doctor, who lacks confidence. Daughter Rebecca, who is in love with artist, Walter Barn; of whom her father disapproves. Businessman Howard, whose wife Sharon is something of a vamp. Plus adopted son, Graham, who seems to be Dr Loudron's favourite. After the tense evening, Nigel and Clare return home and forget all about it. That is, until they hear that Dr Loudron has gone missing and, suddenly, Nigel is involved in another murder case.
This is an interesting addition to the Strangeways series. I liked the setting, although the author seems a little uncomfortable with the changing times. There is much about jazz, angry young men and the working class. That aside, this is a series that - however uneven - is sometimes really good and there are also some interesting historical and social details, which make the books well worth reading.
October 28, 2022
Nigel Strangeways and Clare Massinger are invited to the home Dr. Piers Loudron on a foggy February night. They are fairly new to the Greenwich area and the dinner invitation is a chance for them to get to know some of their neighbors. It is a pretty uncomfortable meal with Loudron's children behaving as though they're still in the nursery rather than grown men and women and the doctor being sarcastic about the lot. They squabble amongst themselves and take verbal potshots at one another. His son James is also a doctor, but he lacks the confidence and presence of his well-respected father. Rebecca, the daughter of the house, is in love with Walter Barn, an artist and a man her father heartily disapproves. Howard is fairly unsuccessful business man with a costly wife who has an eye for anything in trousers. And then there's Graham, an adopted son, who apparently can do no wrong in the good doctor's eyes. Nigel and Clare aren't quite sure why they've been invited--unless there was hope that their presence would put a damper on the family tensions. But it doesn't help matters that Loudron announces to all that Nigel is something of an amateur sleuth.
"Do you have noble ideas about justice and retribution and all that? Do you see yourself as a hound of heaven tracking down the wrongdoer?"
Later that night, long after the dinner party, Loudron disappears from his home. The next morning Rebecca and Walter come to Nigel to ask for his advice. But other than a search of the house and grounds (already done) and contacting the police (also done), Nigel has nothing to suggest. A little over a week later Loudron's body is found in the Thames. But he wasn't drowned...his wrists were slit. Was it suicide? If so, why was he in the river? If not, who killed him? And did the same person dump his body?
It's been a while since a read a Nigel Strangeways mystery. And it's been an even longer while since I read this one. I remembered exactly nothing about it. Not that it would have mattered if I did, because there's very little mystery about who did it. Despite Inspector Wright's point of view:
"We're getting nowhere. Nowhere at all. A lovely set of motives. Lots of lovely opportunity. Some cockeyed alibis. But hardly one solid fact to build on. Even their lies--and they've told enough, between them--seem to cancel one another out."
Wright's a trifle pessimistic. If, as Strangeways does, you pay any attention at all to psychology then you have to know who did it. Sure, all of the suspects have psychological hangups. That's an effort to muddy the waters and make the reader think there's some sort of choice about who did it. But, supposing the number of motives and personalities does distract you--there's really only one logical reason for the second murder. Especially after the reader recognizes the important psychological motive. And, knowing how Strangeways operates, the reader should be thinking about the psychology.
And--speaking of personalities. We've really got a prize set here. Not a likeable character amongst the suspects. I kindof wanted to root for one of the Loudron children, but they made it pretty darn hard to do so. And Strangeways isn't even all that attractive here--what with eyeballing old prostitutes and flirting along with the unashamed vamp. The best character is Clare, but we don't see nearly enough of her. I love how she saves the day for Nigel at the end. But overall, the book just didn't do it for me. The mystery is rather squalid and culprit is pretty cold-blooded. You can tell that we're not in the Golden Age anymore, Toto. ★★ and 3/4. [rounded up here]
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
September 8, 2015
I'm jumping around chronologically among the books in this series and I've yet to be disappointed by any of them. This one is darker and harsher than the others I've read, and, aside from some dated macho posturing, is thoroughly gripping and confounding. Clare is a great partner to Nigel. Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs are wonderful settings. Very autumnal.
September 20, 2020
Nigel Strangeways and his partner Clare Massinger attend a dinner party with their neighbour, a local doctor. It is a strained affair - Dr Piers Loudon is rather tyrannical towards his family and the tensions are evident. When Dr Loudon disappears, Nigel is asked to investigate by the family and uses his skills in psychology to unravel their secrets.
This was an interesting crime story, and given the small number of suspects, the culprit and the sequence of events remained hidden for a surprisingly long time, thanks to a few ingenious twists. Once the murderer was revealed, the plot got bogged down in quite a lot of talking, but the final denouement was quite engaging.
Probably 3.5*, rounded up because I do like this series a lot, both for the individuality of Strangeways, and for the grumpy views of the author that sneak through at inappropriate moments.
This was an interesting crime story, and given the small number of suspects, the culprit and the sequence of events remained hidden for a surprisingly long time, thanks to a few ingenious twists. Once the murderer was revealed, the plot got bogged down in quite a lot of talking, but the final denouement was quite engaging.
Probably 3.5*, rounded up because I do like this series a lot, both for the individuality of Strangeways, and for the grumpy views of the author that sneak through at inappropriate moments.
April 10, 2018
It's my first from this series and I enjoyed that is sort of art related and also the Petronius reference.
I found the pool of characters interesting to observe and I enjoyed following the detective, mostly for the dialogues.
I felt like the descriptions weren't as good. Not only is Nigel labeling the suspects but he does it redundantly. As an example, whenever it came to Harold, it had to be mentioned him being uxorious. This is a nice word and might show an intellectual inclination in Nigel towards classical languages, but it surely doesn't need to appear a thousand times to make a point.
I found the pool of characters interesting to observe and I enjoyed following the detective, mostly for the dialogues.
I felt like the descriptions weren't as good. Not only is Nigel labeling the suspects but he does it redundantly. As an example, whenever it came to Harold, it had to be mentioned him being uxorious. This is a nice word and might show an intellectual inclination in Nigel towards classical languages, but it surely doesn't need to appear a thousand times to make a point.
October 24, 2020
What a curious title: "The Worm of Death." The explanation for it doesn't come until the end, and then you need to pay close attention or you'll miss it. Just the same, I didn't much care for the title, and thought Blake could have come up with something better (or the marketing department of his publisher). This was my only complaint about this novel.
Nigel Strangeways and Clare Massinger go to their neighbors' house for dinner one evening, and meet the entire Loudron family. Both notice a strange tension in the air but decide that it must be because of the patriarch's eccentricities. But then, the patriarch, Dr. Piers Loudron, goes missing, and one of his sons, Dr. James, requests Nigel's expertise to help find him. Unfortunately for the Loudron family, Dr. Piers is found in the Thames, dead, and wearing nothing but a tweed coat. This is a marvelous set-up for a murder mystery. Nigel quickly narrows the suspects down to members of the Loudron family, and he and Inspector Wright conduct an intense investigation into alibis and possible motives. Another death in the family ratchets up the intensity until a really spooky ending on a rotting barge.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and have absolutely no complaints about it (except the title). I did suspect the murderer about halfway through and I turned out to be right. But the process of revealing all the clues and red herrings was great fun to read. I've enjoyed Blake's mystery novels as a respite from thrillers with high body counts. British mysteries focus attention more on psychology, motive, and emotions as well as how relationships always complicate things. I do wish P. D. James were still alive and writing -- I loved her novels.
I'd recommend this novel to mystery readers looking for a fun, intense British murder mystery that has a touch of humor at times, and interesting characters. I've really enjoyed these old fashioned mysteries.
Nigel Strangeways and Clare Massinger go to their neighbors' house for dinner one evening, and meet the entire Loudron family. Both notice a strange tension in the air but decide that it must be because of the patriarch's eccentricities. But then, the patriarch, Dr. Piers Loudron, goes missing, and one of his sons, Dr. James, requests Nigel's expertise to help find him. Unfortunately for the Loudron family, Dr. Piers is found in the Thames, dead, and wearing nothing but a tweed coat. This is a marvelous set-up for a murder mystery. Nigel quickly narrows the suspects down to members of the Loudron family, and he and Inspector Wright conduct an intense investigation into alibis and possible motives. Another death in the family ratchets up the intensity until a really spooky ending on a rotting barge.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and have absolutely no complaints about it (except the title). I did suspect the murderer about halfway through and I turned out to be right. But the process of revealing all the clues and red herrings was great fun to read. I've enjoyed Blake's mystery novels as a respite from thrillers with high body counts. British mysteries focus attention more on psychology, motive, and emotions as well as how relationships always complicate things. I do wish P. D. James were still alive and writing -- I loved her novels.
I'd recommend this novel to mystery readers looking for a fun, intense British murder mystery that has a touch of humor at times, and interesting characters. I've really enjoyed these old fashioned mysteries.
May 8, 2018
A closed circle mystery that really digs into the dislike the detective (author?) has for the fast and loose, post WW II, jumped-up working class. The upper middle doesn't fare too well either, but at least those characters are given dialogue that is mildly believable. Also, and this is by no means only a fault of Mr. Blake's, in this Strangways there is like no way to be a woman that is likable/viable/not a madonna or whore outside of being Strangways' girlfriend, and she usually just "listens calmly" - these gender problems are larger than the discussion of this novel, and I don't know if this piece can bear that weight, but it really got under my skin this go round, Anyway, it's a pretty good read even if the mystery is laugh-out-loud improbably, A recommend.
I received an ecopy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2021
The pseudonym Nicholas Blake was used by the poet Cecil Day-Lewis for the mysteries that he wrote. I read all of his Nigel Strangeways mysteries many years ago and was very excited when the titles began to be re-issued. In the past, I especially enjoyed the relationships between Nigel and the women in his life, Georgia and Clare. In this book, readers find Clare.
The mystery itself centers on Dr. Piers Loudon and his family. What happened to him? Was a family member responsible? How will Nigel resolve the case?
As noted, this title is part of an older series but I do think that it is worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
The mystery itself centers on Dr. Piers Loudon and his family. What happened to him? Was a family member responsible? How will Nigel resolve the case?
As noted, this title is part of an older series but I do think that it is worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
May 5, 2018
I love Nicholas Blake mysteries and this one was really good.
It's well written, with an entertaining and interesting plot. It keep you guessing till the end.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Ipso Books and Netgalley
It's well written, with an entertaining and interesting plot. It keep you guessing till the end.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Ipso Books and Netgalley
September 23, 2019
Kindle Unlimited Free Trial | I didn't enjoy this as much as some of the other Strangeways books, which is why it took ages to finish. Admittedly, I had a lot going on in my own life when I read it, but mainly I need at least one redeeming character in a book.
October 24, 2021
In this mystery, a London doctor is found dead in the river and, while the police decide if it's suicide or murder, Nigel Strangeways does his own investigating. This is one of Blake's best, in my opinion, and I found it enjoyable and engrossing, despite the obvious solution.
November 29, 2018
The only down side to this book was the ending. Can’t say why without spoiling the book.
January 26, 2019
Quick read, but not particularly gripping or novel.
February 25, 2019
Really enjoyed this, it was very atmospheric for the area it was set in, and it kept me guessing to the end what had happened and who had made it happen
February 24, 2020
An enthralling & dark murder mystery permeated with a sinister pervasive gloom
September 26, 2025
Interesting background details about the characters added to the mystery plot to make the book overall more enjoyable.
June 30, 2016
Nigel Strangeways is called in when a prominent doctor disappears, and is later found in the Thames river. The man had been killed by exsanguination -someone cut his wrists, and this unusual murder method is one of the clues leading to the identity of the killer. The other clues come from the victim's relationships with his 3 biological and one adopted child. His downtrodden daughter is now able to marry the excitable and low-born artist her father despised. His eldest son, also a doctor, does not have to endure sarcastic remarks about his limited medical talents any more. His second son can now inherit the funds he needs to keep his business afloat and his expensive and promiscuous wife at home. And his adopted son is an enigma all the way, including his parentage.
The mystery is not particularly challenging - the most likely suspect is indeed guilty. The best part of the book was the atmosphere of the part of London called the Isle of Dogs, and the dock areas of the Thames. Fog, barges, locks, alleyways... all very evocative. To me the most dated part was the psychology of the second son's wife. Her come-ons to Nigel are just ridiculous - some wishful thinking on the part of the author, perhaps? Anyway, she's a glamorous but not quite credible addition to the cast of respectable middle-class Londoners.
The mystery is not particularly challenging - the most likely suspect is indeed guilty. The best part of the book was the atmosphere of the part of London called the Isle of Dogs, and the dock areas of the Thames. Fog, barges, locks, alleyways... all very evocative. To me the most dated part was the psychology of the second son's wife. Her come-ons to Nigel are just ridiculous - some wishful thinking on the part of the author, perhaps? Anyway, she's a glamorous but not quite credible addition to the cast of respectable middle-class Londoners.
November 25, 2024
Nigel Strangeways and Clare Massinger have recently moved to a flat/studio in the Greenwich area along London's Thames River. Invited to dinner by a neighbor, Dr. Piers Loudron, the couple find themselves witness to a strange tension among the Dr. and his two sons and daughter, as well as an adopted son. The family dynamics are intriguing, but Nigel fails to anticipate that the good doctor will shortly disappear.
Hid family ask Nigel to look into the disappearance partly as a buffer between them and the police. But when the doctor's body surfaces on the Thames, it becomes apparent he was the victim of foul play.
Now Nigel must sort through the prickly family dynamics and inconclusive alibis to find the motive for slaying the doctor. Was it murder for money? Or did some long-simmering resentment boil over and lead to the killing?
This book offers a rare set piece ending in which the cerebral Strangeways finds his life in jeopardy, with rescue coming from a hitherto unlikely source. Also, the mighty Thames becomes its own character in the tale.
I re-read this in The Nicholas Blake Treasury Vol. 4.
Hid family ask Nigel to look into the disappearance partly as a buffer between them and the police. But when the doctor's body surfaces on the Thames, it becomes apparent he was the victim of foul play.
Now Nigel must sort through the prickly family dynamics and inconclusive alibis to find the motive for slaying the doctor. Was it murder for money? Or did some long-simmering resentment boil over and lead to the killing?
This book offers a rare set piece ending in which the cerebral Strangeways finds his life in jeopardy, with rescue coming from a hitherto unlikely source. Also, the mighty Thames becomes its own character in the tale.
I re-read this in The Nicholas Blake Treasury Vol. 4.
October 1, 2009
somewhat predictable, but not entirely. The author did a good job of character building and some of the characters were a riot. (Did I mention I just have random books to read?) but perfect for the morning and evening commute as I don't have to think too hard!
October 1, 2014
Disappointing: I guessed whodunit on page 58 and couldn't be bothered to stick around to see how Nigel Strangeways figured it out. The only memorable thing about the parts I read was the character of Clare Massinger, who must have been revolutionary in the early 1960's.
July 9, 2024
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