A Question of Proof by Nicholas Blake

[Susan]

In October I plan to do a buddy read of the first Nigel Strangeways mystery, A Question of Proof . Published in 1935 it was written by Cecil Day-Lewis, under the pseudonym Nicholas Blake.

We have spoken before about traditional settings for Golden Age mysteries and this certainly uses one of them - taking place in a school. I include a link to a website which gives some good information about this very enjoyable series:

http://www.goodmystery.com/strangeway...

If you want to join in, you are very welcome!

[Judy]

Looking forward to this, Susan! After recently reading an excellent standalone by Blake, I'm keen to read his Nigel Strangeways books.

[Susan]

It is a good series, Judy. I think you will enjoy them. Hope so anyway!

[Leslie]

I am in! I will track down a library copy of the book.

[Susan]

Good news, Leslie :)

[Judy]

A library copy is on its way to me too.

[Susan]

Good to hear - I have started re-reading this and it is good fun.

[Leslie]

I have put in my request but don't know how fast it will get here. By October for sure but it sounds like you two might be done by then!

[Susan]

We will wait for you, Leslie. Let me know when you have read it.

[Leslie]

Susan wrote: "We will wait for you, Leslie. Let me know when you have read it."

Thanks Susan :)

[Susan]

We are doing this at our own pace, so take your time :)

[Leslie]

I have gotten the book and started. I like the school setting but what the heck is a hay castle? I don't really need a definition because it is clear from the context but was (is) this a standard part of English school sports days?

[Susan]

Haystack?

No, certainly not part of any school sports day I ever went to, but I think they allude to a hay fight. Perhaps they had a field, so they literally let the boys go mad and just throw hay at each other, because teachers were obviously involved (hence a later clue, which I won't spoil here!).

[Judy]

I've just started this too and am enjoying the witty style of writing and the school setting - I've just read Tey's Miss Pym Disposes. set in a girls' college, so it will be interesting to compare.

I immediately went off at a tangent by wondering about how the song which Michael Evans is singing to himself, the 'Lament for Patrick Sarsfield' goes - so far I've only managed to find a recording in Gaelic on Spotify, which s a very stirring tune!

[Leslie]

It sounds to me as if the students built fort-like structures from hay, maybe in a competition, as the hay castle involved is referred to as the fifth form one (implying that there were others built by students in other forms). Perhaps it was a part of the school's hay making.

[Susan]

So many books from this era mention teaching in prep schools, don't they? From Evelyn Waugh to crime novels. It does seem as though teaching was not held in high esteem - more a last resort!

[Judy]

I've been reminded of Evelyn Waugh too, Susan, and of a book we read over on Bright Young Things, Decline and Fall. I definitely agree that the teachers seem to be quite disillusioned and not particularly dedicated to their work in a lot of books from this era!

[Susan]

Yes, teachers in these books seem to be either young graduates or older men who are not fit for anything else - often with drinking problems. I do find it odd that the only women were the Head's wife and possibly the matron. How difficult that would be for a young wife, such a Hero. Especially as Prep Schools are often quite isolated. When I read the biography of A A Milne, his father also run a prep school and his wife was quite involved in theatricals, etc.

[Judy]

I see Day-Lewis was a teacher himself, so clearly writing from experience here.

I loved this conversation:

" 'After all, I'm not a halfwit. I'm sure I could get some sort of job. I might even degrade myself to writing novels.'

'You sweet; let's hope it needn't be as bad as that.' "

[Susan]

Yes, I believe Day-Lewis was driven to writing mysteries - probably they brought in more money than poetry. Hence the pen name, perhaps?

[Leslie]

I have finished -- I never guessed who the culprit was! I look forward to reading some more Blake :)

Re: schools in books -- even Dickens has some things to say about British prep schools (Nicholas Nickleby for example). Having read Dickens & Waugh and some others, I would never send a child to one of those schools. Of course, on the positive side is the Southbridge School of Angela Thirkell.

[Susan]

My sons both went to prep schools and they were nothing like this :)

An interesting modern take on those kind of faded, old fashioned prep schools, was Gentlemen and Players, which I loved.

I'm glad you liked the book, Leslie. Nicholas Blake is one of my favourite GA authors.

[Judy]

I'm just over 100 pages in now, and have finally "met" Nigel Strangeways, who seems like an interesting character - I was becoming increasingly curious before he put in an appearance!

Thanks for mentioning Gentlemen and Players, Susan - the only Joanne Harris book I've read so far was Chocolat, which I loved. I did try Blackberry Wine but didn't get into it.

[Judy]

The way the boys talk to one another really reminds me of the Jennings books by Anthony Buckeridge, which I used to love as a child.

I see the character was first invented for radio plays in the late 1940s and the first book, Jennings Goes To School, came out in 1950, so quite a bit later than this book, but the schools probably hadn't changed much!

[Judy]

Just noticed a comment about detective stories - I love the way the detectives in GA books are always commenting on other books!

One of the teachers is disappointed that Nigel just takes a cigarette in the ordinary way instead of 'carefully selecting' it, which he claims all fictional detectives do.

"Just padding," said Wrench, "they can never spin a single crime over three hundred pages, so they either have to fill up with carefully selected drinks and smokes or make their criminal commit a few more murders."

I'm not sure if this is fair comment or not, since I enjoy the "padding" dismissed by Wrench here!

[Leslie]

Judy wrote: "Just noticed a comment about detective stories - I love the way the detectives in GA books are always commenting on other books!

One of the teachers is disappointed that Nigel just takes a cigaret..."

I loved that passage! Of course, Nigel has his share of quirks too (like his drinking innumerable cups of tea!).

[Susan]

Yes, he certainly did drink a lot of tea - more than me even :)

Judy, I never really liked, "Chocolate," but I think you would really enjoy, "Gentlemen and Players." She has recently written a sequel, which I haven't read yet, so I will probably re-read Gentlemen at some point. If I do, then I will mention it, in case anyone is interested in joining in. It's a really great read.

[Judy]

Yes, the tea is just as much a quirk as cigarettes or pipes are for other authors!

I've finished the book now and enjoyed it, but I do feel that Blake "cheats" a bit in terms of the mystery, by making Nigel continually spot interesting clues or pick up items without giving a hint as to what they are, something Sherlock Holmes does too!

[Susan]

Yes, he does hold his clues close to his chest, doesn't he? That could be dangerous, because if he is the only one who realises who the killer is, surely he makes himself a target?

[Leslie]

Susan wrote: "Yes, he does hold his clues close to his chest, doesn't he? That could be dangerous, because if he is the only one who realises who the killer is, surely he makes himself a target?"

I agree - I hope that he gets over that habit in future books.

I had no idea who it was when he said he knew but had no proof; I went back and searched for clues but without result.

[Susan]

I will be honest and say this is an odd series in some ways. The author tends to be quite dismissive of things and jump about. For example, Nigel meets his wife in the next book. Then, a few books later, she is killed in the blitz and, despite appearing in so many books, she just vanishes, hardly without mention. So I think this was very much a fun addition for the author, obviously not his main priority. Still, I do like Nigel Strangeways and find these books fun and well written.

[Judy]

A fun addition sounds right to me. The tone is much lighter in this book than in the standalone crime novel by Blake I read a little while back, A Penknife in My Heart, which is quite dark and brooding by comparison (though still witty), and dwells on the devastating nature of murder.

My feeling is that this one is very much a puzzle book, one of those where we are not supposed to spend a lot of time worrying about the victims!

[Susan]

Yes, although he can be dark, as in The Beast Must Die, which is about the hit and run killing of a child - in a time when speeding laws were virtually ignored. LPW talks of speeding, it comes up in the Alleyn book we just read, where they boast of speeding from the station and it also features in And Then There Were None, where one of the victims killed two children in his car. He also does books which are virtual spy stories, or thrillers. So, he obviously didn't feel tied down by the genre.

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "Yes, he does hold his clues close to his chest, doesn't he? That could be dangerous, because if he is the only one who realises who the killer is, surely he makes himself a target?"

Good point! I was puzzled that the police don't insist on him telling them when he knows who it is - although this does happen in a lot of mysteries to allow for the final reveal, I suppose!

Also (view spoiler)[ I thought it was very foolhardy to leave his gun below his pillow and let the killer know where it is - even if it only has one bullet, there is no guarantee the killer will use that bullet on himself!

The whole idea of keeping a gun under the pillow also again shows how different the rules on gun ownership in the UK were at that time compared to nowadays - this is something that often crops up in GA books, with guns casually kept in drawers or carried around. (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Yes, that is a good point, Judy. I expect many people brought guns back from the war. I know my grandfather had a gun he had brought back from Europe after the war and my mother told me that, some years later, there was an amnesty and, remembering he had it in a drawer and knowing it could be dangerous if stolen if he was burgled or whatever, he apparently gave it into the police.

[Judy]

That's interesting, Susan. There seem to be quite a lot of ex-service revolvers etc turning up in these books, and obviously that was the case in real life.

I really enjoyed this book overall - I loved little throwaway touches like the boy whose pet lizard crawls up one of the master's legs, something which again really reminded me of Jennings!

[Judy]

Just came across an interesting article about Cecil Day-Lewis as a crime writer - this mentions that he nearly got the sack from his post as a teacher at Cheltenham College, because the chairman of governors was outraged by the love affair in the book!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/bo...

This also mentions that Nigel Strangeways was initially based on fellow poet W.H. Auden.

[Susan]

Very interesting, Judy. I would love to read his biography - did everyone between the wars work in a prep school at some time?!

[Judy]

Discussing our current group read, Hallowe'en Party, has reminded me of something I meant to say about this book too.

(view spoiler)[ It seems so sad that nobody really seems to be bothered about the young boy's death, with even the head teacher mainly worrying about the effect on the school's reputation!

The fact that it turns out he died trying to join a club - thinking he was actually being accepted by his classmates instead of ostracised - should really be heartbreaking. But, because Blake makes the book so funny overall, somehow I think the temptation is not to be as sad about the child's murder as we really should be! (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Yes, the adults that were meant to be looking after him were not much help either, were they? A headmaster concerned with his own reputation and a dodgy solicitor... You can only wonder that he turned out unlikeable. There seems very little understanding of children generally in these books - they are either charming or charmless, but it is 'their' fault and not any outside influence.

I remember reading the biography of W. Somerset Maugham. His beloved mother died and he was shunted from France to a severe couple in England; a less cheerful rector than the one we meet in the LPW novel. Yet, he was expected to fit in, to be quiet, to not complain. It was a different time, but children were often given very little sympathy or affection.

[Susan]

I recommended book 2 of this series for the December vote. It didn't win, but I shall probably read it next month - especially as I have already read the (almost certain) winner. I do think this is a series which does get better and Nigel becomes more central in future books.

[Judy]

I'll read the second one some time in the run-up to Christmas too - just checked and my local libraries have it! I'm interested to hear that the series gets even better.

I read quite a few festive-themed mysteries last year and enjoyed them, so am aiming to do the same this year.

[Susan]

That's good. Let me know when you are going to read it and we can compare notes :)

[Judy]

Will do, Susan, thanks!

[Leslie]

Susan wrote: "I recommended book 2 of this series for the December vote. It didn't win, but I shall probably read it next month - especially as I have already read the (almost certain) winner. I do think this is..."

It looks like that one isn't available to me. Oh well, I will eavesdrop on your discussion anyway :-)

[Susan]

That's a shame, Leslie. I think they were re-printed a fairly short while ago. If that's the case, then that's probably why it did so poorly in the vote - but it's so hard to know what is available outside your own country.

[Judy]

I've now ordered book 2 in this series, Thou Shell of Death: A Nigel Strangeways Mystery from my local libraries.

Sorry Susan, I intended to do so before, but their computer system was out of action for a while and it then slipped my mind! Hope to have it and start reading in the next few days. :)

[Judy]

P.S. I see the plot involves poison pen letters - so will be interesting to compare with those in Gaudy Night!

[Susan]

Oh, that's great, Judy. Let me finish Busman's Holiday and then I will start it. I have too many books on the go at once at the moment!

[Judy]

Know the feeling, I also need to finish Busman's Honeymoon first - have just started my reread of that one! :)