Malice in Wonderland by Nicholas Blake - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

Published in 1940, this is the sixth mystery featuring Nigel Strangeways and is also known as The Summer Camp Mystery / The Malice with Murder.

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 someone calling themselves 'The Mad Hatter'.

The camp's owners are convinced a rival firm, desperate to put them out of business, are behind the events. Or could it be a disgruntled employee, or even one of the four hundred guests currently staying at the camp? As the pranks become increasingly dangerous and tensions rise, Nigel must do all he can to uncover the Mad Hatter's true identity - before it's too late.

This is not only an interesting mystery, but it is very evocative of its era and an interesting social history of the beginnings of holiday camps in the UK.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Sandy]

Excellent setting. I really enjoyed visiting the holiday camp, though probably only in fiction. All the characters, while each of a type, were realistic. My major annoyance with Day-Lewis is Strangeways' comments that he may, or may not, have solved the mystery. Seeing as I have no idea of the solution and there never an explanation I get frustrated.

[Susan]

I agree, Sandy, that the pleasure of this novel is more about the setting than the crime or, indeed, the solution. Strangeways is a very low key detective, compared to most :)

[Roman Clodia]

I was so proud of myself having spotted and unravelled the hermit story - only to have it sidelined as not important to the main plot! I'm going to file it under Blake's sense of humour... I also greatly enjoyed the setting, characterisation and the writing and am happy to read more. How refreshing to have a mystery which doesn't involve murder :)

[Sandy]

Roman Clodia wrote: "I was so proud of myself having spotted and unravelled the hermit story - only to have it sidelined as not important to the main plot! I'm going to file it under Blake's sense of humour... I also g..."

I agree that a mystery without a murder was a pleasant change.

[Susan]

Quite brave too, not to have a murder involved. I am sure the publishers would have preferred one!

[Judy]

Just finished listening to this. I enjoyed it, but agree with you, Sandy, that it is annoying when Nigel keeps saying he knows who the culprit is, without giving us a clue.

I was also surprised that Mr Thistlethwaite's deductions turn out to be so accurate - perhaps he will turn up again in future books to help with investigations? He certainly seems to be very talented as a detective.

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "Quite brave too, not to have a murder involved. I am sure the publishers would have preferred one!"

Yes, and he could so easily have included an apparent murder, for instance by making Phyllis die from her allergic reaction - as it is, the only death we get is that of the spy.

Not having a murder definitely helps to make it all more lighthearted, but I'm still somewhat irritated that Captain Wise and Miss Jones pretty much get away with it - I believe Wise is actually left in charge of the camp! There must be quite a risk he will cook the books in future - though of course his bosses may well decide to sack him anyway.

[Susan]

Or he might get called up? He wasn't very old, was he?

[Judy]

I thought he was in his 40s? It's said that he is much older than Miss Jones.

[Judy]

And I think it may be mentioned that he was a Captain in WW1? I'm not 100% on this though, and can't easily check back as I only have the book on audible!

[Susan]

Oh, OK, I didn't remember. I guess the holiday camp would close soon anyway and be used for interned civilians, refugees or prisoners of war. Of course, if manages to keep his job long enough, he will have the Fifties and the most popular era of the holiday camp to look forward to.

[Judy]

Well, I'm not 100% certain on Capt Wise's past. Anyway, very true, Susan - his job wouldn't look too secure with the war being about to close down holiday camps, without any help from the Mad Hatter!

The 50s era makes me think of Hi-de-Hi - I once worked in the area of north Essex where that was made, and there were fond memories of the show. I wonder if there are any mysteries set in holiday camps of that era?

[Susan]

I found HOLIDAY CAMP MYSTERY but I think it's a children's book.

[Judy]

Thanks, Susan, this does sound like a children's book from the one review, but very interesting to see that it is set in Clacton in the 1950s.

[Judy]

I just found a website about Butlin's which has a whole page of books set at the holiday camps - looks as if Holiday Camp Mystery was one of several given to children who belonged to a Butlin's children's club.

http://www.bygonebutlins.com/books/

Also listed is The Toff at Butlin's by John Creasey, who we have just been talking about in his own favourite authors thread - this was published in 1954 and, according to the Goodreads blurb, involves one of his series detectives investigating the disappearance of three Redcoats!

[Susan]

The Toff has since been republished on kindle as The Toff at Camp

He was pretty prolific, that was number 30 in a series and there were 59 books, just in The Toff series! Overall, apparently he wrote over 600 books, which is pretty impressive...

I was also thinking it was quite good that Butlins gave children books as prizes. I recall, when I used to go, that there was a children's club and we watched films (a real treat then) and were also taken on trips. I seem to remember going to see a Punch and Judy show, although I can't really remember anything else.

[Roman Clodia]

I enjoyed this so much as my first Nicholas Blake that I'm currently reading his Thou Shell of Death, number 2 in the series which I see you've already read in the group. It's nice to get more of a handle on Nigel in the earlier book.

[Susan]

Hurrah! SO glad you like Nicholas Blake, RC :)