Head of a Traveller by Nicholas Blake - SPOILER Thread

[Susan]

Published in 1949, this is the 9th Nigel Strangeways mystery.

Staying with a friend in Oxfordshire, poet turned amateur detective Nigel Strangeways pays a visit to Robert Seaton, a distinguished British poet whom Nigel greatly admires but whose reputation has been on the decline of late. Seaton proves to be an irascible, temperamental man, and his unconventional household, simmers with tension.

When a headless corpse is found floating in the river by the Seaton's house just a few weeks later, the poet becomes the prime suspect. But whose body is it?

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Susan]

Although there was much about this book that troubled me - this was certainly a novel that showed the political incorrectness of the age - I was interested by the fact that Robert Seaton, like Cecil Day-Lewis, was a poet. There was much about the importance of poetry, and of writing, which I found fascinating.

[ShanDizzy]

Susan wrote: "Although there was much about this book that troubled me -..."

I agree Susan, that there were some disturbing elements in this story but I simply could NOT stop reading until the end. The social mores of that time were certainly interesting.

[Judy]

I rather wish that Cecil Day-Lewis had actually written some bits of Seaton's poetry to include in the novel!

S Dizzy, I also couldn't stop reading despite the disturbing elements and the fact that a lot of the plot was fairly unbelievable - especially the hiding away of the head.

[Susan]

I try not to view GA novels with modern eyes, but this one was an oddity. However, it is not an unreadable book, by any means, in terms of plot or character. I quite liked the beginning, with Nigel's friend, trying to get him to come and investigate the headless body.

[Judy]

Was anyone else tempted by the idea someone suggested of the brothers having swapped around and this being the reason why the poet hadn’t written anything recently? It seemed quite possible after some of the mysteries I’ve read!

[ShanDizzy]

I thought that!!!

[Susan]

Yes, that seemed a reasonable plot twist - definitely.

[Bicky]

Somebody who knew the area well and has had his head removed - gives one a suspicion of who the victim maybe.

[Susan]

Yes, although it must, surely, be easier to hide a body than remove a head - even the thought of which makes me feel nauseous...

[Bicky]

Susan, I think in the abstract you are correct. The logical thing might have been to hide the entire body but once presented with a headless corpse...

[Bicky]

Two points which were not clarified.

Once the clothes are discovered, there is no discussion of what they reveal, especially about Oswald's past ten years.

More importantly, we never come to know why Oswald had decided to come back now. Seeing the photograph in a magazine is not an explanation.

[Bicky]

It is a strange question- whether you would want to make your brother's corpse unidentifable by beheading or battering. Battering would have been such a safer solution - even if the body was discovered, everybody would have been safe unless it was identified.

[Judy]

Bicky wrote: "More importantly, we never come to know why Oswald had decided to come back now. .."

I thought he had decided he wanted his estate back, though that doesn't explain why he chose this specific time. I don't remember now, is there any suggestion that he had run out of money and was fed up with being a ghost?

Although I found this very readable, it is fading in my mind quite quickly.

[Judy]

Did anyone guess the killer? I tended to discount him because he seemed a bit too obvious, but that turned out to be a double bluff!

[Sandy]

Judy wrote: "Did anyone guess the killer? I tended to discount him because he seemed a bit too obvious, but that turned out to be a double bluff!"

I think Nigel's theory is correct and the wife, Janet, is the actual killer though the poet, Robert, is guilty 'after the fact'.

What do people think Nigel did? Honor Robert's last wishes?

[Susan]

I suspect that, for Nigel, the poem was of more importance than the crime.

[Judy]

Sandy wrote: "I think Nigel's theory is correct and the wife, Janet, is the actual killer though the poet, Robert, is guilty 'after the fact'. ..."

Thanks, Sandy - I had forgotten that suggestion but I'm sure Nigel is very likely to be right!

[Bicky]

Describing the body:"‘Rather ill-nourished. But tough and sinewy for his age; had done hard manual work recently: also been living some time in the East—pigmentation of the skin’ Blount went on, poker faced."

I have come across this ' pigmentation of the skin' in Christie etc, also when describing individuals who have spent their lives in the colonies (often Majors!).

Can you get permanently tanned?

[Susan]

I know the sun ages your skin - so perhaps it just looks a certain way and that's what is referred to?

[Bicky]

Something like weathered by the sea? Yes, that sounds possible.

[Susan]

Some people's skin does look leathery through exposure to sun and wind. You can tell if people spend a lot of time outside,

[Pamela]

Finished this - not my favourite, mainly for the attitudes commented on above, but also the tendency Blake has shown in his last couple of books to go on and on about the timetable. The mackintosh element was quickly obvious too, yet Strangeways was baffled by it for ages.

Blake (through Nigel) has seemed to be quite angry in the last two books, it's a noticeable change of tone from earlier works. Was he having problems in his personal life at this time? I did like the way he talked about Georgia though.

[Judy]

Pamela wrote: "Finished this - not my favourite, mainly for the attitudes commented on above, but also the tendency Blake has shown in his last couple of books to go on and on about the timetable. The mackintosh ..."

Yes, I always tend to glaze over when GA writers start saying something like "Well, if X had been in this room from 3.30 to 4, he might have run into Y who was in the neighbouring room from 3.45 to 4.15, but then again what about W, who was just outside from 3,50 to 4.50, and would have seen either of them leaving..."

[Susan]

Very perceptive remarks, Pamela. According to Wiki:

In 1928 Day-Lewis married Constance Mary King, the daughter of a Sherborne master (i.e. teacher). Day-Lewis worked as a schoolmaster in three schools, including Larchfield School, Helensburgh, Scotland (now Lomond School).[8][9] During the 1940s he had a long and troubled love affair with the novelist Rosamond Lehmann. His first marriage was dissolved in 1951, and he married actress Jill Balcon, daughter of Michael Balcon.

Head of a Traveller was published in 1949, so he was coming to the end of his first marriage and his affair with Rosamond Lehmann. It must have been a very troubled time for him and that is definitely reflected in his characters.

[Judy]

That's very interesting, Pamela and Susan. The mood is definitely darker in this one compared to some of the earlier books, but I hadn't picked up on the anger.

[Pamela]

Susan wrote: "Very perceptive remarks, Pamela. According to Wiki:

In 1928 Day-Lewis married Constance Mary King, the daughter of a Sherborne master (i.e. teacher). Day-Lewis worked as a schoolmaster in three sc..."

Thanks Susan, now I've seen your comments I seem to remember the affair with Lehman being discussed previously. It definitely struck me that Nigel, who was always a bit vague and cheerful, now seems bitter and angry. Not only towards women, also with the male characters and even Blount at times (though they do still have a joke together occasionally)

[Susan]

I think, from the little I have read, that Lehmann was devastated at his second marriage. There is only one biography of Cecil Day Lewis that I can find and it is expensive and doesn't have great reviews. I think, perhaps a biography of Lehmann might be better to read, as there is one by Selina Hastings, whose work I have enjoyed before. If I ever find time to get to it, I'll let you know what she says on the matter :)