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Nigel Strangeways #16
The Morning After Death
Ivy League Murder
Nigel Strangeways is enjoying his stay in America at a university near Boston when campus life is suddenly disrupted by the shooting death of a classics professor. The local police request Nigel’s assistance since the victim—and the murderer—are members of the intimate academic circle that Nigel is very much a part of. Little does Nigel realize how close he actually is to the killer…
(Publisher’s description)
Nigel Strangeways is enjoying his stay in America at a university near Boston when campus life is suddenly disrupted by the shooting death of a classics professor. The local police request Nigel’s assistance since the victim—and the murderer—are members of the intimate academic circle that Nigel is very much a part of. Little does Nigel realize how close he actually is to the killer…
(Publisher’s description)
212 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
11 people are currently reading
87 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
November 7, 2020
I am saddened that I have now reached the final book in the Nigel Strangeways series - number sixteen in fact, published in 1966. This series started in the mid thirties and went right through to the mid sixties. During this time, Nigel Strangeways lost his wife in the blitz, found a new love and, in many ways, mirrored that of his creator, Nicholas Blake - pen name of Cecil Day-Lewis. Indeed, even in this novel, there is a scene where a much younger woman makes a pass at Strangeways and our weary investigator resigns himself to be seduced with the thought, "Oh, well, he sighed to himself." Not in the least politically correct, but I felt tolerantly amused by Lewis and his often bizarre view of the world.
In this mystery, Nigel Strangeways is visiting Cabot University, near Boston, to undertake some research. The Master of Hawthorne House is Ezekiel Edwardes, who Nigel knew at Oxford. He also gets to know Charles Ahlberg, an assistant senior tutor at the Business School, his brother, Mark, an English lecturer, Mark's girlfriend Sukie, and their half brother, Josiah, a Professor of Classics. There is also another visitor, Irish poet, Charles Reilly. Strangeways likes Cabot and is enjoying his time in the USA; especially the food and you really get the sense of his greed and the fact that Lewis cannot stop writing of the plenty encountered in the States. However, of course, what he is really there for is murder and, when someone is killed, he becomes reluctantly involved in investigating the crime.
Much of the pleasure of the Nigel Strangeways series is in the social history they present. Although the series is not consistent and the quality of the books vary widely, I have really enjoyed this series overall and I look forward to reading the author's stand alone mysteries.
In this mystery, Nigel Strangeways is visiting Cabot University, near Boston, to undertake some research. The Master of Hawthorne House is Ezekiel Edwardes, who Nigel knew at Oxford. He also gets to know Charles Ahlberg, an assistant senior tutor at the Business School, his brother, Mark, an English lecturer, Mark's girlfriend Sukie, and their half brother, Josiah, a Professor of Classics. There is also another visitor, Irish poet, Charles Reilly. Strangeways likes Cabot and is enjoying his time in the USA; especially the food and you really get the sense of his greed and the fact that Lewis cannot stop writing of the plenty encountered in the States. However, of course, what he is really there for is murder and, when someone is killed, he becomes reluctantly involved in investigating the crime.
Much of the pleasure of the Nigel Strangeways series is in the social history they present. Although the series is not consistent and the quality of the books vary widely, I have really enjoyed this series overall and I look forward to reading the author's stand alone mysteries.
January 31, 2021
Originally posted to my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Morning After Death is the 16th (and final) novel in the Nigel Strangeways series by Nicholas Blake. Originally published in 1966, this reformat and re-release from Agora is 229 pages and available in ebook format (other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and many other Agora editions) are currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I hadn't read the Strangeways series for many years until Agora reformatted and re-released them in electronic format and made them easy to find and access for a new generation of readers. The series was released from the 1930s to the 1960s and presents a capsule glimpse into social mores and culture of the time. This entry sees Strangeways visiting an old friend from Oxford at an Ivy League school near Boston (fictive Harvard) when a murder is uncovered and Nigel is dragged unwillingly into the fray to uncover a murderer and clear up a clever crime.
Nicholas Blake's amateur detective Strangeways stars in one of those classic civilized British series that I revisit again and again. I've reviewed a number of the books previously and they're always very entertaining. The situations are outlandish, the characters often caricatures, the dialogue is quippy, but despite all that, they're always fun to revisit. I'm honestly not sure if I had ever read this entry before, because I can't remember a Strangeways novel which wasn't set in Great Britain, but this one is a good addition with a cleverly plotted mystery, well written dialogue and finely rendered characters.
I would recommend this one to lovers of golden and silver age mysteries. There are some bits of dialogue and prose which do show their age, but all in all it's a well engineered and satisfying read. It works perfectly well as a standalone, they all do.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Morning After Death is the 16th (and final) novel in the Nigel Strangeways series by Nicholas Blake. Originally published in 1966, this reformat and re-release from Agora is 229 pages and available in ebook format (other editions available in other formats). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and many other Agora editions) are currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
I hadn't read the Strangeways series for many years until Agora reformatted and re-released them in electronic format and made them easy to find and access for a new generation of readers. The series was released from the 1930s to the 1960s and presents a capsule glimpse into social mores and culture of the time. This entry sees Strangeways visiting an old friend from Oxford at an Ivy League school near Boston (fictive Harvard) when a murder is uncovered and Nigel is dragged unwillingly into the fray to uncover a murderer and clear up a clever crime.
Nicholas Blake's amateur detective Strangeways stars in one of those classic civilized British series that I revisit again and again. I've reviewed a number of the books previously and they're always very entertaining. The situations are outlandish, the characters often caricatures, the dialogue is quippy, but despite all that, they're always fun to revisit. I'm honestly not sure if I had ever read this entry before, because I can't remember a Strangeways novel which wasn't set in Great Britain, but this one is a good addition with a cleverly plotted mystery, well written dialogue and finely rendered characters.
I would recommend this one to lovers of golden and silver age mysteries. There are some bits of dialogue and prose which do show their age, but all in all it's a well engineered and satisfying read. It works perfectly well as a standalone, they all do.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
November 29, 2020
The final mystery to feature Nigel Strangeways, 1966's The Morning After Death is the very definition of a literary mixed bag, and in the final analysis there is more disappointment than delight. I will start with the point that we have a lackluster mystery presented against an engaging setting: Nigel is visiting Cabot University, a fictional New England ivy league school, and makes the acquaintance of the academic Ahlberg brothers. Mark, a professor of English, has a reputation for puckish practical jokes while Chester, teaching Business, is both pragmatic and dull. But it is their step-brother Josiah whose body is found stuffed into a locker, and it does not appear that much love is lost among the group of people who knew and worked with him. Nigel investigates, and two more murderous attempts are made before the killer is exposed and brought to justice.
Unlike so many other entries in this entertaining series, The Morning After Death is pinned onto a relatively weak and unsurprising puzzle, and although Nicholas Blake's detective does a fair amount of theorizing, neither the characters nor the mystery itself are particularly memorable. It is not an impossible slog, just one that never rises above mediocrity. Near the story's climax, Strangeways presents his accusation and explanation of events in the form of a letter to the murderer, and the reading and reaction by the guilty party provides a very welcome thrill. Blake seems quite interested in character psychology in his later novels, and while Morning strikes some tone-deaf notes in other places, the intellectual failing of the killer, literally spelled out with cruel precision by Nigel’s superior mind, is quite fascinating.
along with The Worm of Death (1961), this title presents relationships between men and women that are often uncomfortable and chauvinistically facile. Easily the most ill-served is the character of Susannah "Sukie" Tate. (Why the reductive nickname? Answer that, and you can guess where my criticism is going...) Sukie, we are told, was once the target of an attempted rape by one drunken male character, and later, after a discussion about Clare, Nigel’s girlfriend in London, she seduces our intrepid detective, who is all too willing to yield to her charms and vulnerabilities.
It's an odd choice for Blake's detective nearing retirement to get physical with another woman with no guilt or remorse; it is his relationship with Clare Massinger that readers have been following and investing in over the past seven books. But equally troubling is the fact that Sukie is really the only female character of substance in The Morning After Death, and she is both stereotyped and sexualized. There are other women academics introduced, but they are rather interchangeable. For Sukie to be used as both vixen and victim to define the men in the story is troubling, even when one remembers the time (the "liberated" '60's) and place (hedonistic America) in which she appears.
A decidedly uneven, and sometimes frustrating, final entry in the generally solid Nigel Strangeways series.
Unlike so many other entries in this entertaining series, The Morning After Death is pinned onto a relatively weak and unsurprising puzzle, and although Nicholas Blake's detective does a fair amount of theorizing, neither the characters nor the mystery itself are particularly memorable. It is not an impossible slog, just one that never rises above mediocrity. Near the story's climax, Strangeways presents his accusation and explanation of events in the form of a letter to the murderer, and the reading and reaction by the guilty party provides a very welcome thrill. Blake seems quite interested in character psychology in his later novels, and while Morning strikes some tone-deaf notes in other places, the intellectual failing of the killer, literally spelled out with cruel precision by Nigel’s superior mind, is quite fascinating.
along with The Worm of Death (1961), this title presents relationships between men and women that are often uncomfortable and chauvinistically facile. Easily the most ill-served is the character of Susannah "Sukie" Tate. (Why the reductive nickname? Answer that, and you can guess where my criticism is going...) Sukie, we are told, was once the target of an attempted rape by one drunken male character, and later, after a discussion about Clare, Nigel’s girlfriend in London, she seduces our intrepid detective, who is all too willing to yield to her charms and vulnerabilities.
It's an odd choice for Blake's detective nearing retirement to get physical with another woman with no guilt or remorse; it is his relationship with Clare Massinger that readers have been following and investing in over the past seven books. But equally troubling is the fact that Sukie is really the only female character of substance in The Morning After Death, and she is both stereotyped and sexualized. There are other women academics introduced, but they are rather interchangeable. For Sukie to be used as both vixen and victim to define the men in the story is troubling, even when one remembers the time (the "liberated" '60's) and place (hedonistic America) in which she appears.
A decidedly uneven, and sometimes frustrating, final entry in the generally solid Nigel Strangeways series.
June 28, 2021
I remember reading and enjoying several of Nicholas Blake’s Nigel Strangeways mysteries many many years ago, in “real paper” editions. But I had never read The Morning After Death, which is the last in the series, and features Strangeways as a visiting scholar at a fictional Ivy League school, Cabot University. So I was happy to receive a review copy of Agora Books’ new e-book edition. And it did not disappoint.
All of the titles in this series date back many decades, with the earliest written in the 1930s and the latest, this one, in the 1960s. As a result, although written as contemporaneous mysteries, they now feel more like unintentional historicals. But The Morning After Death weathers the years pretty well. Author Blake (pen-name for UK Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis) provides enough background that readers can imagine the big automobile carrying five (!!!) adults in the opening scene, or the ritual of Ivy League football, with “Cabot men” following the band on a parade through town after a victory against Yale, towards the end. The plot is also fun, with several characters having motives ranging from accusations of plagiarism to just wanting money. I did have a pretty strong idea early on of whodunnit, but the aforementioned plethora of motives kept me from being sure of my conclusion until very near the end. Readers may have a little more discomfort with some of the gender roles – especially a James Bond-ish scene where Strangeways ignores his relationship with his UK girlfriend, Clare, for an almost fatalistic quick fling (“Oh well, he sighed to himself”) with a much younger female student – something that would set off lots of alarm bells today.
All-in-all, however, The Morning After Death was a fun quick read, and I’ll probably go back and read (or re-read) some of the earlier titles in the series. I tend not to give a lot of five-star reviews, and there are just enough flaws in the book to bump it down to four stars. But four stars from me is still a solid “read” recommendation, especially if you like Golden Age mysteries. And my thanks again to Agora Books and NetGalley for the review copy!
All of the titles in this series date back many decades, with the earliest written in the 1930s and the latest, this one, in the 1960s. As a result, although written as contemporaneous mysteries, they now feel more like unintentional historicals. But The Morning After Death weathers the years pretty well. Author Blake (pen-name for UK Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis) provides enough background that readers can imagine the big automobile carrying five (!!!) adults in the opening scene, or the ritual of Ivy League football, with “Cabot men” following the band on a parade through town after a victory against Yale, towards the end. The plot is also fun, with several characters having motives ranging from accusations of plagiarism to just wanting money. I did have a pretty strong idea early on of whodunnit, but the aforementioned plethora of motives kept me from being sure of my conclusion until very near the end. Readers may have a little more discomfort with some of the gender roles – especially a James Bond-ish scene where Strangeways ignores his relationship with his UK girlfriend, Clare, for an almost fatalistic quick fling (“Oh well, he sighed to himself”) with a much younger female student – something that would set off lots of alarm bells today.
All-in-all, however, The Morning After Death was a fun quick read, and I’ll probably go back and read (or re-read) some of the earlier titles in the series. I tend not to give a lot of five-star reviews, and there are just enough flaws in the book to bump it down to four stars. But four stars from me is still a solid “read” recommendation, especially if you like Golden Age mysteries. And my thanks again to Agora Books and NetGalley for the review copy!
July 13, 2022
This tale of three brothers at an historic Ivy league college in the US is one of only a few Nicholas Blake mysteries set outside of England. We find Nigel Strangeways visiting an old college friend, now the Master at Cabot College, while Nigel is conducting some research. He meets the Ahlbergs--Chester, Mark and Josiah--whose father was a major donor to Cabot. They're an odd trio, and Nigel finds he likes each for different qualities, while wondering at their apparently thorny family dynamics.
Also in the mix is Mark's maybe-fiance, graduate student Sukie Tate. Nigel learns Sukie's brother John had been essentially drummed out of the college because of a plagiarism inciden. His work was suspected of being a copy of Josiah's own unpublished paper... except that some of the college wonder if perhaps the plagiarism was the other way around.
When Josiah disappears one weekend, no one worries overmuch. Then a student on a campus treasure hunt discovers Josiah's body in an unused locker room in a basement.
Nigel strives not be dragged into the case. He likes several of the prime suspects, and is not familiar with American police procedures. But he is, as always, too curious to stay out of it. When he begins to think another murder is in the offing, he attempts to set a trap for the killer. But has he finally gone a step to far?
This is the only Nicholas Blake that has the hero casually having sex with another character. I didn't find it particularly believable, and it was completely gratuitous to the plot. Oh well... the 1960s, I guess. As with most Blake mysteries, it's the characters, and the prose, that make the book worth a read.
I am missing two books in the series. I hope a friend can find her set in a closet so I can finish my re-reading.
Also in the mix is Mark's maybe-fiance, graduate student Sukie Tate. Nigel learns Sukie's brother John had been essentially drummed out of the college because of a plagiarism inciden. His work was suspected of being a copy of Josiah's own unpublished paper... except that some of the college wonder if perhaps the plagiarism was the other way around.
When Josiah disappears one weekend, no one worries overmuch. Then a student on a campus treasure hunt discovers Josiah's body in an unused locker room in a basement.
Nigel strives not be dragged into the case. He likes several of the prime suspects, and is not familiar with American police procedures. But he is, as always, too curious to stay out of it. When he begins to think another murder is in the offing, he attempts to set a trap for the killer. But has he finally gone a step to far?
This is the only Nicholas Blake that has the hero casually having sex with another character. I didn't find it particularly believable, and it was completely gratuitous to the plot. Oh well... the 1960s, I guess. As with most Blake mysteries, it's the characters, and the prose, that make the book worth a read.
I am missing two books in the series. I hope a friend can find her set in a closet so I can finish my re-reading.
January 23, 2021
Nicholas Blake is a great British classic crime writer with his main character being Nigel Strangeways. In this book, Nigel is in the US at Cabot University (seems like Harvard). He is visiting Hawthorne House and the master, Zeke Edwardes; the two had been friends at Oxford. Nigel makes friends with a faculty group, an Irishman Charles, tutor Mark Ahlberg, Business School person, Chester Ahlberg, and Mark's girlfriend Suki working on a thesis about Emily Dickenson.
During a freshman ordeal called the Spooky Treasure Hunt, a freshman finds a dead body in a locker in the basement in an unused room (which had been there about 5 days). The body is Josiah Ahlberg, classics professor and older brother of Mark and Chester. Zeke asks Nigel to help solve the murder, and Lieutenant Brady is happy to have his help. The Ahlbergs' father, a millionaire, was also an alumnus and had built and given Hathorne House to the university. It turns out that Josiah was to inherit half his father's fortune, and Chester and Mark to split the rest (if they didn't get in trouble). The major suspects in the murder appear to be Mark, and Suki's brother who supposedly plagiarized a paper of Josiah's and was kicked out of the university. Chester was at a conference in England, but could possibly have made a round trip back with enough time to be the killer.
The killer is very clever, but so is Nigel. The story keeps one interested and gets very exciting in the final few pages as the Cabot football team is playing a very close important football game.
Classic British crime in the US.
During a freshman ordeal called the Spooky Treasure Hunt, a freshman finds a dead body in a locker in the basement in an unused room (which had been there about 5 days). The body is Josiah Ahlberg, classics professor and older brother of Mark and Chester. Zeke asks Nigel to help solve the murder, and Lieutenant Brady is happy to have his help. The Ahlbergs' father, a millionaire, was also an alumnus and had built and given Hathorne House to the university. It turns out that Josiah was to inherit half his father's fortune, and Chester and Mark to split the rest (if they didn't get in trouble). The major suspects in the murder appear to be Mark, and Suki's brother who supposedly plagiarized a paper of Josiah's and was kicked out of the university. Chester was at a conference in England, but could possibly have made a round trip back with enough time to be the killer.
The killer is very clever, but so is Nigel. The story keeps one interested and gets very exciting in the final few pages as the Cabot football team is playing a very close important football game.
Classic British crime in the US.
June 8, 2021
Nigel Strangeways Goes to America
NetGalley gave me an advance copy of The Morning After Death by Nicholas Blake with the proviso that I submit this review. I was glad to do that as I always review the Kindle books I read. This is an impartial review reflecting my honest reaction to this Nigel Strangeways mystery based upon my 65 years of reading mysteries.
Somehow I missed reading any of the Nigel Strangeways mysteries so this has been a new experience for me. I can't say whether or not it would be better to read the mysteries In order but I suspect it would be quite helpful. For instance I'm not sure what Nigel's occupation is but he sometimes investigates suspicious deaths as a private investigator. He is a British citizen and lives in London.
In this mystery Nigel Strangeways is visiting America and it appears like it's his first time in the country. His visit is prompted by his desire to do research in the library at Cabot University, a fictitious ivy league university modeled on Harvard University. He connects with Ezekiel Edwardes an old friend from his undergraduate days at Oxford and now Master of Hawthorne House on campus. Edwards invites him to stay at Hawthorne House as long as he needs to complete his readings.
Chapter 1 introduces Nigel and all the other major characters in the book as they are on their way to visit Emily Sicqkens home in Cambridge and and requires extra attention not to get confused. Dickins
NetGalley gave me an advance copy of The Morning After Death by Nicholas Blake with the proviso that I submit this review. I was glad to do that as I always review the Kindle books I read. This is an impartial review reflecting my honest reaction to this Nigel Strangeways mystery based upon my 65 years of reading mysteries.
Somehow I missed reading any of the Nigel Strangeways mysteries so this has been a new experience for me. I can't say whether or not it would be better to read the mysteries In order but I suspect it would be quite helpful. For instance I'm not sure what Nigel's occupation is but he sometimes investigates suspicious deaths as a private investigator. He is a British citizen and lives in London.
In this mystery Nigel Strangeways is visiting America and it appears like it's his first time in the country. His visit is prompted by his desire to do research in the library at Cabot University, a fictitious ivy league university modeled on Harvard University. He connects with Ezekiel Edwardes an old friend from his undergraduate days at Oxford and now Master of Hawthorne House on campus. Edwards invites him to stay at Hawthorne House as long as he needs to complete his readings.
Chapter 1 introduces Nigel and all the other major characters in the book as they are on their way to visit Emily Sicqkens home in Cambridge and and requires extra attention not to get confused. Dickins
June 10, 2021
2.5 stars
I am a fan of vintage detective fiction and have previously read and enjoyed several Nigel Strangeways. I appreciate the intelligence of the language of the older mysteries in particular.
This was the last published of this series, which ran from 1935 to 1966. I notice with other series that spanned this time period that the later ones often foundered trying to capture societal changes. The authors writing in the 30s in my opinion often didn't do well in the 60s and this is no exception.
Psychologist and pseudo amateur detective Nigel Strangeways is visiting the U.S. and gets involved with a murder at a small New England private school. The plot was typically complex with some contrived alibi avoidance contortions.
The book fell flat for me because of the young female character Sukie. We are supposed to believe that after having been nearly raped by one character that she puts the whole episode aside and becomes friends with her attacker. She also has a somewhat unfathomable relationship with the protagonist which adds nothing to the story and is a bit of a head scratcher.
My recommendation is to pick up some of the earlier series entries if you want to explore this character. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I am a fan of vintage detective fiction and have previously read and enjoyed several Nigel Strangeways. I appreciate the intelligence of the language of the older mysteries in particular.
This was the last published of this series, which ran from 1935 to 1966. I notice with other series that spanned this time period that the later ones often foundered trying to capture societal changes. The authors writing in the 30s in my opinion often didn't do well in the 60s and this is no exception.
Psychologist and pseudo amateur detective Nigel Strangeways is visiting the U.S. and gets involved with a murder at a small New England private school. The plot was typically complex with some contrived alibi avoidance contortions.
The book fell flat for me because of the young female character Sukie. We are supposed to believe that after having been nearly raped by one character that she puts the whole episode aside and becomes friends with her attacker. She also has a somewhat unfathomable relationship with the protagonist which adds nothing to the story and is a bit of a head scratcher.
My recommendation is to pick up some of the earlier series entries if you want to explore this character. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 8, 2025
BOOOO! *throws tomatoes* have you ever wanted to read a self insert Sherlock Holmes Agatha Christie style fanfic but the main character is sexiest? Then this is the book for you! All the men in this novel are the epitome of sexiest self-indulgent egomaniac patriarchs. And the main female character (yeah just one) was not created in reality she is a male fantasy which is so disgusting and disturbing. This book makes sa seem like it should be treated as an oppsy and forgiven easily because she probably wanted to anyway right? She’s got daddy issues that’s why she has sex with Nigel oh god I won’t be able to wash my brain of that scene. Another thing is blackface is casually used to hide one of the suspects I wish I was kidding. I used this book to fall asleep and it even failed that purpose because the scenes had me so confused and annoyed that my disturbed mind couldn’t find purchase. There were a lot of words that I hadn’t read before and some interesting prose which I guess helped expand my vocabulary so 1 star I guess?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2020
Nigel Strangeways visits Cabot College in the US to do some research. He spends time with brothers Chester and Mark Ahlberg, both academics, and an Irish poet. Then another academic, half brother to the Ahlbergs, disappears and Nigel’s academic work is put on hold as he gets dragged into the investigation.
This is the final book in the Nigel Strangeways series, and for me was one of the weaker ones. The academic setting didn’t really come to life until the final scenes of a college football game - that was a thrilling piece of writing and saved a star - and there weren’t enough suspects to make it truly puzzling as a mystery. There was also a strange sexual encounter thrown in which was perhaps intended to be daring but came across as rather distasteful. The literary references were fun as always though.
I enjoyed the ending but found it a bit of a slog to get there - however, I’ve really appreciated reading this series and will miss following Nigel’s adventures.
This is the final book in the Nigel Strangeways series, and for me was one of the weaker ones. The academic setting didn’t really come to life until the final scenes of a college football game - that was a thrilling piece of writing and saved a star - and there weren’t enough suspects to make it truly puzzling as a mystery. There was also a strange sexual encounter thrown in which was perhaps intended to be daring but came across as rather distasteful. The literary references were fun as always though.
I enjoyed the ending but found it a bit of a slog to get there - however, I’ve really appreciated reading this series and will miss following Nigel’s adventures.
March 27, 2021
The book begins with Nigel Strangeways visiting colleagues and academics in the US, where he suddenly finds himself embroiled in the middle of a murder investigation. Josiah Ahlberg, an academic in Cabot College, is found murdered, brutally shot on campus and the local police request Nigel's help in figuring out who committed the crime.
Nigel's style of solving crimes was reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes to me. The book was a quick read and I found myself unsure of who the killer was until nearly the end of the novel. Overall, the book's style is not my favorite - I found the characters to be quite one dimensional and the story was lacking some depth for me. However, it was a quick and engaging read.
Nigel's style of solving crimes was reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes to me. The book was a quick read and I found myself unsure of who the killer was until nearly the end of the novel. Overall, the book's style is not my favorite - I found the characters to be quite one dimensional and the story was lacking some depth for me. However, it was a quick and engaging read.
June 9, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It is well written and assumes its readers are intelligent. I like the older mysteries of the last century better overall than what passes for a good mystery today. This is one of the "Crime Classics" being published or republished these days; I tend to enjoy them though their quality levels differ. The Strangeway books are above average I think and this is one of the better of them.
October 4, 2025
Creepy, creepy, creepy.
Why did Blake add that scene? It added nothing to the novel.
Why did Nigel warn the murderer but not the police till next morning? Ridiculous thing to do.
The football match scene was too long and drawn out and also added nothing.
A disappointing end to the series.
Why did Blake add that scene? It added nothing to the novel.
Why did Nigel warn the murderer but not the police till next morning? Ridiculous thing to do.
The football match scene was too long and drawn out and also added nothing.
A disappointing end to the series.
January 2, 2018
I read this when I was younger and enjoyed it, it didn't hold up for me over time. It's a clumsily told story, with the detective doing something inexplicably stupid near the end.
May 11, 2020
I was disappointed in this last Strangeways mystery. It was not particularly interesting.
November 14, 2020
A pleasure,
To read this, a Nicholas Blake I did not know existed, I read the rest a very long time ago, literate, competent and tidy.
To read this, a Nicholas Blake I did not know existed, I read the rest a very long time ago, literate, competent and tidy.
July 21, 2021
It is not very often that I give five stars. That is usually reserved for excellent authors like Charles Williams or Dorothy L. Sayers. I did enjoy the previous Strangeways novel I read but not nearly as much as this one. It is such a shame that this was the last one because the tone, pacing, the overall attitude are so spot on.
The fact that I pegged whodunnit fairly early did nothing to dampen my enjoyment. Setting this at an American university was such an interesting change. Strangeways reluctantly gets involved even though he is the proverbial fish out of water, unfamiliar with how American police conduct investigations.
The cast of characters are so interesting and add a great deal to the story. The end where the killer’s carefully maintained veneer of calm and sanity crumbles is written so well you don’t want to skim.
I highly recommend this to any golden age mystery lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for a fair and unbiased review.
The fact that I pegged whodunnit fairly early did nothing to dampen my enjoyment. Setting this at an American university was such an interesting change. Strangeways reluctantly gets involved even though he is the proverbial fish out of water, unfamiliar with how American police conduct investigations.
The cast of characters are so interesting and add a great deal to the story. The end where the killer’s carefully maintained veneer of calm and sanity crumbles is written so well you don’t want to skim.
I highly recommend this to any golden age mystery lovers.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for a fair and unbiased review.
May 15, 2012
In the Morning After Death by Nicholas Blake, Nigel Strangeways has contacted an acquaintance from Oxford days who happens to be the Master of Hawthorne House at Cabot University for permission to come and do some research in the famous Ivy League library. Strangeways is welcomed at the American university and is introduced to a interesting cast of characters. There are the three brothers who are all professors of the university--Josiah (Classics), Chester (Business), and Mark (English) Ahlberg--who have brought their sibling rivalry with them. There is the graduate student John Tate--accused of plagiarizing some of of Josiah's work, but claiming that it's really the other way 'round. Tate's sister, Sukie, who is highly protective of her brother and who has been involved with more than one of the brothers Ahlberg. And then there's Charles Reilly, Irish poet and drunken, would-be rapist.
Strangeways swears that he has come to America for peace and quiet and thoughtful poetic research. All that goes by the wayside when Josiah Ahlberg is found shot to death and stuffed in on of the lockers on campus. Zeke Edwardes, Master of the House, requests that Strangeways use his investigative skills to assist the police and look out for Cabot University's interests. Nigel is reluctant to put his oar in--citing his unfamiliarity with US police procedures, but he can't resist when Sukie bats her eyes at him and begs for his help as well.
There are all sorts of motives--from the sibling squabbles that may have represented something far more dangerous to the possibility that Tate was looking for revenge on the man who blighted his career to the Irish poet hoping to keep his amorous adventures underwraps. Nigel must sift through false alibis and cover-ups in order to help the local police find the culprit--and even when they do, the motive isn't quite as clear as it would seem.
I always enjoy the Blake detective novels. He has quite a flair for dialogue--it's quite like watching a verbal tennis match at times. And the fact that "Blake" is a pseudonym for Cecil Day-Lewis, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1968-1972, is very apparent in his lyrical style. The best of his books come with terrific descriptions and language as well as the good dialogue. He sets up a pretty twisty plot as well. Four stars.
This review is mine and was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any portion. Thanks.
Strangeways swears that he has come to America for peace and quiet and thoughtful poetic research. All that goes by the wayside when Josiah Ahlberg is found shot to death and stuffed in on of the lockers on campus. Zeke Edwardes, Master of the House, requests that Strangeways use his investigative skills to assist the police and look out for Cabot University's interests. Nigel is reluctant to put his oar in--citing his unfamiliarity with US police procedures, but he can't resist when Sukie bats her eyes at him and begs for his help as well.
There are all sorts of motives--from the sibling squabbles that may have represented something far more dangerous to the possibility that Tate was looking for revenge on the man who blighted his career to the Irish poet hoping to keep his amorous adventures underwraps. Nigel must sift through false alibis and cover-ups in order to help the local police find the culprit--and even when they do, the motive isn't quite as clear as it would seem.
I always enjoy the Blake detective novels. He has quite a flair for dialogue--it's quite like watching a verbal tennis match at times. And the fact that "Blake" is a pseudonym for Cecil Day-Lewis, Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1968-1972, is very apparent in his lyrical style. The best of his books come with terrific descriptions and language as well as the good dialogue. He sets up a pretty twisty plot as well. Four stars.
This review is mine and was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting any portion. Thanks.
August 16, 2013
Nigel Strangeways, British amateur detective, is spending some time at a New England college, doing undefined research. He becomes acquainted with the expatriate Irish poet Charles Reilly and the three Ahlberg brothers (Josiah, Charles, Mark), who all have professorships at the college. Joining them on their outings is Sukie, an attractive undergraduate who was first engaged to Charles and now to Mark. When Josiah Ahlberg is found murdered in his office, the police first focus on Sukie’s brother, who had been dismissed from the college a year before due to charges of plagiarism. On top of it all, Charles seems to be targeted by a rather nasty prankster, and the Ahlberg’s billionaire father is throwing his weight around. Nigel doesn’t really want to get involved, but gets drawn into the strange tangle of sibling rivalry, academic pedantry and amorous passions that have ensnared this little group.
The book dates from 1966 and shows its age, mainly in the life and circumstances of the female character, Sukie. No one seems to think it strange that an undergraduate would date not one, but two of the college’s professors. No one felt it necessary to report an attempted rape by a drunken guest lecturer. And her relationship to her brother is almost more that of a mother than of an older sibling. As a mystery, it is not particularly juicy or challenging. On the other hand, these highly educated characters speak interesting dialogue, and since “Nicholas Blake” is the pseudonym of the poet Cecil Day-Lewis (father of Daniel), the language itself is enjoyable.
The book dates from 1966 and shows its age, mainly in the life and circumstances of the female character, Sukie. No one seems to think it strange that an undergraduate would date not one, but two of the college’s professors. No one felt it necessary to report an attempted rape by a drunken guest lecturer. And her relationship to her brother is almost more that of a mother than of an older sibling. As a mystery, it is not particularly juicy or challenging. On the other hand, these highly educated characters speak interesting dialogue, and since “Nicholas Blake” is the pseudonym of the poet Cecil Day-Lewis (father of Daniel), the language itself is enjoyable.
September 2, 2013
Have always enjoyed Nigel Strangeways as a character
June 15, 2017
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