The faculty and student body at Sudeley are shocked but scarcely saddened when the headmaster’s obnoxious nephew, Algernon Wyvern-Wemyss, is found dead in a haystack on Sports Day. But when the young English master, Michael Evans, becomes a suspect in the case, he’s greatly relieved when his clever friend Nigel Strangeways, who is beginning to make a name for himself as a private inquiry agent, shows up to lend a hand to the local constabulary. Strangeways immediately wins over the students and even becomes an initiate in one of their secret societies, The Black Spot, whose members provide him with some of the information he needs to solve the case. In the meantime Michael and Hero Vale, the pretty young wife of the headmaster, continue their hopeless love affair. When another murder follows, Strangeways is soon certain of the murderer’s identity, but until he can prove it, he’s reluctant to share his theory with the unimaginative but thorough Superintendent Armstrong. Published in 1935 while he was a schoolmaster himself, this is the first detective novel by C. Day-Lewis, the noted man of letters who went on to become England’s poet laureate.

Nigel Strangeways is off to a Christmas houseparty hosted by Fergus O’Brien, a legendary World War I flying ace now retired from private life, who has received a series of mocking letters predicting that he will be murdered on Boxing Day. His guest list includes everyone who could even remotely be suspected of making the threats, including several people who stand to profit from O’Brien’s death, as well as Nigel, who is invited in his capacity as a criminal investigator. Despite Nigel’s presence, the murder takes place as predicted, and he’s left to aid the local police in interviewing the suspects. One of them is Georgia Cavendish, a brave and colorful explorer who has been romantically linked with O’Brien and with whom Nigel falls in love. Convinced that the case will never be solved unless the mystery of O’Brien’s past is cleared up, Nigel heads for Ireland to learn what he can about the victim’s origins. Originally published in 1936, it’s the second mystery by Blake (really C. Day-Lewis, the late Poet Laureate of England) and without a doubt one of his best, with its dazzlingly complex plot, arresting characters, and shocking but inevitable solution.

Tyrannical businessman Eustace Bunnett and an assortment of employees and local characters become suspects when Nigel Strangeways investigates the murder of a man found dead in one of the vats at Bunnett's Dorset brewery.

Frank Cairnes, a popular detective writer who now embarks on a real-life crime of his own, determined to hunt down the runaway motorist who killed his small son Martin.

Seldom does a little bit of gardening change the course of history. Trimming the hedgerow one sunny morning, those incomparable partners in crime, Nigel and Georgia Strangeways, discover a tarnished locket. Hidden inside are dark secrets which threaten the nation’s democracy. Leaving Nigel disconsolate at home, Georgia sets off on an hilarious romp across the country, pursuing a clique of Little Englanders inspired by Fascist Germany. In her battle for Britain she encounters reckless gamblers and a quiet village vicar, England’s top batsman and the Radiance Girls in flowing orange chiffon, and, most suspicious of all, a peer of the realm with more on his mind than a coronet. Who is friend? Who is foe? Who would destroy the sanctity of England’s green and pleasant land?

A series of practical jokes that have been turning increasingly malicious brings Nigel Strangeways to the British holiday-camp Wonderland to investigate

Nigel and Georgia are asked to come in midwinter to Easterham Manor under the pretense of investigating a psychic incident. Shortly after their arrival, the rather notorious, strikingly beautiful, Elizabeth Restorick is found dead by hanging. Nigel uncovers evidence of murder, and he soon finds himself once again working with his friend, Inspector Blount of Scotland Yard.

Wartime Britain: photos are stolen… a secretary is poisoned… a director is stabbed… Who put the poison in blonde femme fatale Nita Prince’s coffee cup? A hero returned from a secret mission visits his onetime colleagues (among them, Nigel Strangeways) at the Ministry of Morale. His former fiancée, the beautiful Nita, is now having an affair with the director, his brother-in-law…

Upon stopping by Plash Meadows to visit revered poet Robert Seaton, Nigel Strangeways is absolutely enamoured: like something out of a fairy tale, a perfect Queen Anne house stands among sprawling lawns as smooth as green glass, and whimsical gardens overflowing with roses. And not so far off, a dark and winding wood… While visiting with the Seatons, Nigel gets more than he bargained for. He learns about the contentious legacy of the family estate, stumbles upon a secret meeting, and at lunch, when table talk turns to murder and motive, Nigel leaves feeling a little uneasy… Two months later, Nigel is summoned back to the Seaton’s in less pleasant circumstances. A headless corpse has been pulled from the river behind the house and no one can identify the victim… let alone the murderer. As oppressive thunderstorms roll through the countryside and the mood in the house takes a turn, Nigel has only one lead, but it’s throwing up more questions than it answers. The corpse bears a striking resemblance to Robert Seaton’s long-missing brother… but he walked into the ocean ten years prior, never to be heard from again. Bewitched by poet and property, will Nigel be able to put his admiration aside and get to the bottom of this case?

The investigation of anonymous poisonpen letters in a small French village by Nigel Strangeways leads to the murder of his employer, an eminent financier

Nigel Strangeways and Scotland Yard come to the assistance of a group of boys in possession of a mysterious, message given to one of the boys in the park by a dying stranger

There is a saboteur hiding in plain sight at the publishing house of Wenham & Geraldine. An incendiary, and wildly libellous, passage has been slipped into a book somewhere between the final check and the printing press… a seemingly impossible task. Desperate to avoid a scandal, the partners call in Nigel Strangeways to uncover the meddler. Is it Stephen Protheroe, defunct poet, curmudgeon, and the last known person to access the manuscript? Or Mr Bates, the production manager recently forced reluctantly into retirement? Miss Millicent Miles, the romance novelist hoping to reinvigorate her ailing career with a steamy autobiography, or the now libellous author himself, General Thoresby? With so many suspects, Strangeways struggles to identify a motive, let alone a culprit. But when an employee is found slain in the office, it seems the case may be more personal than it first appeared…

“The only thing I have against cruise life,” said Clare, yawning again, “is that it’s turning us all into busybodies and gossips.” Renowned sculptor, Clare Massinger, is in a bit of a creative slump. To provide a little inspiration, Nigel Strangeways books them a relaxing cruise on the Aegean Sea. Filled with Greek temples, swimming pools, and sandy beaches, this scenic vacation should be the perfect getaway. But when they meet the other passengers, Nigel and Clare realize the cruise may not be as peaceful as planned. It seems everyone knows everyone else’s business: a schoolteacher recovering from a nervous breakdown is confronted by a former student; a scholar is embarrassed by a scornful reviewer; a seductive temptress is known to a Bishop, and, to top it off, two busybodies are keeping tabs on everyone. As the passengers’ lives become increasingly intertwined, it seems a plot for revenge may be afloat. Amidst steamy assignations, false accusations, and suicide threats, Nigel’s holiday doesn’t last long, and he must take charge to uncover the truth before the passengers have something more disturbing to gossip about…

An old doctor is killed; his body put into the river. Family members are suspects: two sons, daughter and adopted son. Nigel Strangeways and Clare are invited to help, to find motive and means.

1979, mass market paperback reprint edition, Harper, NY. 191 pages. Mystery novel involving the protection of a university professor, who has secrets the Russians would like to have. Nigel Strangeways mystery. Blake is usually cited as one of the more literate British mystery-suspense writers. In real life, he was the noted poet, C. Day Lewis.

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)