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Thou Shell of Death (Nigel Strangeways Mysteries)

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Thou Shell of Death (1936) is among the earliest mysteries by Nicholas Blake, and is rated as one of his best stories, along with The Beast Must Die and The Corpse in the Snowman. The poet and amateur detective, Nigel Strangeways, is asked to spend the Christmas holidays at the home of Fergus O'Brien, a legendary World War I flying ace. O'Brien has received four threatening notes promising that he will die on the day after Christmas. Despite Strangeways' presence, O'Brien dies.

For readers already acquainted with the Nigel Strangeways' stories, Thou Shell of Death is notable in that Inspector Blount of Scotland Yard is first introduced in this story. Also, at O'Brien's estate Strangeways first meets the adventuresome Georgia Cavendish; she later becomes his wife.

Thou Shell of Death is a literate, carefully constructed manor house mystery. The title, Thou Shell of Death, is a quote from a lesser known Elizabethan play, The Revenger's Tragedy authored by either Cyril Tourneur or Thomas Middleton. Familiarity with The Revenger's Tragedy might help the astute reader in unraveling this clever murder mystery.

Nicholas Blake is a pseudonym for Cecil Day-Lewis, poet laureate from 1968 to his death in 1972. The actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, is his son.

The Strangeways stories were reprinted as Perennial Library paperbacks by Harper Collins Publishers. Another source (The Nicholas Blake Treasury) is an inexpensive, four volume, hardcover, book club edition published by the Mystery Guild. Volume 1 (burgundy red cover) contains Thou Shell of Death, The Beast Must Die, and The Corpse in the Snowman.

A twentieth-century version of 'The Revenger's Art', a dying aviator invites the people he hates most to his estate for Christmas. When he is found murdered, the guests are put under house arrest and start dying. The aviator has planned their deaths from beyond the grave and the hero has to race against the clock to solve the mystery and save the victims. Beautiful.