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The Sad Variety (The Nigel Strangeways Mysteries) Paperback – July 12, 2019

by Nicholas Blake (Author)

3.9 28 ratings

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Strangeways finds himself in a race against the clock to save much more than just one young girls' life.

The temperature is dropping, the wind is rising: something sinister is on its way to Smugglers’ Cottage.

Ten guests huddle together in a guest house for their Christmas holidays in the south of England. Among them is Private Investigator Nigel Strangeways, sent by the British security department to keep a close eye on Professor Alfred Wragby – a scientist who has made a recent discovery that could turn the tide of the Cold War. But Wragby isn’t the only one Nigel should be watching…

When Wragby’s eight-year-old daughter is kidnapped and his formula demanded in exchange, Nigel finds himself in a race against the clock to save more than just the young girl’s life. And with an accomplice lurking in their number, Nigel must expose the mole before the situation turns deadly.

The Sad Variety was first published in 1964.

Praise for Nicholas Blake and The Sad Variety

“Splendidly rounded and witty characterisation. Glorious chase, with cars and tractor, across snow-covered fields in freezing winter of 1962-63.” — Sunday Telegraph

“Another Nigel Strangeways winner” — Reader Review

“His plots are ingenious.” — Times Literary Supplement

“A master of detective fiction.” — Daily Telegraph

“The Nicholas Blake books are something quite by themselves in English detective fiction.” — Elizabeth Bowen

Print length

238 pages
Language

English
Publication date

July 12, 2019
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

1912194325
ISBN-13

978-1912194322
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Nicholas Blake
82
Paperback
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From the Publisher

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Agora Books (July 12, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 238 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1912194325
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1912194322
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,487,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #20,913 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Books)
- #72,102 in Cozy Mysteries (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.9 28 ratings

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Nicholas Blake

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Nicholas Blake was the pseudonym of Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis, who was born in County Laois, Ireland, in 1904 and raised in London after his mother’s death in 1906. He was educated at Sherborne School and Wadham College, Oxford, from which he graduated in 1927. Blake initially worked as a teacher to supplement his income from his poetry writing and he published his first Nigel Strangeways novel, A Question of Proof, in 1935. Blake went on to write a further nineteen crime novels, all but four of which featured Nigel Strangeways, as well as numerous poetry collections and translations.

During the Second World War he worked as a publications editor in the Ministry of Information, which he used as the basis for the Ministry of Morale in Minute for Murder, and after the war he joined the publishers Chatto & Windus as an editor and director. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1968 and died in 1972 at the home of his friend, the writer Kingsley Amis.

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3.9 out of 5

28 global ratings

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ReaderPhil

Detection with a twist from a master author

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019

This is another of those wonderful convoluted tales by a master mystery writer from the golden age of British detective novels. Nicholas Blake has here incorporated not only his famous hero, Nigel Strangeways, but has done the remarkable twist of including a precocious child as nearly the major character! Certainly Lucy almost outshines Nigel in her ability to maneuver the "bad guys" and help to secure her own rescue.
Not the usual mystery puzzle to be solved, but this is a great example of how a writer at the top of his form can use the genre to explore some other than stock mystery story characters.
As I've been a great fan of Blake for years, I welcomed the opportunity to re-read this in an advance copy from the Crime Classics publisher. A good read if you prize a slower paced mystery than today's violent, action-packed thrillers!

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Susan in Colorado

Cold War “mystery” with complex women

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a story from the Cold War era of communists spies in England.
The basic premise is that a scientist has made a breakthrough in developing a military weapon and the Communists want it.
Knowing that the scientist is loyal to his country, they decide to kidnap his only daughter to force him to give them what they want.
While the basic story line is simple, the development of two of the women is thought provoking and the little girl is delightful.
The wife of the scientist escaped from a communist country, losing her only son but has been a loving step mother to the little girl, Lucy. Her past trauma and current choices are heartbreaking.
Annie, the communist party member behaves in character but her thoughts about what is right, what is important remind us of how different our enemies maybe from us.
And Lucy being brave, thinking of ways to escape, to save herself is enchanting.

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Andrew

Probably The Worst of Nicholas Blake's Books

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is not a mystery. It is novel with a very thin plot about a kidnapped child and with less than ideal (very much so) character development. The reader will know what is going to occur even before it happens. I, personally, could only continue to read until about two-thirds of the way through the book, and then read the last two pages to assure myself that I was correct with respect to the ending. This is only the second book in my long lifetime that I have not bothered to finish. Nicholas Blake has had a few very very good mysteries, but his batting average currently is quite low.

6 people found this helpful

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TRICK

Where Are You!

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019

NetGalley

Member Review

The Sad Variety
by Nicholas Blake
Pub Date: 11 Jul 2019
Review by

Trick W, Reviewer
Last updated on 25 Aug 2019
My Recommendation

You have spies,you have mystery,you have kidnapping,you have a scientist who holds the key to saving the world,what more could you ask for? Interesting and exciting and what's going to happen next!! Very well written and I did enjoy this book! Will read more from this author!! Net Gallery thank you!!

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AnnieB

Strangeways vs. the red menace

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2019

The Sad Variety is the 15th (and penultimate) Nigel Strangeways mystery by Nicholas Blake. Originally released in 1964, this reformatting and re-release by Agora books published 11th July 2019 is 238 pages and available in ebook format. Earlier editions are available in other formats. Fun factoid: the author, Nicholas Blake, was the pseudonym of Cecil Day-Lewis, Poet Laureate and father of multiple academy award winner Daniel Day-Lewis.

Nicholas Blake's fictive 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 it's just a very entertaining and meditative read. The situations are outlandish, the characters often caricatures, the dialogue is quippy, but despite all that, they're always fun to read.

This installment finds Strangeways on the hunt for international communist agitators and kidnappers, trapped in a country house with a small stable of potential communist moles. Although the plot (and denouement) are foreshadowed heavily, the characterizations, especially abductee Lucy (clever child) kept me reading late into the night.

The book was written in the early 60s, in the middle of the 'Red Menace' and as such, may be a little dated for modern audiences. As long as the reader keeps in mind that at the time, people were seeing communist agitators under every flower pot, and the dramatic tension in the book makes more sense.

For Kindle Unlimited subscribers; this title, as well as the much of the author's oeuvre is available in the KU subscription to borrow and download for free.

Really entertaining British cold war mystery. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

One person found this helpful

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Cindy

Vintage Mystery

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019

I had mixed feelings about this book. It began very slowly, and it took a bit of effort to get into it. Generally, I avoid books that bring children into danger, but I decided to give this one a try because I have enjoyed every Nicholas Blake book, I’ve read. Despite my initial reservations, the child Lucy turned out to be one of the highlights of the book.

The Cold War/ spy theme seemed dated and was hard for me to relate to. The book included many of the elements that one would expect in a Golden Age mystery, (amateur detective, British village, manor house, A varied assortment of characters), although I think it might have been written slightly later. I liked this book once I got into it, but I didn’t feel that it was one of the better Nigel Strangeways stories. It seemed a bit more of a spy story than a mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free review copy.

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2019

I love British mystery stories and the classic ones are the best. Very much enjoyed the style of writing and character development. Kept me guessing until the revelation. Surprised. Highly recommend. I received an advance reader copy from netgallely. Opinions are my own.

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The Sad Variety (The Nigel Strangeways Mysteries) Paperback – July 12, 2019

Strangeways finds himself in a race against the clock to save much more than just one young girls' life.

Praise for Nicholas Blake and The Sad Variety

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