The Whisper in the Gloom (1954)

by Nicholas Blake

Series: Nigel Strangeways (11)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
111	3	259,829	(3.77)	3
A VINTAGE MURDER MYSTERY A small boy playing in the park is handed a crumpled piece of paper by a stranger, who then collapses and dies. The boy, realising that he himself is now in danger, flees from the park with the help of detective Nigel Strangeways, only to discover that the mysterious message consists of just his own name and age: Bert Hale 12. Bert and his young friends are confident that they can crack the case but they soon discover that they will need the help of not just Nigel Strangeways, but of the whole British government... A Nigel Strangeways murder mystery - the perfect introduction to the most charming and erudite detective in Golden Age crime fiction.… (more)

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Anthony Boucher's Best Crime Fiction of the Year (99)

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Nigel Strangeways gets pulled into an unusual thriller by an encounter with a 12-year-old boy in this entry in the series. I really liked how much of the story is told from the perspective of the boys involved. (

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leslie.98 | Dec 7, 2020 |

I've read several Nicholas Strangeway's mysteries and this was the least appealing. It had more in common with a boy scout adventure story(the unknown man behind the scenes,secret messages,an mysterious plot...)than with a mystery. (

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Obi2015 | Jul 19, 2020 |

good mystery (

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Tendulkar01 | Mar 11, 2007 |

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Nigel Strangeways (11)

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Canonical title

The Whisper in the Gloom

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The Round Pond, Kensington Gardens, London, England, UK

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Bert Hale, the world-famous inventor, walked into Kensington Gardens with his latest invention under his arm.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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▾Book descriptions

A VINTAGE MURDER MYSTERY A small boy playing in the park is handed a crumpled piece of paper by a stranger, who then collapses and dies. The boy, realising that he himself is now in danger, flees from the park with the help of detective Nigel Strangeways, only to discover that the mysterious message consists of just his own name and age: Bert Hale 12. Bert and his young friends are confident that they can crack the case but they soon discover that they will need the help of not just Nigel Strangeways, but of the whole British government... A Nigel Strangeways murder mystery - the perfect introduction to the most charming and erudite detective in Golden Age crime fiction.

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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. A Russian delegation is in London, and it appears there may be plans to disrupt any agreements or disarmament discussions. The boys are separately kidnapped and end up held in a fancy estate outside of London, waiting for rescue.

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