THE WIDOW'S CRUISE by Nicholas Blake

THE CRUISE in question in Nicholas Blake's classic murder mystery The Widow's Cruise, is one touring the islands of Greece in the deep, dark blue Aegean Sea. On board the S.S. Menelaos is our merry widow of the moment, the wealthy, prepossessing Melissa Blaydon, who, after the death of her husband, is on holiday with her sister, the equally unprepossessing, and neurotic, Ianthe Ambrose, herself convalescing after a recent nervous breakdown. Also on board is the brilliant gentleman detective Nigel Strangeways, his lovely artist-sculptor companion Clare Massinger, and a small group of tourists who, oddly enough, appear to have links to both sisters. Strangeways immediately senses an unhealthy situation building within the contingent, and unfailingly, within hours of arriving at their first island destination there is both a disappearance and a murder. Suddenly Strangeways is pressed into service by the ship's fretful Captain in an attempt to solve the crime, or crimes, before the ship arrives back at port and the whole scary affair gets handed over to mainland authorities.
 
The above paperback edition was published by Dell in 1963. The cover illustration was produced by Victor Kalin (1919-1991), one of the most versatile commercial illustrators of his generation. Beginning in the 1940's, Kalin produced scores of advertising art, magazine covers, interiors illustrations, book covers (both adult and for children), record album covers, paper doll books, playing cards, and concert programs. As I said, the man was all over the map with his work. Until I can assemble my own post on Kalin's book covers, I suggest to anyone who's interested to visit Kalin's website, run by his daughter, where you can see a broad overview of his amazing art and illustration for yourself. Prints are available to purchase there too.

"Among the passengers on the island cruise ship were a flirtatious widow, her unmarried sister, a famous author, an inquisitive little girl. Two of these people were going to die shocking deaths. Detective Nigel Strangeways was on a holiday from murder. Suddenly his vacation became business as usual."

NICHOLAS BLAKE was the pseudonym of Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-1972), an Irish born, Oxford educated writer, poet, teacher and book reviewer. As Blake he wrote sixteen Nigel Strangeways mysteries and four non-series crime novels, and under his given name a bevy of fine books in other categories. His fourth Strangeways mystery, The Beast Must Die, is generally regarded as a classic, or at the very least his best achievement in the field of mystery. And, for what it's worth, Day-Lewis is the father of Oscar winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who I'm convinced would have made a great Nigel Strangeways if given the chance. If only!

This is the first US hardcover edition of The Widow's Cruise, published by Harper & Brothers of New York in 1959. The dustjacket art was produced by Carl Fischer, probably Harper's longest reigning book cover designer, with over 30 years under contract.

'---Nicholas Blake takes the readers with him on a summer cruise, where jealosy and hatred shimmered over the Greek columns, the sunny quiet waters and the donkey rides...'

The Crime Club of London, an imprint of Collins, published the first British hardcover edition in 1959. Their dustjacket design, used repeatedly on dozens of their titles during a certain time period, is the epitome of blandness but of course it would fit right in with the now 21st centuries equally bland book covers.

'The curious and horrid events which took place after the cruise ship Menelaos headed out into the sapphire waters of the Agean grew from "human motives darker and more complex than the dwelling of the Minotaur" but Nigel Strangeways had no inkling that he was to be drawn into this labyrinth as he watched some of the passengers com aboard at Piraeus---'

The first British paperback edition of The Widow's Cruise was published by Fontana in 1961. It preceded the Dell edition by about a year. The risque cover art is not signed but it looks to me like the work of John L. Baker, one of Fontana's regularly commissioned artists.

"He'd gone to her cabin at the time she had arranged. He had met with violent resistance without a word of explanation. What was the intriguing link between this episode and the death of two passengers on board the cruise vessel Memolaos? Nigel Strangeways had just fourteen hours to find the answer."

Perennial Library, an imprint of HarperCollins, republished Blake's novel in paperback in 1977. A photo image was used to promote the book.

"--- Two sisters--Miss Ambrose, a frumpy, old maid schoolteacher, and Miss Melissa Blaydon, the merry widow incarnate--are the catalyst for one of the most puzzling murders Nigel Strangeways has ever had to solve."

This paperback edition was published in 1982 by Hamlyn of London. The cover is a photo the depicts some of the items that the sisters had with them during their fated beach excursion: mirror, mascara, lipstick, and bathing cap-- all potential clues to the solving of the crime, or crimes.

'"The only thing I have against cruise life, said Clare, yawing 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...'

WITH the exception of the fourth volume of The Nicholas Blake Treasury (1992), which contains The Widow's Cruise, and one large print edition from Ulverscroft published in 1978, and perhaps one other Harper UK softcover edition issued in the late 1980s, the books shown here are all of the print versions of The Widow's Cruise that were published in the last century.

Blake's novel will undoubtedly be republished again, it's that good, but the chances of it getting an actual painted illustration cover like what we had with the Dell and the Fontana had are pretty slim to none. 

[July, 2019, © Jeffersen]