Basil Blake

In the novel The Body in the Library, Basil Blake is living in a modern cottage on Lansham Road in St. Mary Mead. Unknown to others, he is married to Dinah Lee. He works at a film studio, and is one of the people involved in Set Decorations.

Basil is described as a "young man, with straight, somewhat long, black hair". He is known for having noisy parties, and bringing girls home for the weekend.

During the war he was an ARP warden, but he doesn’t like to talk about that. He was eighteen years old at the time, and went saved four children from a burning house. He then went back in to save a dog, even though he had been warned that it was not safe. The building collapsed on him, and his chest was badly crushed. He had to lie in plaster for almost a year, and was ill for a long time after that. That was when he got interested in designing.

He is suspected of murdering Ruby Keene. However, Miss Marple feels sure that he did not do it.

It is later revealed that on the night of the murder, Basil had returned home from a party, and found the body of a young woman on his hearthrug. He was afraid that Dinah would come home, find him with a girl's body, and think that he killed her. He moved the body to Colonel Bantry's library, because it seemed amusing at the time. His own hearthrug had spangles on it, from the girl's dress, so he put it in the dustbin.

Portrayals
In BBC 1984 adaptation of the novel which formed part of the Miss Marple series, Basil Blake was played by Antony Smee. In this adaptation, he served in the Auxiliary Fire Service during the war and won the George Medal for bravery.

In the ITV 2004 adaptation of the novel (Episode 1, Season 1 of Agatha Christie's Marple), Basil Blake is played by Ben Miller.