Blotto,
Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess
Blotto and Twinks series, No. 2
By Simon Brett
As
anybody who read Blotto,
Twinks and the Ex-King’s Daughter last year will
realize, sleuthing duo Blotto and Twinks, (or Devereux and Honoria
Lyminster to give them their real names) are back for a second adventure.
This pair is now playing host and hostess at a weekend house party,
to which the Dowager Duchess of Melmont has been invited. So, unfortunately
for Blotto, has her unattractive daughter Laetitia, a match whom
Blotto’s own mother thinks would be made in heaven. But the
duchess is murdered, and one of the other guests is the famous amateur
detective Troubador Bligh, who naturally is sure he knows whodunit.
The twins disagree and set off on their travels to solve the mystery.
If you enjoyed the novels of P G Wodehouse and enjoy humorous detective
stories, then this new series might well fit the bill. As with the
first novel, this is a comedy first and a detective novel second,
filled with plenty of satirical references to all the clichés
of classic detective fiction. What holds up the plot (and the chuckles,
come to think of it) a lot of the time is the overly frequent reminders
that Blotto is very stupid and his sister Twinks is very clever.
This is very obvious to readers, unless they are in the same category
as Blotto, so as we are being shown we do not need to be repeatedly
told. Again, if you like your detective stories to be filled with
surprising twists and turns, then maybe this is not for you, although
it does have its moments. These include visits to a Cornish tin
mine, an opium den in Limehouse, a Scottish castle and the headquarters
of the obligatory sinister criminal gang. If you enjoyed the first
in the series, you will love this one, as there is more of it (though
not in length) and chances are, more to come.
|
The
Book |
Constable (Constable and Robinson) |
29
August 2010 |
Hardback
|
1849013179
/9781849013178 |
Historical Mystery / 1920s South East England |
More at Amazon US
|| UK |
Excerpt |
NOTE:
|
The
Reviewer |
Rachel
A Hyde |
Reviewed
2010 |
NOTE:
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