Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett

An author has to be a master of the subject in order write a successful takeoff, and Simon Brett is definitely a master of the Golden Age mystery. Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter has so many elements of those mysteries set in England amongst the nobility, but Brett takes every character to the extreme in the first book in this comic series.

The Right Honourable Deveraux Lyminster (Blotto) is the second son of the family.  Brett superbly describes Blotto's intelligence. "Blotto's thoughts rarely ran deep enough to dampen the soles of his handmade brougues." So, when Blotto found a dead body in the library, it's a good thing he had his sister, Twink, to help. The Lady Honoria Lyminster (Twink) was more than eager to play amateur detective.  Twink understood that they would be forced to call in the police, but, as in every traditional mystery, it would be up to the amateur detective to actually solve the case.  Since their mother, the Dowager Duchess, is hosting the ex-King of Mitteleuropia, and the deceased is part of his entourage, there are diplomatic issues.  Then there is the fact that no one in the entourage will admit that the deceased is missing from their party. 

While Twink is ready to solve the case, the Dowager Duchess does everything in her power, even calling the mother of one of the Chief Constable to insist the case be closed. But murder is only the prelude to another crime, the kidnapping of the ex-king's daughter. Since this is a disgrace to the family honor, the Dowager Duchess sends Blotto on a mission to Mitteleuropia to rescue her, warning poor Blotto he'll be expected to marry her if he succeeds, and he'll probably die or be captured if he doesn't. Thank heavens Blotto has Twink on his side.  And, who would know one of Blotto's few skills, as a cricket player, would come in handy?

Brett has done a masterful job poking fun at mysteries with amateur sleuths of the British nobility. I'll have to admit, I've never been a fan of broad humor.  I never cared for the Three Stooges or the Marx Brothers. So, although I can appreciate what Brett did, the humor isn't my style.  On the  other hand, a young man at the library today saw my copy of the book, asked me about it, and he's ready to read it.  Don't hesitate to pick up Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter because I don't appreciate the humor. I'm sure Simon Brett's fans will welcome his return to his humorous mysteries.

Simon Brett's website is www.simonbrett.com

Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett. Felony & Mayhem, LLC, ©2011. ISBN 9781934609699 (paperback), 211p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of the book, in hopes I would review it.

The Huckleberry Murders by Patrick F. McManus

It doesn't matter if you haven't read the previous three books in the Sheriff Bo Tully mystery series.  You can learn everything you need to know about the shrewd sheriff of Blight County, Idaho in the latest book, The Huckleberry Murders by Patrick F. McManus.  Tully is a manipulative man who knows his local lawbreakers, and all of the attractive women in the area.   He and his staff, along with his father and a local tracker, manage to bring humor to the investigation of big city crimes that have crept into Blight County.

It all began with a missing rancher.  Orville Poulson's ex-wife claimed he'd been murdered by the man who seems to be the caretaker of the ranch, a man who insists Orville is only traveling in Mexico, enjoying his retirement.  Tully seemingly accepts Crockett's version of the story, but he suspects the man knows more than he's saying. 

But, only Sheriff Bo Tully can take an innocent trip to find huckleberries, and end up dealing with the worst murder of his career.  It appears that three men were shot in the head while picking huckleberries.  But, the men were found on federal land, so it isn't long before the FBI shows up, in the person of Angela Phelps.  And, of course, Bo Tully will cooperate with the FBI.  It's just that he'll do it the Blight way. 

How can you describe a book that appears to have psychics, huckleberries, con men, motorcycle gangs, and killers?  Those are just the aspects of the book I can talk about without revealing too much about the plot.  But, don't worry.  Sheriff Bo Tully always has a firm grasp on crime in his community, even when it appears that everything is out of control.  After all, he comes from a long line of Tully sheriffs, who knew how to manipulate women, criminals, and the law, in the Blight way.  This time, Sheriff BoTully just has to solve the case of The Huckleberry Murders.

Patrick F. McManus' website is http://www.patrickfmcmanus.com/.

The Huckleberry Murders by Patrick F. McManus.  Simon & Schuster, ©2010. ISBN 9781439190845 (hardcover), 260p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - Library book.