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Flaxborough Chronicles #10
Blue Murder
A car mowing its way through Flaxborough market (and almost over Constable Cowdry) dramatically signals the presence of fearless, crusading journalist - Clive Grail, bent on uncovering scandal in that town's quiet and overtly respectable back streets. In answer to published hints of revelations to come, the mayor issues a challenge of a bloodcurdling and - as Inspector Purbright patiently explains - illegal nature. However, the war of threats is not the worst of it. Those who play with blue films and blackmail often find themselves involved in more than they had bargained for; and soon Purbright finds himself striving to solve a much graver and more sinister crime... First published in 1979, Blue Murder is the tenth novel in the Flaxborough series and displays Watson's characteristic dry wit and striking observation. 'Flaxborough is Colin Watson's quiet English town whose outward respectability masks a seething pottage of greed, crime and vice... Mr Watson wields a delightfully witty pen dripped in acid.' Daily Telegraph 'Arguably the best, and certainly the most consistent of comic crime writers, delicately treading the line between wit and farce... Funny, stylish and good mysteries to boot.' TIME OUT
159 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 1979
68 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Colin Watson
64 books29 followersColin Watson was educated at the Whitgift School in South Croydon, London. During his career as a journalist he worked in London and Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he was a leader-writer for Kemsley Newspapers.
His book Hopjoy Was Here (1962) received the Silver Dagger Award. He was married, with three children, and lived in Lincolnshire. After retiring from journalism he designed silver jewellery.
As well as a series of humorous detective novels set in the imaginary town of Flaxborough, featuring Inspector Purbright, Watson also wrote and later revised a study of detective stories and thrillers called Snobbery with Violence.
His book Hopjoy Was Here (1962) received the Silver Dagger Award. He was married, with three children, and lived in Lincolnshire. After retiring from journalism he designed silver jewellery.
As well as a series of humorous detective novels set in the imaginary town of Flaxborough, featuring Inspector Purbright, Watson also wrote and later revised a study of detective stories and thrillers called Snobbery with Violence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 28, 2018
This is the tenth book in the Flaxborough mystery series written by the late Colin Watson in the 70s and currently being republished by Farrago Books UK. These are witty British police procedurals that skewer human foibles.
In this outing, a team from London's Sunday Herald has arrived in Flaxborough to compile an article about a salacious film allegedly made by the local photography club--hoping to expose a scandal. The local mayor is so enraged, he challenges the newspaper editor to a duel!
But when the group actually views the film, they find they've been had. Someone has taken films of local music productions and doctored them, marketing the films as porn in the far east. "Flaxborough must be the only town in England that requires its amateur opera singers to be Khama Sutra specialists."
But the expose' has already been announced as a teaser in the previous Sunday's edition--now how to save face and back out of writing the article?? The team comes up with a complicated plot but the whole thing falls apart when someone dies and it appears to be an unnatural death. Is there a bigger plot afoot here?
I have really enjoyed this series of mysteries with its wry humor, eccentric characters and intriguing plots. I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks!
In this outing, a team from London's Sunday Herald has arrived in Flaxborough to compile an article about a salacious film allegedly made by the local photography club--hoping to expose a scandal. The local mayor is so enraged, he challenges the newspaper editor to a duel!
But when the group actually views the film, they find they've been had. Someone has taken films of local music productions and doctored them, marketing the films as porn in the far east. "Flaxborough must be the only town in England that requires its amateur opera singers to be Khama Sutra specialists."
But the expose' has already been announced as a teaser in the previous Sunday's edition--now how to save face and back out of writing the article?? The team comes up with a complicated plot but the whole thing falls apart when someone dies and it appears to be an unnatural death. Is there a bigger plot afoot here?
I have really enjoyed this series of mysteries with its wry humor, eccentric characters and intriguing plots. I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks!
July 2, 2018
Scandal and Skulduggery
Watson was a somewhat non-PC satirist (by today’s standards) in the style of Flann O’Brien and Evelyn Waugh – who also shared careers in journalism. His surreal plots and witty wordplay poke fun at the pomposity and hypocrisy of provincial dignitaries in small towns like that of Boston in Lincolnshire (where Watson worked) in the 1950’s. Four of his novels were adapted by the BBC for a series entitled ‘’Murder Most English’ - the style of which seems to have resurfaced later in almost identical guise as ‘Midsummer Murders’, with similar preposterous storylines and eccentric characters.
This particular plot revolves around the rumours of a ‘blue’ film being made using local townsfolk, with blackmail, kidnap and a challenge to a duel added to the farcical chain of events, following a write up on a scurrilous Fleet Street tabloid newspaper.
As always, it is a joy to read another of the Flaxborough Chronicles in the delicious knowledge that there are plenty more to catch up with in the series.
Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley
Watson was a somewhat non-PC satirist (by today’s standards) in the style of Flann O’Brien and Evelyn Waugh – who also shared careers in journalism. His surreal plots and witty wordplay poke fun at the pomposity and hypocrisy of provincial dignitaries in small towns like that of Boston in Lincolnshire (where Watson worked) in the 1950’s. Four of his novels were adapted by the BBC for a series entitled ‘’Murder Most English’ - the style of which seems to have resurfaced later in almost identical guise as ‘Midsummer Murders’, with similar preposterous storylines and eccentric characters.
This particular plot revolves around the rumours of a ‘blue’ film being made using local townsfolk, with blackmail, kidnap and a challenge to a duel added to the farcical chain of events, following a write up on a scurrilous Fleet Street tabloid newspaper.
As always, it is a joy to read another of the Flaxborough Chronicles in the delicious knowledge that there are plenty more to catch up with in the series.
Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC via NetGalley
April 17, 2019
Skulduggery behind the net curtains...
When a Sunday newspaper tantalises its readers with promises of a juicy story about a blue movie ostensibly made in a quiet, respectable English town, the residents of Flaxborough are horrified to see that the accompanying photograph is of their town’s main street. So when top muck-raking journalist Clive Grail and his team arrive in the town, they aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms. In fact, the mayor decides this would be a golden opportunity to use the antique duelling pistols he has just purchased, and issues a challenge to Grail. This may have been intended as a publicity stunt, but things take a more sinister turn when one of the characters dies...
I loved the Flaxborough Chronicles in my youth and have been enjoying reading some of them again as they’ve been published for Kindle by Farrago. However, the series wasn’t of the same standard across its whole length of twelve books – in the first couple, Watson was finding his feet, then there’s a glorious section of six or seven in the middle when he was on top form, before they fell away a little in the last few. Being book 10, this isn’t one of the best. My tendency is always to compare these lesser ones to the best of the series (Broomsticks over Flaxborough, for instance) but this is unfair. Compared to many other books of the same period, even Watson’s less good ones shine.
Part of the problem is that the humour of the earlier books comes from Watson allowing us to peek behind the net curtains of respectability of the middle-classes of the 1950s. By the end of the series, we’re in the ‘70s, and society had changed so much in the intervening years that that kind of show of respectability and class deference had pretty much disappeared, and I never felt Watson really got to grips with how to lampoon the late ‘60s and ‘70s in quite the same way. The delicious, wickedly salacious wit with which he mocks the shenanigans of the ultra-respectable burghers of the town in the ‘50s takes on an edge of crudity in the more liberal ‘70s, and the slang used by his younger characters in particular doesn’t ring wholly true.
Having said that, he still provides an entertaining story, full of characters who are deliberately caricatured and overdrawn. As the newspaper team begin to realise that the story they expected to get isn’t turning out quite the way they anticipated, they have to scramble to save their reputations and jobs, since the paper won’t be pleased if they don’t come up with the goods. Meantime, the townsfolk are split between those outraged at the idea of their town being linked with porn, and those who find it all quite titillating. Inspector Purbright must try to keep the peace by stopping the mayor from carrying through on his threat of a duel, and then must investigate the sudden death which takes everyone by surprise.
The investigation element of this one is pretty poor. We see the story mainly from the perspective of the newspaper team, with Purbright and his team becoming heavily involved only at the end. Purbright seems to get at the truth too easily and the reader isn’t really shown the connecting links – we’re merely presented with the conclusion. It holds together and makes sense, and in retrospect there are some clues, but on the whole the solution comes out of the blue. Also, while Chubb and Love and the other police regulars show up, we spend very little time with them, and Miss Teatime fans will be sad to know she doesn’t appear in this one at all.
Overall, then, not one of the best but still entertaining enough to be well worth reading. Each of these books stands alone, but I wouldn’t recommend starting with this one. Existing fans will be more willing to make allowances for its comparative weaknesses than newcomers, I think. But the series as a whole is not to be missed! New readers might be better to start at the beginning with Coffin Scarcely Used.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Farrago.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When a Sunday newspaper tantalises its readers with promises of a juicy story about a blue movie ostensibly made in a quiet, respectable English town, the residents of Flaxborough are horrified to see that the accompanying photograph is of their town’s main street. So when top muck-raking journalist Clive Grail and his team arrive in the town, they aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms. In fact, the mayor decides this would be a golden opportunity to use the antique duelling pistols he has just purchased, and issues a challenge to Grail. This may have been intended as a publicity stunt, but things take a more sinister turn when one of the characters dies...
I loved the Flaxborough Chronicles in my youth and have been enjoying reading some of them again as they’ve been published for Kindle by Farrago. However, the series wasn’t of the same standard across its whole length of twelve books – in the first couple, Watson was finding his feet, then there’s a glorious section of six or seven in the middle when he was on top form, before they fell away a little in the last few. Being book 10, this isn’t one of the best. My tendency is always to compare these lesser ones to the best of the series (Broomsticks over Flaxborough, for instance) but this is unfair. Compared to many other books of the same period, even Watson’s less good ones shine.
Part of the problem is that the humour of the earlier books comes from Watson allowing us to peek behind the net curtains of respectability of the middle-classes of the 1950s. By the end of the series, we’re in the ‘70s, and society had changed so much in the intervening years that that kind of show of respectability and class deference had pretty much disappeared, and I never felt Watson really got to grips with how to lampoon the late ‘60s and ‘70s in quite the same way. The delicious, wickedly salacious wit with which he mocks the shenanigans of the ultra-respectable burghers of the town in the ‘50s takes on an edge of crudity in the more liberal ‘70s, and the slang used by his younger characters in particular doesn’t ring wholly true.
Having said that, he still provides an entertaining story, full of characters who are deliberately caricatured and overdrawn. As the newspaper team begin to realise that the story they expected to get isn’t turning out quite the way they anticipated, they have to scramble to save their reputations and jobs, since the paper won’t be pleased if they don’t come up with the goods. Meantime, the townsfolk are split between those outraged at the idea of their town being linked with porn, and those who find it all quite titillating. Inspector Purbright must try to keep the peace by stopping the mayor from carrying through on his threat of a duel, and then must investigate the sudden death which takes everyone by surprise.
The investigation element of this one is pretty poor. We see the story mainly from the perspective of the newspaper team, with Purbright and his team becoming heavily involved only at the end. Purbright seems to get at the truth too easily and the reader isn’t really shown the connecting links – we’re merely presented with the conclusion. It holds together and makes sense, and in retrospect there are some clues, but on the whole the solution comes out of the blue. Also, while Chubb and Love and the other police regulars show up, we spend very little time with them, and Miss Teatime fans will be sad to know she doesn’t appear in this one at all.
Overall, then, not one of the best but still entertaining enough to be well worth reading. Each of these books stands alone, but I wouldn’t recommend starting with this one. Existing fans will be more willing to make allowances for its comparative weaknesses than newcomers, I think. But the series as a whole is not to be missed! New readers might be better to start at the beginning with Coffin Scarcely Used.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Farrago.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
June 29, 2018
Thanks to the publisher, Farrago, for providing a free digital ARC via Netgalley.
Even the best writers are bound to produce a clunker or two when writing a series, and this appears to be Watson’s. Though his dry wit is as much in evidence as always, his plotting and characterization just aren’t up to snuff. He writes so ornately and euphemistically that it sometimes requires work to be sure you know what he’s getting at. The characters, especially the crew up from London, are two-dimensional. Even Purbright seems flat. Worst of all, there is no Miss Teatime in this entry in the series.
This is definitely not a good place to start with the Flaxborough series. Start with the first, Coffin Scarcely Used, or my favorite, Lonelyheart 4122.
Even the best writers are bound to produce a clunker or two when writing a series, and this appears to be Watson’s. Though his dry wit is as much in evidence as always, his plotting and characterization just aren’t up to snuff. He writes so ornately and euphemistically that it sometimes requires work to be sure you know what he’s getting at. The characters, especially the crew up from London, are two-dimensional. Even Purbright seems flat. Worst of all, there is no Miss Teatime in this entry in the series.
This is definitely not a good place to start with the Flaxborough series. Start with the first, Coffin Scarcely Used, or my favorite, Lonelyheart 4122.
June 17, 2018
Blue Murder is the tenth of Colin Watson's Flaxborough novels and it's another thoroughly enjoyable read.
This time, a celebrity journalist from a Fleet Street scandal-sheet and his small retinue arrive in Flaxborough intent, it seems, on exposing immoral goings-on in the town. An almost farcical situation arises involving absurdities including a vindictive police constable, a duel and a dodgy kidnapping; eventually a death brings Inspector Purbright and his redoubtable team onto the scene and darker secrets begin to emerge.
As always, this is a decent mystery but it is Watson's dry, witty style and amusing but penetrating characterisation which provides the real enjoyment. Just as a small example, as a young woman is trying to charm the editor of the local paper: "Mr Kebble found a chair for her. She spiralled into it as if sitting down was a notable sensual accomplishment." If you like that, you'll like the book.
The absence of Miss Lucilla Teatime meant that a little of the real zing of some other Flaxborough books wasn't there, but Blue Murder is still very entertaining and, like all Colin Watson's books, I can warmly recommend it.
(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
This time, a celebrity journalist from a Fleet Street scandal-sheet and his small retinue arrive in Flaxborough intent, it seems, on exposing immoral goings-on in the town. An almost farcical situation arises involving absurdities including a vindictive police constable, a duel and a dodgy kidnapping; eventually a death brings Inspector Purbright and his redoubtable team onto the scene and darker secrets begin to emerge.
As always, this is a decent mystery but it is Watson's dry, witty style and amusing but penetrating characterisation which provides the real enjoyment. Just as a small example, as a young woman is trying to charm the editor of the local paper: "Mr Kebble found a chair for her. She spiralled into it as if sitting down was a notable sensual accomplishment." If you like that, you'll like the book.
The absence of Miss Lucilla Teatime meant that a little of the real zing of some other Flaxborough books wasn't there, but Blue Murder is still very entertaining and, like all Colin Watson's books, I can warmly recommend it.
(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
September 1, 2018
Colin Watson, maybe it’s me, not your book. Blue Murder is the 10th book in the Flaxborough Chronicles. Perhaps if I had begun with the very first book, Coffin, Scarcely Used (first released in 1958), I would find the denizens of Flaxborough prickly but charming and humanly flawed instead of petty, deceptive and unlikable. The town dwellers are so dreadful that they rival the crew — with the exception of researcher Birdie Clemenceaux — from the national tabloid Sunday Herald, made up equal parts investigative reporting and scandal-mongering. You’ve got to be god-awful to make the British equivalent of the National Enquirer look decent by comparison.
The premise is that the Sunday Herald’s ace muckraker, Clive Grail, gets a tip that the bourgeois town of Flaxborough is secretly producing pornographic movies that have been boffo hits in the Persian Gulf. Detective Inspector Purbright, one of the few decent people in Flaxborough, is determined to shake out the truth.
If you can get messages in the afterlife, Mr. Watson (I’m sure you don’t want me taking the liberty of calling you Colin), you’ll be glad to know that, despite dying in 1983, Farrago is re-issuing your books in both paperback and Kindle. (Ask one of the more recent angels about Kindle.) So you probably don’t care that, after reading two-thirds of this dreadful book, I felt compelled to chuck it. But for the readers, caveat emptor. But just in case it really is me, I've thrown in an extra star.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Farrago in exchange for an honest review.
The premise is that the Sunday Herald’s ace muckraker, Clive Grail, gets a tip that the bourgeois town of Flaxborough is secretly producing pornographic movies that have been boffo hits in the Persian Gulf. Detective Inspector Purbright, one of the few decent people in Flaxborough, is determined to shake out the truth.
If you can get messages in the afterlife, Mr. Watson (I’m sure you don’t want me taking the liberty of calling you Colin), you’ll be glad to know that, despite dying in 1983, Farrago is re-issuing your books in both paperback and Kindle. (Ask one of the more recent angels about Kindle.) So you probably don’t care that, after reading two-thirds of this dreadful book, I felt compelled to chuck it. But for the readers, caveat emptor. But just in case it really is me, I've thrown in an extra star.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Farrago in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago for an advance copy of Blue Murder, the tenth novel in the Flaxborough Chronicles series of police procedurals featuring Inspector Purbright, originally published in 1979.
Clive Grail, columnist at The Sunday Herald, arrives in Flaxborough hot on the trail of another scurrilous scandal, this one involving the citizens of Flaxborough and the production of blue movies. The mayor is so incensed at the aspersions cast on his constituency that he challenges Grail to a duel. Inspector Purbright is hovering on the periphery, but with no evidence of a crime is powerless to act.
I thoroughly enjoyed Blue Murder which is another humorous tale of middle class England with a good mystery thrown in as a bonus. It held my attention from start to finish and had me laughing out loud at times. Mr Watson had a wicked sense of humour and an unerring eye for the foibles of human nature so I enjoyed the story of the blue movie, both its content and the reaction to said content. There is no professionalism in the crimes which finally occur so it is strictly amateur hour but this only adds to the humour of the situation. The plotting is clever with several twists and a well concealed motive. This is often overlooked in the ongoing fun but it is very well done.
Inspector Purbright has changed as the series progresses. Originally he was, if not inept, rather slow to catch on. In this novel he is razor sharp with a good understanding of what is happening. As usual he is all work with little mention of his home life, although he is known to read The Sunday Herald. His interactions with the rather hapless Chief Constable Chubb are now a joy to read and extremely amusing. To my disappointment there is no guest appearance from the estimable Miss Lucilla Teatime, she of questionable morality but unquestionable intelligence, although Birdy Clemonceaux, Grail's assistant looks to be a junior version.
Blue Murder is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Clive Grail, columnist at The Sunday Herald, arrives in Flaxborough hot on the trail of another scurrilous scandal, this one involving the citizens of Flaxborough and the production of blue movies. The mayor is so incensed at the aspersions cast on his constituency that he challenges Grail to a duel. Inspector Purbright is hovering on the periphery, but with no evidence of a crime is powerless to act.
I thoroughly enjoyed Blue Murder which is another humorous tale of middle class England with a good mystery thrown in as a bonus. It held my attention from start to finish and had me laughing out loud at times. Mr Watson had a wicked sense of humour and an unerring eye for the foibles of human nature so I enjoyed the story of the blue movie, both its content and the reaction to said content. There is no professionalism in the crimes which finally occur so it is strictly amateur hour but this only adds to the humour of the situation. The plotting is clever with several twists and a well concealed motive. This is often overlooked in the ongoing fun but it is very well done.
Inspector Purbright has changed as the series progresses. Originally he was, if not inept, rather slow to catch on. In this novel he is razor sharp with a good understanding of what is happening. As usual he is all work with little mention of his home life, although he is known to read The Sunday Herald. His interactions with the rather hapless Chief Constable Chubb are now a joy to read and extremely amusing. To my disappointment there is no guest appearance from the estimable Miss Lucilla Teatime, she of questionable morality but unquestionable intelligence, although Birdy Clemonceaux, Grail's assistant looks to be a junior version.
Blue Murder is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 19, 2018
Originally written in 1979, this installment in the Flaxborough Chronicles takes a more salacious turn as London journalist Clive Grail is determined to ferret out and reveal the local photography club as a purveyor of “blue” films and blackmail, hoping to get a byline on a huge story for the Sunday Herald. His snooping, however, enrages the local mayor, who challenges Clive to a duel for the honor of Flaxborough and its erstwhile residents.
But, the truth is a bit twisted: films of the town’s local productions, usually amateur operettas, have been doctored and marketed as porn for the Far East markets, earning the culprit some serious cash, while providing a London journalist with a potential expose, already ‘teased’ in the press. Of course, the town wants to protect its image, and a plot is conceived for the journalist to find a story, even one that is not as expected when…. You guessed it – a body turns up, bringing in the Inspector and his team.
What I’ve come to expect from Watson is an incredible facility with language and a keen sense of observation, all put to play with subtle, and not so, digs at the ‘established’ way (some may say stodgy and stereotypical) of doing things. No one is safe, as Purbright in discovering the murderer also discovers a motive that was both well-hidden and a surprise when all is said and done. Fully enjoyable as the twists, turns and a bit of hilarity ensue, making this another solid installment in the series. Easily read as a stand-alone story, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to see the growth and development of Purbright’s character and his ever-increasing discovery of the failures in humanity as a whole as he opines widely on people and their behavior as the series has progressed. A solid, if wholly different from the gore and ‘cutesy’ trends of cozies today, with language and attitudes that are clearly ‘of their day’ and not politically correct, these are fun, clever mysteries that bring a sense of the earlier classic authors of the genre.
I received an eBook copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
But, the truth is a bit twisted: films of the town’s local productions, usually amateur operettas, have been doctored and marketed as porn for the Far East markets, earning the culprit some serious cash, while providing a London journalist with a potential expose, already ‘teased’ in the press. Of course, the town wants to protect its image, and a plot is conceived for the journalist to find a story, even one that is not as expected when…. You guessed it – a body turns up, bringing in the Inspector and his team.
What I’ve come to expect from Watson is an incredible facility with language and a keen sense of observation, all put to play with subtle, and not so, digs at the ‘established’ way (some may say stodgy and stereotypical) of doing things. No one is safe, as Purbright in discovering the murderer also discovers a motive that was both well-hidden and a surprise when all is said and done. Fully enjoyable as the twists, turns and a bit of hilarity ensue, making this another solid installment in the series. Easily read as a stand-alone story, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to see the growth and development of Purbright’s character and his ever-increasing discovery of the failures in humanity as a whole as he opines widely on people and their behavior as the series has progressed. A solid, if wholly different from the gore and ‘cutesy’ trends of cozies today, with language and attitudes that are clearly ‘of their day’ and not politically correct, these are fun, clever mysteries that bring a sense of the earlier classic authors of the genre.
I received an eBook copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
June 26, 2018
Flaxborough is crying Blue Murder in the 10th mystery in the excellent British small town police procedural.
A writer for a London tabloid is sent to find a porno supposedly filmed with the town’s citizens. Mayor Hockley challenges the writer to a duel. Several mysterious deaths are investigated by the local police.
For such a short book, Blue Murder has a multitude of plots. However, the conclusion nicely merges them together well. This British mystery is extremely well written. The ending is surprising but fair. 4 stars!
Thanks to Farrago Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
A writer for a London tabloid is sent to find a porno supposedly filmed with the town’s citizens. Mayor Hockley challenges the writer to a duel. Several mysterious deaths are investigated by the local police.
For such a short book, Blue Murder has a multitude of plots. However, the conclusion nicely merges them together well. This British mystery is extremely well written. The ending is surprising but fair. 4 stars!
Thanks to Farrago Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
February 14, 2021
I get a kick out of this mystery series by Colin Watson. You have to love a village where thanks to the time period and culture, sex is still dirty, but that isn’t stopping the inhabitants from indulging (a lot!) This is the weakest of the series, imo, but still enjoyable. And for the uninitiated, there’s lots of innuendo but nothing graphic at all.
June 13, 2021
Another wonderful example of witty, stylish English. What the plots lack in content is surely compensated for by the brilliant writing. This is no.10 of 12. Only another two to go and I have read them all at least twice.
Very highly recommended.
Very highly recommended.
November 7, 2018
Kidnapping, murder, dirty movies. It’s just another day in the charming town of Flaxborough. A group of reporters are in town in pursuit of a story and manage to disrupt market day by nearly running over a police officer. They have taking over a local boarding house and the housekeeper is sure they are up to no good. Then the reporter of the group is kidnapped and it’s up to Inspector Purbright and Sergeant Love to return a state of order to Flaxborough.
I have to say I was disappointed by this installment in the series. The story just fell flat for me. Inspector Purbright barely appears in the first half of the book and there is no trace of the lovely Miss Teatime. I had the feeling that the author was just forcing himself with this one. So that’s it folks, just an average story, not up to the quality of the previous ones.
I have to say I was disappointed by this installment in the series. The story just fell flat for me. Inspector Purbright barely appears in the first half of the book and there is no trace of the lovely Miss Teatime. I had the feeling that the author was just forcing himself with this one. So that’s it folks, just an average story, not up to the quality of the previous ones.
September 14, 2018
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Blue Murder is the 10th Flaxborough mystery by Colin Watson. Originally published in 1979, the Flaxborough books are being reformatted and re-released by Farrago press so they can be rediscovered and enjoyed by mystery lovers.
These books are extremely dry and the plots are somewhat convoluted and ridiculous. They are on the whole really wickedly funny and extremely well crafted. They're a combination of murder mystery and a seriously acerbic lampooning of post WWII village life.
I have heard that Shakespeare had the somewhat enviable ability to actually think and write in iambic pentameter. Well, Colin Watson had an innate and unerring ear for the acidic and wry double-entendre.
There were moments in this book when I found myself yanked out of the story because I had to re-read what the author had said to make sure I understood what he meant. If the modern reader just skims over the story without putting in a little effort to actually dissect the clever writing, they won't appreciate more than 50-60%. A great deal of the meaning isn't directly on display. In that sense also, this book is quintessentially British. I suspect most modern American readers will have to put in a little extra effort to really enjoy and appreciate these books.
The series was written and set in 60s-70s England and as such they can appear somewhat nostalgic and quaint.
This book in particular seemed to me a little less accessible. I had to work a little harder to really appreciate the jokes. The plot was the tiniest bit plodding in places and instead of just devouring the book in one sitting, I had to read it in several sessions; I found my interest waning occasionally. I think most readers who prefer their reading to be easily digested and completely on the surface will probably be annoyed by Colin Watson. For those discerning readers who don't mind working for their enjoyment, they'll be richly rewarded for their efforts.
I really did enjoy this book and look forward to enjoying the rest of the series. They absolutely do not make them like this anymore. Watson's command of English was spectacular. He reminds me somewhat of Maugham, if Maugham had the naughty sense of humor of a 12 year old schoolboy.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Blue Murder is the 10th Flaxborough mystery by Colin Watson. Originally published in 1979, the Flaxborough books are being reformatted and re-released by Farrago press so they can be rediscovered and enjoyed by mystery lovers.
These books are extremely dry and the plots are somewhat convoluted and ridiculous. They are on the whole really wickedly funny and extremely well crafted. They're a combination of murder mystery and a seriously acerbic lampooning of post WWII village life.
I have heard that Shakespeare had the somewhat enviable ability to actually think and write in iambic pentameter. Well, Colin Watson had an innate and unerring ear for the acidic and wry double-entendre.
There were moments in this book when I found myself yanked out of the story because I had to re-read what the author had said to make sure I understood what he meant. If the modern reader just skims over the story without putting in a little effort to actually dissect the clever writing, they won't appreciate more than 50-60%. A great deal of the meaning isn't directly on display. In that sense also, this book is quintessentially British. I suspect most modern American readers will have to put in a little extra effort to really enjoy and appreciate these books.
The series was written and set in 60s-70s England and as such they can appear somewhat nostalgic and quaint.
This book in particular seemed to me a little less accessible. I had to work a little harder to really appreciate the jokes. The plot was the tiniest bit plodding in places and instead of just devouring the book in one sitting, I had to read it in several sessions; I found my interest waning occasionally. I think most readers who prefer their reading to be easily digested and completely on the surface will probably be annoyed by Colin Watson. For those discerning readers who don't mind working for their enjoyment, they'll be richly rewarded for their efforts.
I really did enjoy this book and look forward to enjoying the rest of the series. They absolutely do not make them like this anymore. Watson's command of English was spectacular. He reminds me somewhat of Maugham, if Maugham had the naughty sense of humor of a 12 year old schoolboy.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
June 15, 2018
When members of a newspaper come to town in order to find out which residents of Flaxborough have participated in a blue film, there is immediate outrage by the mayor. This is fueled by the fact of an oculist who has recently purchased a pair of dueling pistols and wants to get some use out of them. When the mayor goes to the local newspaper editor, Kimble, the oculist, Hoole, is there and they convince Mayor Hockley to challenge Clive Grail to a duel to defend the town's honor.
But while Grail has no desire to participate, he's also in a bit of a quandary. It seems that he and the rest of his crew have watched the film, along with Kimble and one of his reporters - who informs them that there is a bit of a problem with it. In fact, if it were to get out, Grail could be made a laughingstock.
So Grail and his cronies devise a way to exit the situation: fake a kidnapping and demand the film never be shown - and, as his "friends" have devised among themselves without his knowledge - the added bit of a 'ransom' of fifteen thousand pounds. But something goes terribly wrong, and that's when DI Purbright steps in...
This is another wonderful mystery from the mind of Colin Watson. DI Purbright learns about the duel from his chief constable, Mr. Chubb, and does his best to inform the parties that it might be better if it didn't go off, being illegal and all. But then he learns about the film and when he discovers something more fatal along the way, it is up to himself and his team of officers to try and find the truth of the matter.
It is enjoyable indeed to watch our Purbright at work as he puts the clues together, and I love this series and wish there were more (alas, it was not to be as Mr. Watson passed away in 1982). Purbright is an intelligent man who has a way of watching people and learning things from them without even apparently trying. The endings are not traditional, as it were, but still things are always wrapped up tidily. However, while they can be read as stand alone novels, I suggest you begin with the first and read them in order. Highly recommended.
But while Grail has no desire to participate, he's also in a bit of a quandary. It seems that he and the rest of his crew have watched the film, along with Kimble and one of his reporters - who informs them that there is a bit of a problem with it. In fact, if it were to get out, Grail could be made a laughingstock.
So Grail and his cronies devise a way to exit the situation: fake a kidnapping and demand the film never be shown - and, as his "friends" have devised among themselves without his knowledge - the added bit of a 'ransom' of fifteen thousand pounds. But something goes terribly wrong, and that's when DI Purbright steps in...
This is another wonderful mystery from the mind of Colin Watson. DI Purbright learns about the duel from his chief constable, Mr. Chubb, and does his best to inform the parties that it might be better if it didn't go off, being illegal and all. But then he learns about the film and when he discovers something more fatal along the way, it is up to himself and his team of officers to try and find the truth of the matter.
It is enjoyable indeed to watch our Purbright at work as he puts the clues together, and I love this series and wish there were more (alas, it was not to be as Mr. Watson passed away in 1982). Purbright is an intelligent man who has a way of watching people and learning things from them without even apparently trying. The endings are not traditional, as it were, but still things are always wrapped up tidily. However, while they can be read as stand alone novels, I suggest you begin with the first and read them in order. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2018
Investigative journalists from London have arrived in Flaxborough hot on the trail of a juicy story. Could residents really have been making and distributing pornographic films? How did the films wind up in foreign markets? Who tipped the reporters off to the story? And which familiar faces will be seen when the copy of the film is played?
The reporters don't get off to a very good start, running into a constable while driving along a blocked lane on market day. The constable would love to see the driver brought up on charges for attempted homicide, but the team finally settles into a rented farmhouse to begin their work. The journalists tap into local sources for information, bring in a translator (since the film has been dubbed in another language for the foreign viewers), and even have the legal advice of a lawyer sent from the newspaper's head office.
Why do things start going wrong? Did the informant that first broke the story have ulterior motives? Is the film what it is purported to be? And who is responsible for kidnapping the chief journalist? Can one small village really be the source of this much trouble?
These mysteries are carefully constructed so that everything dovetails neatly in the end, but readers must be patient with the slower speed of investigations set in a time before internet, CCTV, and other modern conveniences. Recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries in historical settings. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The reporters don't get off to a very good start, running into a constable while driving along a blocked lane on market day. The constable would love to see the driver brought up on charges for attempted homicide, but the team finally settles into a rented farmhouse to begin their work. The journalists tap into local sources for information, bring in a translator (since the film has been dubbed in another language for the foreign viewers), and even have the legal advice of a lawyer sent from the newspaper's head office.
Why do things start going wrong? Did the informant that first broke the story have ulterior motives? Is the film what it is purported to be? And who is responsible for kidnapping the chief journalist? Can one small village really be the source of this much trouble?
These mysteries are carefully constructed so that everything dovetails neatly in the end, but readers must be patient with the slower speed of investigations set in a time before internet, CCTV, and other modern conveniences. Recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries in historical settings. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
June 15, 2018
Amusing, rather than chortle-provoking, this is a somewhat low-key dig at the foibles of Fleet Street and some of its less worthy worthies, The murder comes late on and the citizens of Flaxborough and district receive less exposure than might be expected in a novel centred on a blue movie.
Miss Teatime is missing- off on a charitable mission, perhaps- and there are not as many of the interesting verbal exchanges between Chief Constable Chubb and DI Purbright which ardent fans have come to expect. A bit of fun poked at exiled Scots and some interesting insights into the art of duelling do not quite make up for the thinness of the detection element, and the hastily concocted kidnapping is sprung rather suddenly.
Not one of the better entries in the series, but still a recommendable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for the digital ARC.
Miss Teatime is missing- off on a charitable mission, perhaps- and there are not as many of the interesting verbal exchanges between Chief Constable Chubb and DI Purbright which ardent fans have come to expect. A bit of fun poked at exiled Scots and some interesting insights into the art of duelling do not quite make up for the thinness of the detection element, and the hastily concocted kidnapping is sprung rather suddenly.
Not one of the better entries in the series, but still a recommendable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for the digital ARC.
July 19, 2018
Some of us, and that would include me, are suckers for British village mysteries. The Flaxborough Chronicles are a delight. The gentle humor and wonderfully intelligent writing are a great pleasure.
In this case, a carload of journalists from the big city descends on the village in a splashy Rolls-Royce. Much confusion follows, touching on murder, a faked kidnapping, a possible duel, and the production of skin flicks by a local photographic club.
Throughout all, DI Purbright shows himself to be savvy, down to earth, and supremely competent. Reading a Flaxborough Chronicle is a great treat. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
In this case, a carload of journalists from the big city descends on the village in a splashy Rolls-Royce. Much confusion follows, touching on murder, a faked kidnapping, a possible duel, and the production of skin flicks by a local photographic club.
Throughout all, DI Purbright shows himself to be savvy, down to earth, and supremely competent. Reading a Flaxborough Chronicle is a great treat. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2018
This is the tenth book in the series and I would recommend you start at the first book, Coffin Scarcely Used, which for me was far better.
It took a long time to actually get to the murder and Purbright was hardly in it!
The book is based around a London newspaper crew trying to uncover a scandal and I just thought the book came across really dated. I appreciate it was written in the 70s but at times parts made me cringe, interestingly I didn't find this as much in the first book I read. It was a great shame as I have enjoyed these books in the past but the book seemed lacklustre and at times I had no idea what was going on! The first book I read very quickly however this one was more of a chore.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It took a long time to actually get to the murder and Purbright was hardly in it!
The book is based around a London newspaper crew trying to uncover a scandal and I just thought the book came across really dated. I appreciate it was written in the 70s but at times parts made me cringe, interestingly I didn't find this as much in the first book I read. It was a great shame as I have enjoyed these books in the past but the book seemed lacklustre and at times I had no idea what was going on! The first book I read very quickly however this one was more of a chore.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2022
Rating between 2.5 & 3
Not really sure what to say about this entry in the Flaxborough chronicles.
It was as easy to read as the previous ones, the author has a style which I do find flows along nicely and the time flies by when reading the books.
In this one though there isn’t really a lot to get hold of so to speak, the mystery/investigation part of the novel is very thin I found and although I still enjoyed the usual interactions between Purbright, the chief Constable, the various sergeants and multiple townsfolk - it doesn’t have a lot else to recommend it to the casual reader.
So if you are reading al of these books then it must be included but if new to the author and his world then start with an earlier title I think
Not really sure what to say about this entry in the Flaxborough chronicles.
It was as easy to read as the previous ones, the author has a style which I do find flows along nicely and the time flies by when reading the books.
In this one though there isn’t really a lot to get hold of so to speak, the mystery/investigation part of the novel is very thin I found and although I still enjoyed the usual interactions between Purbright, the chief Constable, the various sergeants and multiple townsfolk - it doesn’t have a lot else to recommend it to the casual reader.
So if you are reading al of these books then it must be included but if new to the author and his world then start with an earlier title I think
June 21, 2018
Another interesting story from Colin Watson. A journalist intend to open up scandal arrived in Flaxborough and there were events following it that needed DI Pulbright attention immediately.
As other books in this series, Blue Murder filled with wit from DI Pulbright and his dry humour. As I love Ms. Teatime character, without her in this book, it felt something was missing. She really add something more to the book. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable book that I would recommend to other mystery lovers out there.
I was provided a complementary copy by the author / publisher through NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.
As other books in this series, Blue Murder filled with wit from DI Pulbright and his dry humour. As I love Ms. Teatime character, without her in this book, it felt something was missing. She really add something more to the book. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable book that I would recommend to other mystery lovers out there.
I was provided a complementary copy by the author / publisher through NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.
February 16, 2019
This is another joyous mystery in the Flaxborough Chronicles. As always there’s the wonderful wry humour and ingenious plot twists to keep us utterly delighted.
A consignment of Fleet Street journalists arrive in the village to investigate rumours of blue movies. They wreck market day and a series of unfortunate events follows including a kidnapping and a threatened duel. It’s all wonderfully crazy.
Our hero DI Purbright is in his usual fine form, even though he’s without his usual unofficial sidekick of Miss Teatime. We miss here but there’s enough liveliness and fun to keep the reader thoroughly entertained. Lots to chuckle at and admire.
A consignment of Fleet Street journalists arrive in the village to investigate rumours of blue movies. They wreck market day and a series of unfortunate events follows including a kidnapping and a threatened duel. It’s all wonderfully crazy.
Our hero DI Purbright is in his usual fine form, even though he’s without his usual unofficial sidekick of Miss Teatime. We miss here but there’s enough liveliness and fun to keep the reader thoroughly entertained. Lots to chuckle at and admire.
June 28, 2018
This is yet another fine entry in the Flaxborough series! A carload of reporters show up in town following a tip that will lead them to a scandal of outlandish proportions - could all the town leaders actually be involved with the production of "blue movies?" Along the way, they find a murder scheme, revenge plots and an old fashioned duel? As crazy as that sounds, this might be my favorite plot in the series, at least most logical to follow. Once again, the gem here is the witty dialog, the witty banter between the characters is something to laugh at and to savor.
June 20, 2018
I am still amazed how Colin Watson managed to incorporate so many concepts in his book plots.
None of his books are repetitious. His use of appropriate words that describe the theme of his books seem to differ with each story. He uses agricultural and animal similes to describe people and to name the characters in his Blue Murder, perhaps to follow through with his theme of a sensual video that was produced in Flaxborough.
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None of his books are repetitious. His use of appropriate words that describe the theme of his books seem to differ with each story. He uses agricultural and animal similes to describe people and to name the characters in his Blue Murder, perhaps to follow through with his theme of a sensual video that was produced in Flaxborough.
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September 10, 2024
I really enjoy this series.
Both as books and as videos. Marvelous stories. Such a wonderful change from violence, cruelty, blood etc of today. Also the detectives and police are real people to me. They are not all either belligerent or people with problems at home. The stories are about the detection of crimes. Not about people not getting with their spouses or coworkers. Thanks Mr Watson!
Both as books and as videos. Marvelous stories. Such a wonderful change from violence, cruelty, blood etc of today. Also the detectives and police are real people to me. They are not all either belligerent or people with problems at home. The stories are about the detection of crimes. Not about people not getting with their spouses or coworkers. Thanks Mr Watson!
July 1, 2018
*****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
This is probably my least favourite of this series so far, but it’s still quite a good mystery. I wanted more from the regular gang, and wouldn’t recommend you to start the series with this, but if you’re reading them, it gives you pretty much what you expect.
This is probably my least favourite of this series so far, but it’s still quite a good mystery. I wanted more from the regular gang, and wouldn’t recommend you to start the series with this, but if you’re reading them, it gives you pretty much what you expect.
July 12, 2018
Nice to read another Colin Watson book about Flaxborough. I love the way the murder doesn't actually take place until the second half of the book, before then it's mainly about how some Londoners find Flaxborough and vice versa - the result being a possible duel in the English countryside.
An amusing and gently paced book. Very enjoyable.
An amusing and gently paced book. Very enjoyable.
June 22, 2018
This book was so much fun- wonderful puzzle and characters. Just love the way the book develops in small increments until it is drawn together at the end. All those lose bits making sense and pulled together
July 23, 2018
A joy to read as all the other books in the Flaxborough series!
I loved how the plot started slowly developing till the climax and had a lot of fun reading about the duel and mayor antics.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Farrago and Netgalely for this ARC
I loved how the plot started slowly developing till the climax and had a lot of fun reading about the duel and mayor antics.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Farrago and Netgalely for this ARC
July 20, 2018
Review to follow.
August 14, 2019
Have the respectable players of Flaxborough dabbled in pornos for Middle East consumption? Well...not exactly. Clever, although the motive for the central murder seems thin.
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