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Inspector Borges #4
No Time to Kill
It is the end of the season at Cala Felix on the Spanish coast, but the peace is about to be shattered… Everything seems to be very much as normal in the sleepy little resort, where the remaining visitors are making the most of the late summer sun. Until, that is, Colin Dennison, arriving on foot via the bay, discovers a ghastly ‘accident’. The body of his aunt lies lifeless on the beach and Colin’s efforts to resuscitate her fail. A little later, the bodies of his uncle and of James Rowley, another holiday-maker from England, are recovered by divers. But was it an accident – or a deliberate drowning? If all three seemingly inoffensive people have been murdered, what motive could the killer have had? Inspector Borges the charming and perspicacious Spanish detective, is called in to investigate the mystery and the unenviable task of sorting out all the conflicting evidence falls to him. With his faithful dog Shadow in tow, the Inspector ingratiates himself with the resort’s residents and begins analysing their alibis. But with only a few days to go until many of those staying at the resort go their separate ways, the Inspector will have to work fast to get to the truth. As much as he would love to savour the sunshine, time is not on his side. And in the sleepy grounds of Cala Felix, a cornered killer may be tempted to strike again… No Time to Kill is an engrossing murder mystery filled with intrigue and deception. Praise for John Bonett ‘Top recommendation for lovers of that clever, urbane detection which is becoming such a rarity’ - Birmingham Mail ‘Amusing puzzles that entertain and beguile’ – Books and Bookman ‘Neatly devised plot…Borges is a good creation in the tradition of the best fictional detectives’ – Nottingham Guardian Journal ‘…claims attention as a crime novel depending on pains-taking police work and careful deduction’ – Aberdeen Press and Journal ‘A real masterpiece of detective in fiction form takes shape under the cloudless skies of the Costa Brava’ – British Books Writing under the name of John Bonett , husband and wife duo John and Emery Bonett have collaboratively written numerous successful murder mystery and detective novels including Dead Lion and The Sound of Murder .
- GenresMystery
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
20 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 21, 2016
Cala Felix is a small holiday resort town. People who stay there are always impressed by how quiet and peaceful it is. They aren't that far away from larger places, should they need a bit more excitement.
Colin Dennison arrives on the island to surprise his aunt and uncle who have a bungalow there. Much to his amazement, as walking, he sees a body on the beach and an empty boat floating in the water.
Rushing to see if he can help, he is horrified ... the lifeless body is of his aunt. It is it until a little later it is discovered that his uncle and another guest of Cara Felix have also drowned.
Inspector Borges is called in to investigate ... were these drownings accidental? Or was it murder?
The Inspector has his hands full as there are many viable suspects who may have had a motive to remove one or all three of the drowning victims.
This was an intriguing murder mystery, well-written, with a lot of interesting characters. I was kept guessing at what really happened until the very end.
Many thanks to the author and Endeavour Press who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Colin Dennison arrives on the island to surprise his aunt and uncle who have a bungalow there. Much to his amazement, as walking, he sees a body on the beach and an empty boat floating in the water.
Rushing to see if he can help, he is horrified ... the lifeless body is of his aunt. It is it until a little later it is discovered that his uncle and another guest of Cara Felix have also drowned.
Inspector Borges is called in to investigate ... were these drownings accidental? Or was it murder?
The Inspector has his hands full as there are many viable suspects who may have had a motive to remove one or all three of the drowning victims.
This was an intriguing murder mystery, well-written, with a lot of interesting characters. I was kept guessing at what really happened until the very end.
Many thanks to the author and Endeavour Press who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
June 17, 2019
Excellent
I acquired this book either free or heavily discounted and eventually I got around to reading it. This is the first time I have heard about the author John Bonett and his English speaking Spanish Detective Inspector Borges. The plot is based on a little known holiday destination in Spain where there is a small hotel and some bungalows which have been bought by English owners. Three of the bungalow owners, a couple Eldred and his wife Clarice and an author called James are murdered, the local police think it may have been accidental but call in Inspector Borges from Barcelona to investigate further. He is led a merry dance with lots of red herrings and false alibis but eventually is able to solve the crime.
I acquired this book either free or heavily discounted and eventually I got around to reading it. This is the first time I have heard about the author John Bonett and his English speaking Spanish Detective Inspector Borges. The plot is based on a little known holiday destination in Spain where there is a small hotel and some bungalows which have been bought by English owners. Three of the bungalow owners, a couple Eldred and his wife Clarice and an author called James are murdered, the local police think it may have been accidental but call in Inspector Borges from Barcelona to investigate further. He is led a merry dance with lots of red herrings and false alibis but eventually is able to solve the crime.
June 20, 2017
Twists and turns
Bonett juggled a number of plots throughout the novel. He led the reader down a number of garden paths, before tying up the story by summarizing all the options the Inspector was faced with. There were too many characters for my liking. The hero was likable, characters could have been more developed giving the reader a choice to like them or hate them. All in all a good book take to the beach.
Bonett juggled a number of plots throughout the novel. He led the reader down a number of garden paths, before tying up the story by summarizing all the options the Inspector was faced with. There were too many characters for my liking. The hero was likable, characters could have been more developed giving the reader a choice to like them or hate them. All in all a good book take to the beach.
June 6, 2024
A bit of closure.
I really enjoy this series. He keeps you engaged by painting a picture of who could potentially be involved and their tenuous relationships. Not full of misdirection but slight innuendos as the inspector is in contemplation. This book is the best so far for me because it provides closure with some of the characters where previous books just ended. A really good read.
I really enjoy this series. He keeps you engaged by painting a picture of who could potentially be involved and their tenuous relationships. Not full of misdirection but slight innuendos as the inspector is in contemplation. This book is the best so far for me because it provides closure with some of the characters where previous books just ended. A really good read.
August 25, 2020
This is the first book I've read by these authors and I will be reading the rest of the series. All the characters were a little confusing at first, but once the Inspector came, it really got interesting.
October 25, 2016
A who running.
Great plot and loved the setting. Took me to the beautiful seaside of Spain. A mystery of one by one eliminating suspects.
Great plot and loved the setting. Took me to the beautiful seaside of Spain. A mystery of one by one eliminating suspects.
September 14, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Endeavour Press for a review copy of No Tme To Kill, a murder mystery set in Cala Felix, Northern Spain and originally published in 1972.
Cala Felix is, at the end of the season, host to a variety of English visitors, a tour group at the hotel and various others who either rent or own the villas beside the hotel. When three people are killed in the sea, a writer and a couple in a boat, the police are unsure if it is an accident or murder. The reader knows it is murder as the scene is described minus the name of the perpetrator. Inspector Borges is sent to investigate further. Throughout most of the novel he concentrates on the death of the couple and who had motive while the reader is aware that they are collateral damage in the death of the writer. It is only nearing the end that he focuses on the truth.
Where to start? Giving the reader a description of the murder makes all the discussion about the couple, Clarice and Eldred's, wills and inheritors superfluous and rather boring in light of this knowledge. It also made the perpetrator and his motive fairly obvious. I also think that while all the alibi timings, on which much of the mystery hangs, might have been ingenious in 1972, although they have a real whiff of Agatha Christie about them, they are blindingly obvious in 2016. And poor Millie, a young lady who likes sex, is labelled a nymphomaniac - do any young people even know what that is nowadays?
No Time To Kill is a pleasant, rather formulaic murder mystery. It is showing its age but that doesn't prevent it being an easy way to pass a few hours.
Cala Felix is, at the end of the season, host to a variety of English visitors, a tour group at the hotel and various others who either rent or own the villas beside the hotel. When three people are killed in the sea, a writer and a couple in a boat, the police are unsure if it is an accident or murder. The reader knows it is murder as the scene is described minus the name of the perpetrator. Inspector Borges is sent to investigate further. Throughout most of the novel he concentrates on the death of the couple and who had motive while the reader is aware that they are collateral damage in the death of the writer. It is only nearing the end that he focuses on the truth.
Where to start? Giving the reader a description of the murder makes all the discussion about the couple, Clarice and Eldred's, wills and inheritors superfluous and rather boring in light of this knowledge. It also made the perpetrator and his motive fairly obvious. I also think that while all the alibi timings, on which much of the mystery hangs, might have been ingenious in 1972, although they have a real whiff of Agatha Christie about them, they are blindingly obvious in 2016. And poor Millie, a young lady who likes sex, is labelled a nymphomaniac - do any young people even know what that is nowadays?
No Time To Kill is a pleasant, rather formulaic murder mystery. It is showing its age but that doesn't prevent it being an easy way to pass a few hours.
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October 6, 2018Synopsis: Inspector Borges is called about three drownings on the quiet island of Cala Felix. Accidental?
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews