What do you think?
Rate this book
John Handful #1
Blind Spot
When a body is found at the foot of a cliff, the local Suffolk Constabulary calls in their consulting lateral thinking detective to help. There are many unanswered questions. Why did a man with impaired vision use a dangerous path as a route to work? If he did use the path everyday, no matter what the weather, how come he suddenly fell? With plenty of red herrings and twists to keep the listener/reader guessing.
BLIND SPOT: A BELL RINGS - A ROPE BREAKS - A MAN DIES.
©2017 Andrew Hixson (P)2019 Andrew Hixson
BLIND SPOT: A BELL RINGS - A ROPE BREAKS - A MAN DIES.
©2017 Andrew Hixson (P)2019 Andrew Hixson
- GenresAudiobook
150 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2014
About the author
Andrew Hixson
34 books37 followersAndrew Hixson was born in Barnet in 1958 and spent his formative years in North Finchley, where he attended school. After his education, Andrew embarked on a career working at the renowned Smithfield Meat Market in London. It was later in life, upon relocating to Suffolk, that he met his wife and settled into family life. Andrew is the proud father of two daughters and grandfather to three granddaughters, as well as two much-loved grand-dogs. Though Suffolk is now his home, he remains an ardent supporter of Arsenal Football Club. A keen reader, Andrew draws inspiration from the works of Tim Weaver, Harlon Coben, and Agatha Christie, whose books are among his favourites.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 2, 2015
Received for free through Goodreads' First Reads.
I hate it when I don’t like a book that I’ve received for free. I feel some sort of obligation to enjoy it and give a positive review. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I really didn’t like this book.
I guess I can start with the things that weren’t too bad:
1. The main character is kind-of interesting. He has background, a future (with his fiancée), hobbies and a list of ways to tell when someone is lying.
2. The writing overall is good, if not a little confused (more about that below).
3. The author is clearly well-acquainted with the book’s setting so the believability level is pretty high owing to accurate descriptions of the places we visit.
Now for the bad. I don’t like criticising books, but here goes:
1. The grammar and spelling. Deary me. No offence to Mr. Hixson’s proofreaders intended, but he needs new ones. Firstly, there are commas all over the place. I can forgive under-use, but not over-use as it makes text very difficult to read. There were also misspelt words, the one that stuck in my mind being an instance of “You’re” being used where it was supposed to be “Your”. Perhaps this was a typo and was also overlooked during editing, but nevertheless it’s an unacceptable mistake in a published book. If I noticed it someone else should have before it went to print. There were others too but this is the one I remember as it really annoyed me.
2. As mentioned above: confused writing. It’s written in the first person from Mr. Handful’s POV, which isn’t a bad thing in itself because it means we get some insight into his thoughts that we wouldn’t otherwise have. Personally I feel this rule should be followed: in first person the reader should be able to believe that what’s on the page is more or less exactly what the POV character is thinking and feeling; in third person you can be much more descriptive because you can have time almost stand still whilst you describe the surroundings. There were lots of long-winded and very insightful descriptions of the sea, the sky and birds. In my humble opinion these were much too in-depth for a first-person narrative and possibly would even have felt overdone in third person. They just aren’t the sorts of things that your average person stops to ponder, especially not when occupied with a “complex” investigation. It almost felt like Mr. Hixson was in two minds about which voice he wanted to write the story in. Overall this made the story feel disjointed and confused.
3. On a related note, there was a whole page that felt like a cookery class. Mr. Handful is making his fiancée breakfast and for some reason we need to know the size of each of the 3 pans he uses, what heat they’re all on, how he cuts the mushrooms, etc. etc.
4. The font is very spaced out and difficult to read. I assume the idea was to have it look like it was written on a typewriter, which it does, but this doesn’t add anything to the story. It annoyed my eyes because I’m used to smaller line spacing. I know that sounds pernickety but my eyes would drift back to the start of the next line and start moving across the page again before I realised that there wasn’t any text until the next line down. Again, this made for disjointed reading.
5. Lastly, the storyline itself is predictable. I figured out “whodunit” very early on so the rest of the book was extra-frustrating.
I would not recommend this book.
I hate it when I don’t like a book that I’ve received for free. I feel some sort of obligation to enjoy it and give a positive review. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I really didn’t like this book.
I guess I can start with the things that weren’t too bad:
1. The main character is kind-of interesting. He has background, a future (with his fiancée), hobbies and a list of ways to tell when someone is lying.
2. The writing overall is good, if not a little confused (more about that below).
3. The author is clearly well-acquainted with the book’s setting so the believability level is pretty high owing to accurate descriptions of the places we visit.
Now for the bad. I don’t like criticising books, but here goes:
1. The grammar and spelling. Deary me. No offence to Mr. Hixson’s proofreaders intended, but he needs new ones. Firstly, there are commas all over the place. I can forgive under-use, but not over-use as it makes text very difficult to read. There were also misspelt words, the one that stuck in my mind being an instance of “You’re” being used where it was supposed to be “Your”. Perhaps this was a typo and was also overlooked during editing, but nevertheless it’s an unacceptable mistake in a published book. If I noticed it someone else should have before it went to print. There were others too but this is the one I remember as it really annoyed me.
2. As mentioned above: confused writing. It’s written in the first person from Mr. Handful’s POV, which isn’t a bad thing in itself because it means we get some insight into his thoughts that we wouldn’t otherwise have. Personally I feel this rule should be followed: in first person the reader should be able to believe that what’s on the page is more or less exactly what the POV character is thinking and feeling; in third person you can be much more descriptive because you can have time almost stand still whilst you describe the surroundings. There were lots of long-winded and very insightful descriptions of the sea, the sky and birds. In my humble opinion these were much too in-depth for a first-person narrative and possibly would even have felt overdone in third person. They just aren’t the sorts of things that your average person stops to ponder, especially not when occupied with a “complex” investigation. It almost felt like Mr. Hixson was in two minds about which voice he wanted to write the story in. Overall this made the story feel disjointed and confused.
3. On a related note, there was a whole page that felt like a cookery class. Mr. Handful is making his fiancée breakfast and for some reason we need to know the size of each of the 3 pans he uses, what heat they’re all on, how he cuts the mushrooms, etc. etc.
4. The font is very spaced out and difficult to read. I assume the idea was to have it look like it was written on a typewriter, which it does, but this doesn’t add anything to the story. It annoyed my eyes because I’m used to smaller line spacing. I know that sounds pernickety but my eyes would drift back to the start of the next line and start moving across the page again before I realised that there wasn’t any text until the next line down. Again, this made for disjointed reading.
5. Lastly, the storyline itself is predictable. I figured out “whodunit” very early on so the rest of the book was extra-frustrating.
I would not recommend this book.
December 19, 2014
I was sent a free complimentary copy if this book by Goodreads first reads.
My first impression was that I had been sent a pre print manuscript to proof read if you like, as the font used was that of a type writer ...... I didn't dislike the font, but couldn't see why it was set at line and a half spaced.
It was a quick read in my opinion as it was 149 pages long, and if line spaced normally, it would possibly have only been 100 pages long. It reads as a short story rather than a novel.
It was a "pleasant ditty" of a story but not something you can really sink your teeth into. A private investigator story.... Not enough mystery and intrigue for my liking, sorry.
My first impression was that I had been sent a pre print manuscript to proof read if you like, as the font used was that of a type writer ...... I didn't dislike the font, but couldn't see why it was set at line and a half spaced.
It was a quick read in my opinion as it was 149 pages long, and if line spaced normally, it would possibly have only been 100 pages long. It reads as a short story rather than a novel.
It was a "pleasant ditty" of a story but not something you can really sink your teeth into. A private investigator story.... Not enough mystery and intrigue for my liking, sorry.
August 11, 2015
A man has fallen to his death. At the base of the bluff his body is discovered; such an odd and suspicious case. This man couldn’t see well, yet he took a hazardous trail to head to his job each day, and he took this route each day no matter the weather conditions. It just doesn’t make sense. He knew the trail so well. Why would he fall from the cliff? Something fishy has transpired. This novel is written well, with vivid characters, a substantial mastermind plot, and a convincing conclusion. The surprise factor was great! Nicely done Andrew Hixson!
November 10, 2015
Started this today and am enjoying it. Interesting short story about a blind man who fell [or was he pushed?] off a cliff and how what really happened was eventually resolved.
December 19, 2019
This short story is a good start to a series with an interesting and well written plot. The main character works well but he seems to do more work than the police, who called him in before they even tried to solve the mystery/crime themselves.
I solved the main mystery much quicker than John Handful though so I kept waiting for him to catch up. Also, there was too much description of the sky & sea than was necessary as well as the completely unnecessary cookery lesson detailing how to make breakfast. That seemed like nothing more than space filler and I half expected to be told about the pattern on the plates and how many mouthfuls of scrambled eggs they each ate.
I have to wonder why John's girlfriend is always introduced as Kimberley Ashlyn Gere. Is it ever normal to introduce people with all their first names? Surely just Kimberley Gere would be more natural. Nobody introduces the Black Widow actress as Scarlett Ingrid Johansson or the Game of Thrones star as Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke do they? I actually thought it was a hyphenated surname at first.
I'm not too keen on the narration much as the performer often seems to be shouting his conversations for no apparent reason and while one character states he's not yet an octogenarian, the performer often sounds like exactly that. Also his pronunciation of some words made me cringe, such as Quay should be pronounced KEE not KWAY and Zoe is pronounced ZOH + EE not ZOH, at least in British english. Maybe it's a regional thing but it's not normal.
I'm still keen to try other books in the series as I've checked that other, hopefully better, narrators are used.
I received a free copy of this audiobook either from the author or a promotion or giveaway and am voluntarily writing an honest and unbiased review.
I solved the main mystery much quicker than John Handful though so I kept waiting for him to catch up. Also, there was too much description of the sky & sea than was necessary as well as the completely unnecessary cookery lesson detailing how to make breakfast. That seemed like nothing more than space filler and I half expected to be told about the pattern on the plates and how many mouthfuls of scrambled eggs they each ate.
I have to wonder why John's girlfriend is always introduced as Kimberley Ashlyn Gere. Is it ever normal to introduce people with all their first names? Surely just Kimberley Gere would be more natural. Nobody introduces the Black Widow actress as Scarlett Ingrid Johansson or the Game of Thrones star as Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke do they? I actually thought it was a hyphenated surname at first.
I'm not too keen on the narration much as the performer often seems to be shouting his conversations for no apparent reason and while one character states he's not yet an octogenarian, the performer often sounds like exactly that. Also his pronunciation of some words made me cringe, such as Quay should be pronounced KEE not KWAY and Zoe is pronounced ZOH + EE not ZOH, at least in British english. Maybe it's a regional thing but it's not normal.
I'm still keen to try other books in the series as I've checked that other, hopefully better, narrators are used.
I received a free copy of this audiobook either from the author or a promotion or giveaway and am voluntarily writing an honest and unbiased review.
August 14, 2020
This was an interesting short story. I liked the whole idea that the detective was never sure if it was murder or an accident. It reminds me of an old fashion murder mystery and very English (not sure when it was supposed to have been set). I don't think you got very much back ground story (I don't think you were ever told why he became a P.I. or if you did I missed it) but the plot wasn't very complicated, so it wouldn't have worked if it had been any longer. I liked all the big clues left so you could reach the same conclusion as John and with no twists it was easy to get there. A good start though to a new series.
John Handful has been called in to consult when a body is found on the beach. The dead man worked for John's finance and is quickly identify when she calls John worried about her visually impaired employee not turning up for work. She knew he liked to walk on the cliffs and he had never missed a day before. Was he pushed or was it an accident?
I didn't really like the narrator. He was to gruff and just didn't have enough range of voices for the characters, this meant they all tended to sound very similar
John Handful has been called in to consult when a body is found on the beach. The dead man worked for John's finance and is quickly identify when she calls John worried about her visually impaired employee not turning up for work. She knew he liked to walk on the cliffs and he had never missed a day before. Was he pushed or was it an accident?
I didn't really like the narrator. He was to gruff and just didn't have enough range of voices for the characters, this meant they all tended to sound very similar
July 7, 2020
Private detective, John Handful, is called in to help the local Suffolk police when a body of a local blind man is discovered at the bottom of a cliff. This is a good short story that introduces you to the John Handful Mysteries series. The main character is appealing and works his way through the twists of the investigation well, but it did make me wonder why the police were not using their own detectives and completing the investigation themselves. It seemed like the PI was doing all the work of the police. The narrator was ok, though he did make all the characters sound old and his pronunciation of some words seemed off. This story has all the gossip you would expect from a small rural town, some intrigue, humour, characters that have potential and an interesting but somewhat predictable plot.
November 7, 2017
A great mystery solved!!
I love mysteries, actually I love books! This story was told extremely well. I loved each character and their personalities. However, I solved the mystery all too sudden, which bummed me. The author did a terrific job describing the scene as if you were in it. Perfect short story. A marvelous mystery, on to book 2 of John Handful, I wonder what he will solve next!
I love mysteries, actually I love books! This story was told extremely well. I loved each character and their personalities. However, I solved the mystery all too sudden, which bummed me. The author did a terrific job describing the scene as if you were in it. Perfect short story. A marvelous mystery, on to book 2 of John Handful, I wonder what he will solve next!
April 6, 2025
As this came highly recommended, I was eager to start it and actually skipped the next book in line.
(Yes, I do follow a list because that's the way I role, with lots of pens, and lists. I admit that I more often than not, don't follow said list as often as I should because eager and curious.)
Anyway, I read it and wept. I wept out of frustration, as it once again was a book with a clear spot on my "not very good" list. I wept I tell you!
(Yes, I do follow a list because that's the way I role, with lots of pens, and lists. I admit that I more often than not, don't follow said list as often as I should because eager and curious.)
Anyway, I read it and wept. I wept out of frustration, as it once again was a book with a clear spot on my "not very good" list. I wept I tell you!
January 25, 2020
This review was for the Audible version.
Interesting start to the John Handful Private Detective series. Andrew is pretty good at world building. His attention to detail is pretty amazing. Though it is a little odd that everything falls into place to easily. Like Handful has some unusual luck that everything he encounters somehow leads to the overarching death he is investigating.
Interesting start to the John Handful Private Detective series. Andrew is pretty good at world building. His attention to detail is pretty amazing. Though it is a little odd that everything falls into place to easily. Like Handful has some unusual luck that everything he encounters somehow leads to the overarching death he is investigating.
August 11, 2020
Format: audiobook
Narrator: R.E. Harter
A decent enough story, this was an easy case to work out though.
I wasn’t drawn to the main character but some of this was down to the narrator, unfortunately his voice and delivery didn’t appeal to me added to that he mis pronounces several words, soco (scene of crime officer) vanilla and Peugeot.
Narrator: R.E. Harter
A decent enough story, this was an easy case to work out though.
I wasn’t drawn to the main character but some of this was down to the narrator, unfortunately his voice and delivery didn’t appeal to me added to that he mis pronounces several words, soco (scene of crime officer) vanilla and Peugeot.
December 15, 2020
An enjoyable who dun it. OK
August 30, 2021
I enjoyed this book!I found R.E. Hunter a very fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews