The Roar of the Butterflies

Joe Sixsmith #5

by Reginald Hill

Luton in the grip of a sweltering summer is a pretty sedentary place–which is bad for the private detective business. Thieves, fraudsters and philanderers take the month off and the only swingers in town are the ones to be found on the 19th hole of the Royal Hoo Golf Course. The civilized reputation of the “Hoo” is in trouble, however.

Shocking allegations of cheating have been directed at one of its leading members, Chris Porphyry. When Chris turns to Joe Sixsmith, PI, he’s more than willing to help. . .well, he hasn’t got any other clients…only Joe hadn’t counted on being charmed, kissed and then dangled out of a window all in the same day! Before long, though, Joe is on the trail of a conspiracy that starts with missing balls, and ends with murder. . .

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, British Literature, Detective, Thriller

313 pages, Hardcover

First published May 27, 2008

About the author

Reginald Charles Hill was a contemporary English crime writer, and the winner in 1995 of the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement.

After National Service (1955-57) and studying English at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1957-60) he worked as a teacher for many years, rising to Senior Lecturer at Doncaster College of Education. In 1980 he retired from salaried work in order to devote himself full-time to writing.

Hill is best known for his more than 20 novels featuring the Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel, Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield. He has also written more than 30 other novels, including five featuring Joe Sixsmith, a black machine operator turned private detective in a fictional Luton. Novels originally published under the pseudonyms of Patrick Ruell, Dick Morland, and Charles Underhill have now appeared under his own name. Hill is also a writer of short stories, and ghost tales.

Reviews

[Martine Peacock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored the Joe Sixsmith novels although I never could get on with the Dalziel and Pascoe books. So was glad to see this new Joe Sixsmith on the library shelves. Hill writes with such brilliant wit and has an amazing way with English. Although it did seem to me that Joe got lucky in solving this case and would have got nowhere without Butcher.

[Veronika Sebechlebská · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na to, že ide o knihu, ktorá sa s tým nepára a rovno na prednej obálke neokrôchane inzeruje, že humoristická detektívka z golfového klubu a k tomu je ešte aj zelená takým tým nevkusným spôsobom, aký možno vidieť len u niektorých druhov exotických plesní, crocsov a očných tieňov z hlbokých 80-tych, to vôbec nebolo zlé.

Proste milé, veľmi, veľmi nenáročné a miestami naozaj úsmevné, takže tomu odpúšťam, že je to blbosť a nie detektívka.

[Madonna Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Lots of wry humour and very little in the way of overt violence and over the top hysteria that can typify this genre. Hill has created a likeable detective who does things his own way.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first reviewed this many years ago I only gave it three stars. What a fool I was. Reading it again, re-reading all the Joe Sixsmith again has been wonderful.

[Windy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A welcome return to Joe Sixsith, Hill's amusing PI.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a Reginald Hill in a long time and had forgotten just how good he was. This one features his aging, paunchy, Black detective called to investigate suspicious activities at the Royal Hoo, an extremely snooty local golf club. The title, as is made clear, comes from one of P.G. Wodehouse's golf comedies, referring to a player put off his stroke by the roar of the butterflies in the next fairway. There is more than a little Wodehouse in this book. The detective's client is a Young Fair God (subsequently YFG), named Christian Porphyry, who has been accused of cheating at the club. He is, as the detective quickly learns, in fact preternaturally honest and good-hearted. During the investigation the detective encounters a hostile boxer named Jurassic George: "Boxers are simple men, a condition refined by frequent blows about the head, and though they are generally indifferent to appeals to their better nature or the higher aesthetic, the one way of catching their interest is to make complimentary remarks about their ring technique." Galahad Threepwood couldn't have said it better.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice!

This was an entry in another terrific series by Mr Hill, somewhat lighter in tone than Dalziel & Pascoe and also very recommendable. Hadn’t read this one before- enjoyed it very much.

[Flapidouille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this funny, witty book was a real treat, if only for the style and the typical characters.

[Lyle Penner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reginald Hill's The Roar of the Butterflies is a light comic yarn about a bumbling, middle-aged private detective with a paunch, Joe Sixsmith, called upon to solve a country club crime of a member being accused of cheating in a golf tournament. The lightweight crime is perhaps a bit deceiving, since the real story involves more treacherous motives and actions. For example, Sixsmith's detective work leads him to two near-death experiences of being hung over the same high-rise balcony railing in the same day! The humor attempt is in the wry and witty department, and it sometimes reaches the level of funny. The country club intrigue, unfortunately, is not that compelling. The characters, and their interactions, didn't seem to jump off the page into their own multi-dimensional realities, so this reader's interest level waned just a bit. I think I would rather return to Hill's other detective tradition, the more gritty yet still entertaining Dalziel and Pascoe duo.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hill's clockwork plotting is here, as it is in the longer Dalziel and Pascoe books, but comedy is more the focus. Some of the writing is wonderfully silly, verging on P G Wodehouse's style (the title is a tribute to him, as is Chris Porphery, the 'Young Fair God.'
The book is considerably lighter than the D&P series (though they have some wonderful moments of humour too), and at times seems almost so lightweight it's going to float away. However, everything comes neatly together at the end, and the baddies get them comeuppance.
BTW, I read this in the Large Print edition, just because it happened to be there. I don't know whether the drawings scattered throughout are in the other editions, but it would surprise me (and it's also surprising that no illustrator is credited). They have to be some of the worst drawings I've seen in a book in a very long time: poorly executed, and not contributing anything to the story.

[Michael Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this my first book by Reginald Hill in which featured the intrepid private investigator Joe Sixsmith. The story unfolded in a clever but lighthearted manner in which different characters evolved, whose exaggerated traits we could all appreciate and recognise. It was an extremely witty and entertaining book which was difficult to put down. I would recommend this book, not least to those who know and understand the idiosyncrasies of some of the more colourful members of a golf club and society at large.

[Vicki Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roar of the Butterflies

Hill’s main character of this book, Joe, has to deal with a grab bag of ‘fonlies. Joe’s Aunt Miranda might say, “‘fonlie I had done this, or’fonlie I had done that” will become your ‘fonlie if you don’t read this book! Hill’s narrative quickly builds to a cacophony of seemingly unrelated clues that he neatly ties all together into a true “gotcha “ ending!
I loved Hill’s unique characterizations and writing style. I will definitely refer friends to this book as a “good read”!

[Cisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series once I understood the style of the story. ‘Pantomime’ it is, and thoroughly amusing. By the time I reached the end, I felt I knew Joe both as a friend and a detective, and I already miss him.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe characters are long-time friends of mine, but this is my first outing with PI Joe Sixkill. I was bummed to find the story was about golf, a sport I find boring and know nothing about, but I happily discovered Sixkill doesn't know anything about it either, but that doesn't hinder Hill from weaving a witty yarn.

Sixkill is hired by a Young Fair God (YFG) with the ponderous name of Christian Porphyry, a very upright chap who is appalled that he's been accused of cheating at the Royal Hoo Golf Club which is so posh that its discreet sign "doesn't declare, but rather murmurs" its name. The YFG wants Joe to clear his name. As he moves among the golfers so sensitive that the butterflies' roar of the title, can put them off their game, Joe discovers their morals don't meet that high standard of concern for others. The plot is only half the fun; the rest lies in the witty telling of the tale.

One always gets the feeling that clever bon mots just fly from Reginald Hill's brain as if part of a Monty Python animation, and that he plots his stories just to be able to use them. That's fine with me because I thoroughly enjoy them all. Can't resist sharing a few:
* It's so hot that "birds huddled beneath cats for shade, flies buzzed with relief into spiders' webs whose owners felt the tremor along the line and thought that maybe next Friday they'd stroll down there to take a look."
* Joe felt as energetic as a poached egg.
* A lawn "so green it could have played for Ireland."
* There's "not enough air to flutter a madenhair fern."
* In true Hill style, just as an added fillip, Sixkill, who is black, has a cat named "Whitey."

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Sixsmith is a short balding Black private investigator who has no reason to be selected to investigate anything for the beautiful Young Fair Guy, Christopher Porphyry, heir to the estate which has been turned into the most exclusive golf course in the area. One of his good friends in the police force has recommended him for the job and Sixsmith needs the money so he takes it. Chris has been accused of cheating at golf and now it's Joe's job to clear Chris' name. Of course there are nefarious plots behind the accusation and Sixsmith bumbles his way into uncovering all of them. His best helpers are the smart women around him so the reader gets to understand what's going on through their analyses. There is a lot of hilarious golf talk, which I didn't get (miniature golf was too difficult for me), and a lot of expensive car models in the club parking lot. The weather is impossibly hot and dry so mud on the wheels of one of them is a nice clue. As usual the author immerses the reader in the world to such a degree that when Joe hears 'the roar of the butterflies in the next meadow' at the end of the book you're ready to hear it. - Great book to read after innumerable atmospheric river storms hit California and the news is nothing but downed trees, destroyed roofs, floods, sinkholes, landslides, destroyed piers, and closed highways. Not only Covid is keeping us home these past weeks.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining final installment in this series that features a redundant lathe operator turned PI in Luton, England. Joe is a great character who has really grown into sleuthing and the plot, centered around a private golf course and it members, was well done. Listened to the audio version which had high quality narration by Rupert Farley.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pure entertainment. Joe Sixsmith, the poor man's P.I against the powerful of the town makes a wonderful yarn .. style and relaxation abound. The repartee is fabulous, as are Joe's thoughts.
Loved it, give me more.

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joe Sixsmith novel. Joe wanders into a highly restrictive golf club feeling very much a fish out of water, but the power struggles are understandable, even if the game is not. Hill always writes well.

[Terry Simpkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another terrific entry in this series. Hill is better known for his Dalziel/Pascoe novels (which I should probably give another try), but there is just so much warmth and humanity in Sixsmith it’s hard for me to understand why these aren’t the better known series.

[Michael Bellamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have always enjoyed the late Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe books. This was my first Joe Sixsmith novel. I enjoyed the black humour . I liked Joe's relationships and success with the Ladies. In particular Beryl ( his No 1 ) Beryl Keeps him in check and points him in the right direction. Joe does not appear to be much of a fighter but survives and solves the case.

[Robert Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of this series

[Auntie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Luton a city? In my youth it was always a town and tho it applied for city status lost out to Chelmsford. Minor point but it grated.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not interesting or engaging at all.
Joe Sixsmith not for me!

[Jim Willse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of Hill's Joe Sixsmith series, and one of the two to make it onto audio book. How we wish there were more out there to listen to. Funny, human, filled with engaging characters. Oh well.

[Tandy Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fun and a tonic on a bitter winter’s day when trying to fight off a cold! Pacy, witty and engaging.

[Mskychick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, NO! I picked this author’s work up on the recommendation of author Laurie R. King. I DNF’d this by page 4- the writing style is so not to my taste!

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Roar of the Butterflies , by Reginald Hill, is I believe the fifth in his series featuring private detective Joe Sixsmith, but it is the first one of the series that I have read. During an extremely hot Luton summer, Joe is asked by a young, rich golf club member to clear his name - he is suspected of having cheated at golf, a sin that would result in his being expelled from the club despite the fact that, it having been built by his grandfather, the young man has the majority of shares in the club and owns the land on which the golf course was built. As Joe is a balding, portly, middle-aged, middle-class Black man, he expects that other club members won't be fooled by the young man's ruse that he is considering sponsoring Joe for the club, but surprisingly everybody he meets there is quite affable. Some of them, however, have more to hide than others, and there are questions about what might become of the land should the young man be moved out of the way.... Since I haven't read the other books in this series, I don't know if I'm missing a lot or a little in terms of the relationships that Joe has with various clearly ongoing characters. As it is, I quite enjoyed the novel; I liked Joe and his friends, and while I guessed the motive of the accusation fairly early on, I didn't guess the perpetrators until nearly the end. If I run across more Joe Sixsmith titles, I will pick them up; so, a mild recommendation from me.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! The author, Reginald Hill, was almost unique among mystery writers in that he became better and more honed as a writer the older he got! The only thing that stopped his progress was death and I for one, expect great things of him in the afterlife!
Joe Sixsmith is sort of the flip-side of Sam Spade. He's downish, but not out, he has a girlfriend, not a secretary, and he is visited for hire not by a gorgeous dame, but by (in his own words) a YFG (Young Fair God.) He is lovable instead of cynical and he sings in a choir! Oh, and he's short, fat and black with no chip on his shoulder and a live and let live attitude. I like him! (and he has a cat named Whitey!)
In this, unfortunately his last outing, due to his creator's death, he is hired by the aforementioned YFG to help him clear his name of cheating at golf, an unthinkable crime but with possible serious repercussions. Joe is quickly dropped into a morass of envy, high finance, leg-breakers and eventually, something truly sinister! I won't spoil the fun, but take it from me, it is a joy ride broken only by some gentle social commentary asides and one poignant scene which just misses bathos.
Hats off to you, Mr. Hill, you were indeed a past master.

NOTE: This holds up with flying colors after a second reading! I don't think I caught the P.G. Wodehouse reference to "the roar of the butterflies" before, and the Dickensian names are a bonus!
All-in-all, a book to savor time and again.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Joe Sixsmith series is much more light-hearted than Mr Hill's other, well known Dalziel and Pascoe series. Partly because Joe is a gifted amateur Private Investigator and partly because of Joe's own personality. He takes his responsibilities seriously, but he doesn't take himself all that seriously. Of course his Aunt Mirabelle and his girlfriend Beryl are always standing by, ready to shoot down any signs of Joe getting ahead of himself.

He is somewhat surprised though to find himself confronted by a YFG (Young Fair God). On a day when the heat is causing him to hallucinate anyway, the vision of Chris Porphyry and his posh car in Joe's office area is a bit of a surprise. That Chris could have been accused of cheating at golf is just a bit beyond the pale. And Joe is not the only person who thinks it's just not possible - most of the golf course staff and members seem to agree. Joe is hired by Chris to prove his innocence, and what Joe finds is some serious nefarious goings on in the great Royal Hoo Club of Luton.

A bit of fun, a bit tongue in cheek, the Joe Sixsmith series combines the lone PI with a heart of gold, with an investigation style that owes a lot more to persistence than might; a man content with his lot in life - which is being managed quite nicely by his girlfriend and his aunt.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another score for Reginald Hill. Joe Sixsmith is retained by a YFG and once again finds himself moving in circles with which he hasn't even a magazine reader's familiarity.

The plot is not quite as complex as in other Hill novels, nor the resolution as chaotic as some of the better ones. But the humor scores on all levels. Some of it will be too subtle for many readers. For other readers, it may seem to heavy handed or juvenile. As always, Hill obviously enjoys writing and he shares that joy with us as effectively as any writer I've ever experienced.