Rainstone Fall

Chris Honeysett #3

by Peter Helton

Praise for Peter Helton:

“Fans of Jonathan Gash’s Lovejoy will appreciate the scheme that Honeysett, who’s a bit of a scalawag, concocts. . . . Readers will look forward to further installments in this off beat series.”—Publishers Weekly

“Sheer fun.”—Booklist

Chris Honeysett, an artist and private investigator, takes on a surveillance job to pay for repairs to his roof and finds himself faced with abduction, blackmail, and murder.

Peter Helton is an artist and lives in a cottage near Bath, where his mysteries are set. Previous titles in this series include Headcase and Slim Chance.

Genres: Mystery, British Literature, Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

PETER HELTON was born in Germany but moved to London in 1982 where he worked as a translator for film and TV before discovering the attractions of the West Country.

He completed a Fine Arts Degree at UWE and has exhibited in London, Cornwall and Bath. At present he divides his time between his painting studio and writing in the study of a minute cottage near Bath in the company of his cat, Asbo.

Series:
* Chris Honeysett
* Inspector Liam McLusky

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok mystery about an artist/private investigator in Bath. I've read a lot of mysteries in a very short time and they're blurring together, but I think this one was first person and I just couldn't relate to the POV character (even though his name was also Chris, lol).

[Mascanlon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am just not a big fan of the activist PI who ends up committing crimes in the course of his investigation. A bit of B&E I suppose from time to time but in this book, artist and PI Chris Honeycutt is set up as a result of an abduction to commit 3 crimes as the ransom. The setting in modern dayBath, was what attracted me in the first place to the book but the characters just didn't capture my interest.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in the Chris Honeysett series by Peter Helton...and the last. I enjoyed these books. Mystery, a great setting, likeable characters, slapstick humour. Put all of this together and you have a book where the pages turn very fast.

Jacket notes: "For Chris Honeysett, artist and private investigator in the city of Bath, autumn threatens to bring down more than just the roof of his studio. An exceptionally stormy October forms the backdrop to Aqua Investigation’s strangest case yet. When Chris downs brushes to take on what looks like a simple surveillance job he finds himself in a frenetic world of murder, abduction and blackmail. Dark problems sometimes require drastic solutions – why else would Honeysett suddenly find himself on the wrong side of the law? Cracks are beginning to show in his private life too, just when the triangle that is Chris, Tim and Annis should be working together to keep them all out of jail. In Rainstone Fall first impressions count for nothing and appearances are always deceptive."

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ridiculous, improbable story - and very entertaining! Not as horrible as the previous one, but just as chaotic, wet (in these books it rains a lot in Bath - I lived nearby for years and I know it isn't that soggy!) and mad.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artist and sometimes private investigator Chris Honeysett doesn't want to take another insurance job, involving tailing a suspected fraud in Bath's extremely wet autumn. But his old farmhouse needs roof repairs, so he agrees. That's the end of painting for a while, as Chris, his romantic interest Annis, and their detecting partner find themselves more and more involved with a variety of increasingly serious crimes. The police also seem to be taking a lot of interest in Chris's activities, too. This is enjoyable, but I prefer the books that have more of his art interests.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hovering between 3 and 4 stars but this was more a 4 than not. Enjoyed the humor, the main character and his two cohorts, and while the villain was a bit too obviously villainous, it was only near the end that the main twist became evident. Loved the setting in Bath... Having visited the city I was following the movements of the action in my mind. Loved the Grumpy Hollow! Not all Helton's books are readily available, but this was a fun read and I would love to find more from the series.

[Monty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing jaunt through the life of a struggling artist who also plies his trade as a private investigator, when he needs the extra readies to pay for a household roof repair. A seemingly simple insurance investigation jumps into a kidnapping / hostage negotiation which becomes increasingly more complicated by the intervention of equally inept and corrupt police.

The principal character Honeysett, is charmingly boyish in a Jonathon Gash / Lovejoy type of way.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main guy needs his head examined. He gets suckered into committing crimes (yes, that's plural) when he's supposed to be a private detective. Not too smart. And the thought that committing one crime would lead to others, just never seemed to enter his mind. Really NOT smart. The book just rambled.

[Cece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, this is the last so far in this series-I hope the author is writing, not painting. I look forward to the next book.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rattling story..made me laugh out loud in places

[Caroline Ingvaldsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Latest entry in Chris Honeysett series featuring a pair of artists and a computer geek solving & creating crimes in the environs of Bath: very satisfying mix of action & with a touch of cozy.

[Stargazer · Rating 2 out of 5]

not for me, just felt a disconnect from the characters and therefore the story.