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Chris Honeysett #7
Lock 13
Bath, England. When his life drawing model disappears without trace, painter-sleuth Chris Honeysett uncovers evidence of a dangerous conspiracy.
Henry Blinkhorn drowned when his boat capsized in the Severn estuary. So how come his photograph appears on the front cover of The Angler six years later? The insurers who paid out a small fortune on his death have asked private investigator Chris Honeysett to track down the elusive Mr Blinkhorn and prove he's still alive.
But Honeysett is sidetracked from the investigation by the sudden disappearance of his life drawing model, Verity Lake. Commandeering a narrowboat and heading down the Kennet & Avon canal, he hopes to kill two birds with one stone, by tracking down Henry Blinkhorn and also discovering what's happened to Verity. But it soon becomes clear that someone else is on Honeysett's trail. Who are they ... and what are they really after?
Henry Blinkhorn drowned when his boat capsized in the Severn estuary. So how come his photograph appears on the front cover of The Angler six years later? The insurers who paid out a small fortune on his death have asked private investigator Chris Honeysett to track down the elusive Mr Blinkhorn and prove he's still alive.
But Honeysett is sidetracked from the investigation by the sudden disappearance of his life drawing model, Verity Lake. Commandeering a narrowboat and heading down the Kennet & Avon canal, he hopes to kill two birds with one stone, by tracking down Henry Blinkhorn and also discovering what's happened to Verity. But it soon becomes clear that someone else is on Honeysett's trail. Who are they ... and what are they really after?
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 1, 2018
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Peter Helton
15 books17 followersPETER 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 9, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishing for a review copy of Lock 13, the seventh novel to feature Bath based painter and occasional P.I. Chris Honeysett.
Broke again, Chris agrees to take on a job for an insurance company. Henry Blinkhorn was presumed drowned six years ago and his wife collected a £1.5m insurance payout but his photo has recently appeared in an angling magazine so the insurance company wants its money back. With few clues Chris is happy to put the investigation on the back burner and concentrate on more important things like the wherabouts of his life model, Verity who has bought a narrow boat and disappeared.
Lock 13 is the first novel I have read in this series and it is a bit of a mixed bag for me. It's not really my kind of novel and it didn't hold my attention but for readers who prefer a cozy mystery with humour it is a superior offering and will suit well.
The novel starts well with some intriguing plotlines and some very funny asides from the hapless and rather inept Chris but soon loses its way as it descends into Chris's adventures on a narrow boat and descriptions of his cooking. The crime element gets lost in these meanderings and I found myself skim reading much of the novel to get to some meat which never really turned up.
I have pondered long and hard about my rating for this novel and have decided on 3* which is halfway between how much I enjoyed it and how much it deserves for being well written and professional.
Broke again, Chris agrees to take on a job for an insurance company. Henry Blinkhorn was presumed drowned six years ago and his wife collected a £1.5m insurance payout but his photo has recently appeared in an angling magazine so the insurance company wants its money back. With few clues Chris is happy to put the investigation on the back burner and concentrate on more important things like the wherabouts of his life model, Verity who has bought a narrow boat and disappeared.
Lock 13 is the first novel I have read in this series and it is a bit of a mixed bag for me. It's not really my kind of novel and it didn't hold my attention but for readers who prefer a cozy mystery with humour it is a superior offering and will suit well.
The novel starts well with some intriguing plotlines and some very funny asides from the hapless and rather inept Chris but soon loses its way as it descends into Chris's adventures on a narrow boat and descriptions of his cooking. The crime element gets lost in these meanderings and I found myself skim reading much of the novel to get to some meat which never really turned up.
I have pondered long and hard about my rating for this novel and have decided on 3* which is halfway between how much I enjoyed it and how much it deserves for being well written and professional.
January 2, 2018
Who said Private Investigators can’t be funny?
Chris Honeysett is a part-time painter and a part-time PI. His sometime model, Verity, disappears without a word and Chris decides to find her. After hearing she is on a canal boat, he borrows his friend’s boat, which has a sad history itself and sets off on an adventure at a very slow pace. It doesn’t take him long to realise he is being followed by not one, but two boats. Who are these people and what do they want with him or Verity?
I loved this book!! The main character was so funny. It is written in the first person and Chris is hilarious with his comic asides and witty thoughts. The story gets lost about a third of the way through and doesn’t re-appear again until the last two chapters when it looks like the author remembers there Is a story-line. To be honest, I didn’t mind the ramblings kept me entertained more than the story would have done.
I am going to read more about this author. It is a nice change to have a funny, but also beautifully described, a book about crime.
More of Mr Honeysett, please!!!
Shesat.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Chris Honeysett is a part-time painter and a part-time PI. His sometime model, Verity, disappears without a word and Chris decides to find her. After hearing she is on a canal boat, he borrows his friend’s boat, which has a sad history itself and sets off on an adventure at a very slow pace. It doesn’t take him long to realise he is being followed by not one, but two boats. Who are these people and what do they want with him or Verity?
I loved this book!! The main character was so funny. It is written in the first person and Chris is hilarious with his comic asides and witty thoughts. The story gets lost about a third of the way through and doesn’t re-appear again until the last two chapters when it looks like the author remembers there Is a story-line. To be honest, I didn’t mind the ramblings kept me entertained more than the story would have done.
I am going to read more about this author. It is a nice change to have a funny, but also beautifully described, a book about crime.
More of Mr Honeysett, please!!!
Shesat.
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
May 7, 2018
This is an interesting reversal of the trope; rather than look for the killer of someone dead, our protagonist is sent to look for someone who may be alive after faking death. The quest takes him around Somerset's waterways, the canal boat journey being the most notable feature. We also meet some other transient populations and look for a missing artist's model.
The central character is a sort of PI who doesn't do it by the book - he doesn't have a book. Instead he has an art school and sells a few paintings too. He tells us about his life in lengthy paragraphs interspersed with brief stretches of dialogue, and isn't sure if he has a girlfriend or not. Certainly he's an interesting type but don't expect a mean streets thriller, just a gentle amble. I really liked the setting.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
The central character is a sort of PI who doesn't do it by the book - he doesn't have a book. Instead he has an art school and sells a few paintings too. He tells us about his life in lengthy paragraphs interspersed with brief stretches of dialogue, and isn't sure if he has a girlfriend or not. Certainly he's an interesting type but don't expect a mean streets thriller, just a gentle amble. I really liked the setting.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
May 24, 2020
I enjoyed this. It probably counts as a "cozy mystery" but is thankfully free from young women inheriting shops/cafes/cleaning agencies from deceased aunts after a traumatic break-up. Much of the book takes place on a canal which is described in great detail which leads me to think the author has spent at least some time on a canal. An easy read with likeable characters, My only criticism is that it meandered for much of the length of the book but was then all tied up rather suddenly and very quickly in the final chapter as if the author had grown tired of the story,
Overall an easy and pleasant read.
Overall an easy and pleasant read.
January 2, 2018
Hmmm. If you are interested in narrow boats and the canal system in England, you will enjoy this rather unusual mystery. I did enjoy it and was interested in the narrow boats, which I've always found a romantic part of England's past and present. Sometimes amusing and often unexpected, especially Honeysett's narrow boat new found friend on the canals.
Read in Dec.; blog review scheduled for March 12.
NetGalley/Severn House
PI. April 1, 2018. Print length: 224 pages.
Read in Dec.; blog review scheduled for March 12.
NetGalley/Severn House
PI. April 1, 2018. Print length: 224 pages.
March 17, 2018
Quirky characters and an unusual setting compensate for some issues with this entertaining mystery. Chris is a painter and a PI who is looking not only for a dead man but also for his model. He's got a fun sense of humor. I was fascinated with the canals and boats. This would have benefited from another edit to tighten up parts and make sure things hang together. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of UK PI stories.
May 21, 2018
The seventh Chris Honeysett detective story melds insurance fraud and police corruption with almost too much detail on the trials and tribulations of southern England's canals, a gourmand's eye view of food and drink and a soupcon of romance.
February 16, 2021
I certainly hope this isn't the last book in the Honeysett series - it's been a fun series to read, always a good plot, interesting and quirky characters. This book doesn't disappoint - and I often closed my eyes and dreamed of being on a narrowboat on a canal in England.
May 8, 2018
A good mystery on the canals of England that ends rather abruptly
May 13, 2018
Brilliant book! Looking forward to reading more by this author.
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January 23, 2018Thank you Netgalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This was my first book by Peter Helton and what a pleasant surprise; well written, funny and a perfect book for a rainy day.
Our hero, Chris Honeysett, is a part-time painter and part-time PI in Bath.
He's hired by an insurance company to find a man, supposedly dead in a boating accident, who has surprisingly shown up in a photo in a fishing magazine. His widow has already received an enormous amount of money and if Chris can find the 'dead' man, he will receive a hefty paycheck...
And boy, does he need it! His much more successful girlfriend is off painting murals and he's left giving art lessons, helped by his nude model Verity. After unsuccessfully staking out the widow's mansion and the sudden disappearance of Verity, he decides to start looking for Verity.
He ends up borrowing a narrow boat from his mechanic and this is when the fun begins. Our hapless hero has of course never even been on a narrow boat, but manages to bungle his way through all the harrowing mechanics one needs to attend to in order to keep the boat afloat, without killing himself or others.
When I was younger I thought out would be so romantic, sailing through England's canals, so I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions in the book. At the same time I realized going through all the locks would have soon dampened my enthusiasm, so taking the trip with Chris was good enough for me.
We meet some quirky characters on the way (and a crocodile!) as well as some genuinely nasty characters, but everything works out in the end, leaving me smiling and satisfied. Great read!
This was my first book by Peter Helton and what a pleasant surprise; well written, funny and a perfect book for a rainy day.
Our hero, Chris Honeysett, is a part-time painter and part-time PI in Bath.
He's hired by an insurance company to find a man, supposedly dead in a boating accident, who has surprisingly shown up in a photo in a fishing magazine. His widow has already received an enormous amount of money and if Chris can find the 'dead' man, he will receive a hefty paycheck...
And boy, does he need it! His much more successful girlfriend is off painting murals and he's left giving art lessons, helped by his nude model Verity. After unsuccessfully staking out the widow's mansion and the sudden disappearance of Verity, he decides to start looking for Verity.
He ends up borrowing a narrow boat from his mechanic and this is when the fun begins. Our hapless hero has of course never even been on a narrow boat, but manages to bungle his way through all the harrowing mechanics one needs to attend to in order to keep the boat afloat, without killing himself or others.
When I was younger I thought out would be so romantic, sailing through England's canals, so I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions in the book. At the same time I realized going through all the locks would have soon dampened my enthusiasm, so taking the trip with Chris was good enough for me.
We meet some quirky characters on the way (and a crocodile!) as well as some genuinely nasty characters, but everything works out in the end, leaving me smiling and satisfied. Great read!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews