Bodies

Perry Trethowan #4

by Robert Barnard

Police superintendent Percy Trethowan found London’s Soho as colourful and full of life as every—except for the four corpses in a seedy photography studio. Shot doing a layout for Bodies, a soft-porn “health and fitness” magazine, the photographer, his assistant, and two models had left a camera loaded with film but no clues. Then one victim’s obsession with pumping iron sent Trethowan into the erotic world of body-building, where an out-of-shape policeman would learn that building biceps isbeautiful and the temptation to star in the buff in the bluest of movies could really be murder.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, British Literature

163 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Aka Bernard Bastable.

Robert Barnard (born 23 November 1936) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer.

Born in Essex, Barnard was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Colchester and at Balliol College in Oxford. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He has gone on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories.

Barnard has said that his favourite crime writer is Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie.

Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement.

Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard has published one standalone novel and three alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age.

Barnard lived with his wife Louise in Yorkshire.

Series:
* Perry Trethowan
* Charlie Peace

Reviews

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four people are shot dead in a photographer's studio and Superintendent Perry Trethowan finds himself getting better acquainted than the body beautiful than he ever thought he could. Why does everyone say the dead photographer wouldn't have touched any sort of doubtful jobs. He wouldn't ever have been involved in pornography or making blue movies but it seems as though that's what could have lead to the murders.

Perry is an amusing narrator and he manages to get humour out of the seedy world he gets involved in without making it seem as though he's sniggering about it. I liked the plot and didn't manage to work out who had committed the murders though once all was revealed the clues were there - I had just mis-interpreted them.

Charlie Peace appears in this book - before he joins the police and before he features in his own series. I am enjoying this series and wish there were more of them as this is the next to last book in the series.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The murder leads us into the world of professional bodybuilding, dubious modeling jobs and illicit activities. The police investigator is efficient and smart and his CI quite entertaining. I found the resolution very sad though.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no greater accolade that I give author Robert Barnard than to say that Bodies, the fourth book in a detective series, is the weakest of the books, and it’s still pretty wonderful.

Superintendent Perry Trethowan’s investigation into the murder of four people hits one dead end after another. The murder victims were a photographer, his assistant and two models during a photo shoot for a skin magazine called Bodies that sounds milder than Playboy at its most innocent stage. Who would want any of them dead? Trethowan’s investigation leads him into the more nefarious territory of porn films. The book also provides Barnard’s introduction of Charlie Peace, who goes on to fame in a series of his own.

How much did I like this novel? I’ve already ordered the last novel in the Trethowan series, The Cherry Blossom Corpse, and I’m going to track down the first of the Charlie Peace novels.

[Jacqueline Vick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death by Sheer Torture is one of my favorite books of all time. Hysterical. This book isn't as funny, but it features Perry Trethowan and his dry delivery, which keeps it amusing.

When four people are shot dead during a photography session for the tasteful skin magazine, Bodies, Perry Trethowan is forced back into a world of sleaze, near-sleaze, and the self-obsession of the body building culture.

I was surprised and pleased to see the introduction of Charlie Peace, another sleuth from Robert Barnard.

[Bill Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because it is the first book in which Charlie Peace appears. I've read three of the eleven books in the Robert Barnard's Charlie Peace series, but this book is not considered part of the series. It takes place before Charlie is a police officer. He works in a gym where body-builder's work out out and assists Perry Trethowan in his murder investigation. This the first time I've read a story in the Perry Trethowan series. The story is kind of sad and a little sordid at points, but it's a pretty good mystery.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Police procedural; narrated by London cop Trethowan with droll undertones; complex mystery but with a rather contrived solution; maybe will try another from this previously-unknown-to-me author at some point when my TBR pile diminishes a bit.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is coincidence, and then there is Coincidence. This book is way too dependent on Coincidence. A little bit is fine, but this gets ridiculous.

- Be forewarned, the book gets quite dark near the end.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of the many books by this author I have read, this was the least enjoyable. Although the murder investigation is satisfactorily settled in the final chapters, getting there was too long a slog. Perhaps those readers more interested in the bodybuilding game would have found it more enjoyable.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining murder mystery beginning when 4 bodies were discovered in a studio where a porn film was being made.

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that wasn't up to Barnard's usual high standards. Not much wit, no suspense, cliched characters. If I want a police procedural I'll stick with Ed McBain.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old fashioned British mystery with interesting characters. I read books like this a lot; easy read between more literary works.

[Lisa Almarode · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good but not great read. Introduces Charlie Peace, who is in some later books.

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another fast and pleasant read before I tackle something more substantial. I keep returning to Robert Barnard's novels because I love his sarcastic humor and snide remarks about various human foibles. "Bodies" is a 1986 novel in the Perry Trethowan series. Perry investigates a quadruple murder committed in a Soho office of a soft porn magazine, and initially the case seems to be connected to the bodybuilding community.

This is definitely not Mr. Barnard's best work. I have been particularly annoyed with the inconsistency of tone in "Bodies". At the beginning, the multiple murder case is presented with a sort of light touch as if the author were saying "Look, it is only a mystery book murder, not a real one". Yet later in the story things get pretty serious and grim.

Still, I do not regret spending the three hours to read the novel. It offers a fascinating glimpse into rituals of bodybuilding, and Mr. Barnard has a field day ridiculing the bodybuilders' limited intellectual prowess. The report from the Aberdeen Bodybuilding Championship is a hoot. The book is peppered with so many hilarious passages that I have been laughing out loud several times. For example, guess who owns the "Bodies" magazine. None other than Mrs. Wittgenstein.

Two and a half stars.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just discovered Robert Barnard, and have been getting his mysteries from the library in no particular order. Perry Trethowan is likable and funny; he tries very hard not to judge the people he comes into contact with during his investigation of the murder of four people who were in the middle of a photo shoot on the premises of a magazine titled Bodies. This takes Perry into the world of soft porn, body builders, and homeless youth. While he takes his job very seriously, he's essentially kind, and he has a wry sense of humor that not everyone understands. I want to read more of this series.

Now having read the first five Perry Trethowan novels, I have even more appreciation of Barnard's development of this character. And having read some of his other mysteries, I was pleased to see Charlie Peace make an appearance--his first, as far as I can understand. I realize that Barnard must have found him a compelling character to continue with through some 11 books of his own.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this many years ago, and remembered it as one of my favorite Barnards. A photographer and his models for a body-building magazine are found shot down in their studio, alerting Scotland Yard to a nasty underside to the squeaky-clean sport of bodybuilding.

What I liked so much about BODIES is the characterization. It stopped me more than once for long belly laughs. The vacuous, self-absorbed, beautiful expanses of muscle and little else; the worshipful people around them, the predators picking them off like ruminants. Yet the story teems with life, from humorous to tragic.

Another delight is that this is the introduction of Charlie Peace. Knowing him from the recent books as Inspector Peace, I didn't even make the connection when we met him in his original habitat. Charlie lifted himself mightily from then to now.

Co-Favorite Contemporary Mystery Reread of 2010

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Percy Trethowan is assigned to the case of a multiple murder in a Soho photographic studio. The bodies are found dropped in place as they were working on a layout that could be considered very soft porn. The photos were intended for a monthly magazine called Bodies which showcased everything from discretely posed nude people to healthy lifestyles and fitness.

As Perry tracks the background of the victims he is lead toward a killer that seemingly had no obvious motive because the dead people were were basically good people. The story is interesting and moves along well. I always enjoy Robert Barnard.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series but this installment wasn't my favorite. Police Superintendent Percy Trethowan is called to the scene of a murder where four people were shot while they were filming a pornographic movie. One of the victims was a known body builder and the story concentrates on the art of body building which is where I got less interested. The mystery itself was very well done and I didn't figure it out until I was almost finished but the book went into far too much about competitive body-building and the lure of the spotlight (as such) gets to be the focus.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fair at best. The plot was linear, predictable and dull. The setting was uninteresting and there was no subplot, no background story to help things along. My biggest problem was with the central character who had no personality at all. He was so deadly dull that I had to be reminded in the last couple of pages what his name was. The best I can say is that it was short and I managed to finish it.

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★ - http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1...

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as some of his other titles, but well written.

[Dawn Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, what a delight! This book is really the first Charlie Peace mystery. An unexpected origins piece, fantastic.