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Blotto and Twinks #9
Blotto, Twinks and the Great Road Race
Once again, the plumbing at Tawcester Towers is causing consternation for the Dowager Duchess, so - unusually for her - she gives her blessing for Blotto to take part in the 'Great Road Race' in his beloved Lagonda ... so long as he wins. The first prize of 10,000 pre-War sovereigns will help towards repairing the leaky ancestral home.
Blotto elects to take chauffeur Corky Froggett as his spare mechanic, while Twinks is despatched by her mother to the Highlands, to paint water colours and bag herself a wealthy husband. But, on the morning of the race's start, enfeebled by food poisoning, Blotto and Corky are forced to employ an extra mechanic on their team - a slender, blonde and rather attractive young American... named Ronald.
So Blotto and his team are pitted against Europe's finest, in a race which takes them through France, across the Alps, to a finish line at the Colosseum in Rome. Among the competitors are Florian Carré-Dagneau, indulged son of the race sponsors, Count Daspoontz from Germany, and the Italian Enrico Parmigiano-Reggiano. All want to win the race, and all want the prize money and all - with the exception of Blotto and his team - will resort to dastardly deception and fiendish sabotage to ensure Blotto's Lagonda is not the first car over the finishing line...
Blotto elects to take chauffeur Corky Froggett as his spare mechanic, while Twinks is despatched by her mother to the Highlands, to paint water colours and bag herself a wealthy husband. But, on the morning of the race's start, enfeebled by food poisoning, Blotto and Corky are forced to employ an extra mechanic on their team - a slender, blonde and rather attractive young American... named Ronald.
So Blotto and his team are pitted against Europe's finest, in a race which takes them through France, across the Alps, to a finish line at the Colosseum in Rome. Among the competitors are Florian Carré-Dagneau, indulged son of the race sponsors, Count Daspoontz from Germany, and the Italian Enrico Parmigiano-Reggiano. All want to win the race, and all want the prize money and all - with the exception of Blotto and his team - will resort to dastardly deception and fiendish sabotage to ensure Blotto's Lagonda is not the first car over the finishing line...
- GenresMystery
208 pages, Paperback
Published November 12, 2020
About the author
Simon Brett
390 books576 followersSimon Brett, OBE, FRSL is a prolific British writer of whodunnits.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
He is the son of a Chartered Surveyor and was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first class honours degree in English.
He then joined the BBC as a trainee and worked for BBC Radio and London Weekend Television, where his work included 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' and 'Frank Muir Goes Into ...'.
After his spells with the media he began devoting most of his time to writing from the late 1970s and is well known for his various series of crime novels.
He is married with three children and lives in Burpham, near Arundel, West Sussex, England. He is the current president of the Detection Club.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 22, 2019
I knew I should not have bothered with this, but at least it was not any worse than the previous one I read. The thin jokes have worn thinner as the series goes on.
If you are keen on food jokes at the expense of French and Italian cuisine, then you may well be the target audience. I, however, found nothing clever in naming people and streets after cuts of lamb, cheeses and pizzas (such fun to call Piazzas after pizzas).
And the plot?
Blotto, Twinks and Corky encounter foreign skullduggery on a road race to Rome.
Do the honourable Brits prevail over the nasty Continentals and Americans?
Only bet against an obvious outcome if you wish to lose money.
Easy to read at bedtime.
2.5 stars
If you are keen on food jokes at the expense of French and Italian cuisine, then you may well be the target audience. I, however, found nothing clever in naming people and streets after cuts of lamb, cheeses and pizzas (such fun to call Piazzas after pizzas).
And the plot?
Blotto, Twinks and Corky encounter foreign skullduggery on a road race to Rome.
Do the honourable Brits prevail over the nasty Continentals and Americans?
Only bet against an obvious outcome if you wish to lose money.
Easy to read at bedtime.
2.5 stars
May 3, 2020
This outing Of Blotto and Twinks just left bored and annoyed. Not sure exactly what put me off but it was not an enjoyable read
June 7, 2023
Once again, the plumbing at Tawcester Towers is causing consternation for the Dowager Duchess, so - unusually for her - she gives her blessing for Blotto to take part in the 'Great Road Race' in his beloved Lagonda ... so long as he wins. The first prize of 10,000 pre-War sovereigns will help towards repairing the leaky ancestral home.
Blotto elects to take chauffeur Corky Froggett as his spare mechanic, while Twinks is despatched by her mother to the Highlands, to paint water colours and bag herself a wealthy husband. But, on the morning of the race's start, enfeebled by food poisoning, Blotto and Corky are forced to employ an extra mechanic on their team - a slender, blonde and rather attractive young American... named Ronald.
So Blotto and his team are pitted against Europe's finest, in a race which takes them through France, across the Alps, to a finish line at the Colosseum in Rome. Among the competitors are Florian Carré-Dagneau, indulged son of the race sponsors, Count Daspoontz from Germany, and the Italian Enrico Parmigiano-Reggiano. All want to win the race, and all want the prize money and all - with the exception of Blotto and his team - will resort to dastardly deception and fiendish sabotage to ensure Blotto's Lagonda is not the first car over the finishing line..
Blotto elects to take chauffeur Corky Froggett as his spare mechanic, while Twinks is despatched by her mother to the Highlands, to paint water colours and bag herself a wealthy husband. But, on the morning of the race's start, enfeebled by food poisoning, Blotto and Corky are forced to employ an extra mechanic on their team - a slender, blonde and rather attractive young American... named Ronald.
So Blotto and his team are pitted against Europe's finest, in a race which takes them through France, across the Alps, to a finish line at the Colosseum in Rome. Among the competitors are Florian Carré-Dagneau, indulged son of the race sponsors, Count Daspoontz from Germany, and the Italian Enrico Parmigiano-Reggiano. All want to win the race, and all want the prize money and all - with the exception of Blotto and his team - will resort to dastardly deception and fiendish sabotage to ensure Blotto's Lagonda is not the first car over the finishing line..
March 11, 2026
I enjoyed the quirkiness and funny names they used in the beginning, and would try another of these books because I feel that due to it being a car race it got a bit redundant and boring. Maybe the two of them on another adventure. But it reminded me of one of my favorite movies with Tony Curtis so I am going to watch that tonight.
November 26, 2020
What a lark! Another one for you to devour Andy ....
April 22, 2021
Such a lot of silly fun - what a great series.
June 19, 2022
Humorous
December 20, 2024
A good entry in the series. Not a murder mystery this time, but a Road Race across Europe.
January 29, 2020
Pure creamy eclair!!
May 22, 2025
This was entertaining enough to get me to read the whole thing. However, given its description, I was expecting much more of a murder-mystery type thing. This was more just a sabotage mystery. It did lose my interest towards the end once it became absolutely clear who the culprit was, and I ended up speed reading (re: flicking through and glancing at) the last dozen or so pages of the book. The biggest problem I had with it was some of the lingo; I'm not well-versed in dated British slang, so some dialogue lost me. Also, not the biggest fan of how ditzy Blotto is (even though it is refreshing that the MMC is the ditzy one and not the MFC); Twinks is the far more interesting character...her brother could take the backseat to her stories (pun intended).
December 23, 2024
No idea why this novel was included in my 2024 Historical Fiction Advent Calendar, but it was short.
No history per se, just a pair of cliche aristocrats touring Europe and sharing their outdated observations of the French, Germans and Italians. Not sure if it was meant to be serious or a farce, I will not be looking up the rest of the series…
No history per se, just a pair of cliche aristocrats touring Europe and sharing their outdated observations of the French, Germans and Italians. Not sure if it was meant to be serious or a farce, I will not be looking up the rest of the series…
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews