Arriving in the famous English seaside resort, Albert plans only to reminisce about a childhood holiday more than seventy years in the past. While there he will eat the town’s most famous creation - the sugary treat known as rock.
But when he walks into a shop being shaken down by heavies enforcing a protection racket, all thoughts of relaxation go out the window.
Instantly marked when Rex rousts the criminals, Albert must choose whether to leave the town – the sensible choice – or unravel the gang’s plans – the option containing the greatest likelihood for mayhem and danger.
However, the choice is not his, because his partner has sniffed something other than cavity-inducing candy on the wind …
… the scent of a wolf. A real one. And if Rex’s nose is right, then it needs his help.
Man and dog both know how to solve a crime, but separated and working independently, can they arrive at the same conclusion? Can they be as effective working individually?
Let's start this off with an invitation to get some FREE books. No, you didn't read that wrong, we are talking about multiple free books. I love giving away free books because once people delve into the fast-paced mystery thrills I write, they go on to buy lots more.
When I wrote my first novel, Paranormal Nonsense, I was a Captain in the British Army. I would love to pretend that I had one of those careers that has to be redacted and in general denied by the government and that I have had to change my name and continually move about because I am still on the watch list in several countries. In truth though, I started out as a mechanic. Not like Jason Statham, sneaking about as a contract killer, more like one of those greasy gits that charge you a fortune and keep your car for a week when all you went in for was a squeaky door hinge.
At school, I was mostly disinterested in every subject except creative writing, for which, at age ten, I won my first award. However, calling it my first award suggests that there have been more, which there have not. Accolades may come but, in the meantime, I am having a ball writing mystery stories and crime thrillers and will claim to have more than a hundred books forming an unruly queue in my head as they clamor to get out.
Now retired from the military, I live in the south-east corner of England with a pair of lazy sausage dogs. Surrounded by rolling hills, brooding castles, and vineyards, I doubt I will ever leave, the beer is just too good.
Blackpool Rock Bloodshed by Steve Higgs is the 10th book in Albert Smith's Culinary Capers series. Wanting to try some rock candy that brought back memories from his childhood, retired policeman Albert Smith and his "assistance" dog Rex Harrison walk in on a protection racket and discover that there had been a recent murder of a man who worked with a wolf and who is now tracking down his killer. Another fun, action packed adventure as they face an organised crime gang. Rex is the hero as usual and his friendship and wanting to help the wolf was touching. An exciting and thrilling mystery.
Book #10 in the series - I feel I have reach a milestone and will take a little break before I continue. This book was really different with Albert and Rex being separated for much of the story. Rex and the Wolf in the park with other dogs was pretty funny but also a little ridiculous. There were some emotional parts with Albert and Rex and I confess to getting a little choked up in those parts. Albert’s reuniting with one of his old partners was an interesting change of pace. They did a little more than what you would expect from men their age but I just rolled with it and it was all good. Sounds like the gastrothief storyline will pick up in the next book. I wish that was a little more consistent in the series.
Besides the neat adventures they find themselves in, I get to visit the British Isles! Closest I ever came was Heathrow! I've enjoyed all of this series, but I think this one is my favorite so far. Perhaps b/c Rex was the Star of the story, or maybe b/c of his new friend. IDK! I must say though, that the revenge taken couldn't be more fitting! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have! Now that I've finished it, I have to wait for the next one! That's the hardest part!
Like the other books in the series, this one is a mystery, a whodunit, that takes place in a culinary setting. And, like the other books in the series, this one contains some typos in the text as well as some layout issues. But, also like the other books in the series, if you like this type of story (and I do), you would enjoy reading this book. I did and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
I listen to these on Audible. When I started this series, I thought I was getting into cozie mysteries I could use to wind down before bed. This one, not so much. This one works better for riding my recumbent tricycle madly through the park.
Once again Steve has delivered. Great story and it was great to here more from Rex’s point of view. I love these books. Hurry up with the next one Steve 😊
I have enjoyed reading this series - they're light and they're funny. But this one was a dog, and I don't mean that as a cheesy pun. I hope the author isn't getting bored and running out of ideas. Trivia - the typos are out of control; He has a chapter entitled "Sewing Dissention", so a twofer in capitals. Since no needles were involved, I shall assume he meant "sowing", and "dissension" isn't spelled like that (bizarrely, he gets it right later in the book). More significantly there are plot holes. "The police had no evidence linking Jimmy to a crime but could pull him in for questioning". Well, what about 'jacking a DCI's car and assaulting and attempting to kidnap two pensioners, one of them the DCI's dad? What about the money and weapons found at the safehouse? In the real-world Albert and George would have spent several hours at the station making formal statements and working with a sketch artist. Armed organized criminals - I'm thinking taskforce, canceled leave, mandatory overtime and the number one priority for Blackpool constabulary to get these villains off the street. All fiction involves a suspension of belief and I accept that. The doggy-dialogs and the universal animal language that allows dogs, cats and snakes (but not humans) to communicate freely is an acceptable fantasy. But I still expect sensible people to try, for the most part, to behave sensibly. The jet-ski pursuit was beyond ludicrous. And did George not have the wit to call his DCI daughter before they took off, and say "This is what we're doing. Call out the SBS", rather than relying on the assumption that the jet-ski owners would find the theft promptly and raise the alarm, and not perhaps spend a couple of hours in the yacht club bar?
Preparing for a week's holiday in the tropics, I thought it would be useful to find some easy-to-read kindle books for those times when needing to fill the space between margaritas on the beach and beer by the pool. I came across the 10-book set of Albert Smith's Culinary Capers, and that seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I have given each book 3 stars but have only written a review in this the last. Each book was highly entertaining, easy to read, quite unbelievable (if you want reality, don't read, stay at home, I say) and what fun for a retired detective to have such an intelligent dog as a companion, an ex-police dog who lost his job because of an attitude problem. Having lavished the praise, now let me tell you why I didn't give more than 3 stars. Mr Biggs is somewhat cavalier in his use of grammar and other literary niceties; I know, I know, this isn't intended to be a literary masterpiece. But having had an education that has saturated my intelligence with such things, I find I stumble when reading a poorly-written sentence. I also know that I am not an expert, but an author is presumed to be and so I offer no forgiveness when such matters are neglected. I believe that this is why editors and proof-readers are involved before a book is published. Ignoring my petty complaint, I can recommend this set of fun detective stories especially for lightweight holiday reading.
Read books in order this is #10, you will love seeing how much this pair can get into! Albert and Rex are the perfect crime solving team. At the start of this adventure they come across a murder, a protection racket at a local candy store. Albert and Rex have to stop this being retiered police detectives. On this adventure Rex and Albert start their own seperate adventure getting to the same place towards the end. Rex pairs up with a semi-domesticated Wolf who wants to find the Human who killer his owner "The wolfman" side show. So they go off together to solve that. Albert connects with a old friend and they set off to solve the "protection racket". Albert is becoming more and more convenced that" Rex is trying to tell me something.” Albert didn’t understand Rex’s motives sometimes together they the perfect team of crime fighters. But Albert is just on a taste tour to sample and at times - learn how to make his lifetime favorite recipes at their place of origin. However Albert and Rex has to solve the crimes that he cant resist getting involved with on the tour. Who said that geriatric life cant have a little chase and bite- of bad-guys while your crime solving action. Keep the old mind active as well as learning how to do home cooking?
Äußerst spannend geschrieben ist dieser kulinarische Krimi. Es macht Spaß, mit dabei zu sein, wenn Rex Bekanntschaft mit einem Wolf macht und unter Beweis stellt, dass er mindestens ein ebenso guter Detektiv ist wie sein Mensch Albert.
Hund und Mensch erfahren beide, dass sie zueinander gehören und helfen sich gegenseitig. Es ist einfach wunderbar, mitzuerleben, wie sie schlussendlich aus jeder Situation (fast) ungeschoren herauskommen.
Fazit: Ich liebe diese Reihe von Steve Higgs.
Es sind zwar auch hier wieder ein paar Übersetzungsfehler zu finden, aber so wie das Gehirn aus einem willkürlich zusammengewürfelten Buchstabensalat dennoch ein verständliches Wort bilden kann, so kann man auch hier oft einfach darüber hinweglesen, zumeist wenigstens.
Absolutely delightful read, especially for those who have followed the adventures of Albert and Rex from the beginning.
Arriving in Blackpool, Albert heads to a candy shop to sample the Rock Candy of his childhood visits to the famous resort with his parents. Instead of purchasing candy, Albert stumbles onto a protection racket and a dead man in the street. Rex runs off with a wolf who has witnessed his owner's murder and seeks revenge. What follows can only be found in the wild imagination of Steve Higgs.
It looks like Albert is heading home to Kent where his son has found evidence of the Gastrothief. His children finally believe him! Albert thinks it is time to be back for a bit with his family anyway but I am sure it will not be a restful visit.
Without any leads on the "GastroThief," Albert has arranged to spend shop for Blackpool Rock. Upon arrival, Rex identifies the scent of a wolf near a crime scene. Next, they find protection racket enforcers leaning on the candy shop's proprietors. The pair split up to solve the situation independently.
This Cozy Animal Mystery is spectacular. The different perspectives make this a very intriguing story. Rex's thoughts and actions alone add substantially. Ultimately, the caper is solved, so the crime-fighting duo moves on. The end is striking.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters. Part of "Albert Smith's Culinary Capers: The first 10 Recipes - A Culinary Cozy Mystery Adventure."
These books were a lot of fun to read. It was especially nice to have a 75+ aged hero that hasn't lost his intelligence and is still so full of life and willing to try new things on his own. Basically living his best retirement life despite the loss of his long time wife.
The writing is humorous and the situations that Albert and his trusty former police dox Max get into are not your typical mystery scenarios. These books are very enjoyable. If you are an audiobook lover, the English narrator, Charles Robert Fox, is great and brings additional authenticity to the locations and culinary delights that drive the stories.
Another rousing Albert and Rex story; this time with the addition of a wolf and Albert's old partner, George. Of course, the good guys win the day after much confusion and mayhem. I kind of wish they could become permanent members of the cast, realizing that the man would be more likely than the wolf. All of Mr. Higgs' books I've read so far have been excitement and humor. I'm glad that I have his other series to read because this one is supposed to come to an end sooner than the other ones. Recommended.
Reminiscing is great! On a journey to relive a childhood memory of Blackpool Rock sweeties, Albert runs into a mystery that he just has to solve. But Rex is pulled into the same mystery in a whole different way. I love seeing Rex get to solve a case on his own while Albert gets to renew an old friendship and they solve a case too! Both cases coming together for a fantastic crescendo! A wonderful story of a man and his dog!
Blackpool Rock Bloodshed features Rex and a new friend Wolf, who go through the most nerve-wracking adventures. And Rex shines as always. Don't miss on on this gut-wrenching, original, wonderfully written novel. It's a masterpiece for all animal lovers and it will made one of you if you aren't already. Set aside plenty of time for reading because you won't want to close this book until you have finished it. This is a highly emotional narrative. Very Highly Recommended.
Albert and Rex are so much fun! I love their interactions and how they seem to understand and talk to each other, and Rex's comments, as always, are hilarious! Steve Higgs has done it one more time, this series, in my opinion, is one of his best, the stories are always fun, entertaining, and easy to read, and every new book brings a smile to my face. As a member of the author's ARC team, I downloaded a free copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
Lost in reading the latest escapades of Rex & Albert, my husband looks over and asks "why are you smiling?" Having to bust his bubble, I had to let him how much I was enjoying the antics of my favorite slueth and his K9 counterpart! Wonderfully written , laugh out loud entertaining, and heart tugging to boot. If you haven't joined the fans of Steve Higgs and Albert & Rex's culinary capers already, it's about time you did!
In this instalment you will find our two main characters separated several times. Rex meets up with a wolf whose master has been killed and is seeking revenge.Albert also meets up with an old friend. Who knew there could be so much trouble in a small town! While I found the story ok I was distracted by what I see as errors in subject verb agreement. Better proofreading needed.
Another exciting adventure for Albert and Rex. In Blackpool they stumble upon a protection racket, and quite a large one. Albert meets his long ago police partner now retired and they put their heads together to solve the crimes going on in Blackpool. Rex also becomes acquainted with Wolf, whose human has just been murdered. They join forces to track down the killer, and once again they enlist several dogs in the city to help. This was a book I found hard to put down!
I love this series and this latest book in the series is my favorite to date. Albert is a great detective but Rex is really giving him a run for his money in the mystery solving department. Hints of the Gastrothief re-entering the story give the promise of lots more adventures to come
I received an arc copy of the book in return for an honest review.
A fun series of a retired inspector and his former police dog companion. Rex had a big part in this story and Albert recognizes that Rex is special and even entertains the idea that he is helping to solve the mystery. The plot and subplots move quickly. It was hard to put this book down. I can't wait for their next adventure!
I always enjoy Albert and Rex capers. The wolf in this one was an interesting and diverting character. It didn't take long to start cheering him on in his quest. I had a little trouble with a chapter title, but perhaps the British use sewing instead of sowing. (Page 218) Kindle. Looking forward to the next adventure.
I had a hard time putting the book down once I started reading. It was a nice perspective to read the book from Rex's perspective by adding Wolf to the story. I truly enjoy reading Steve Higgs books, you really get caught up in their stories any characters.
I love all Steve Higgs’ books, and this one is particularly well written and full of realistic action. I love how Rex has a mind and thoughts of his own. One might think a dog’s conversation with other animals is hard to believe, but somehow Higgs pulls it off deftly. He’s a gifted author!
These books are greatly entertaining! Love the dynamics of the humans and the animals! Just one question: what happened to the missing king cobra? Maybe Chuckles needs a friend! Raj maybe? I love this series and look forward to reading more
Love the story and love the series. Perhaps it's because I'm reading these on a Kindle, but I find lots of editing errors in each story. This one is especially full of errors. This tends to put me off to the point of giving up on the piece. However, I cannot abandon Rex! I love the way he looks at the world and communicates with other animals.
Maybe I am easily amused but I find Albert and Rex to be a delightful diversion and am committed to finishing this series before reading more from Mr. Higgs who weaves a good tale and has mastered the language better than many. Start at one to get the full story of this sleuthy pair.