What do you think?
Rate this book
Blotto and Twinks #11
Blotto, Twinks and the Suspicious Guests
'What? You mean the earl does it for money? That's way beyond the barbed wire!'
This explosion of disgust from Blotto is provoked when Twinks informs him of the activities of the Earl of Woking. The gentleman in question is owner of Clusters, a stately home not far from Tawcester Towers, and he has been renting out parts of Clusters for private functions - and charging his guests! The discovery of this appalling lapse in aristocratic behaviour sets Blotto and Twinks off on their latest adventure.
Determined to find out more about the Earl of Woking's activities, they discover the existence of a sinister group called Aristotours - brokers between impoverished owners of stately homes and the common people, offering 'a taste of the high life' to characters such as stockbrokers, surgeons and solicitors. And if this were not bad enough, the siblings discover Aristotours trying to infiltrate their evil practises into Tawcester Towers itself! So Blotto and Twinks set off on a quest to identify - and stop - the evil genius behind Aristotours.
This explosion of disgust from Blotto is provoked when Twinks informs him of the activities of the Earl of Woking. The gentleman in question is owner of Clusters, a stately home not far from Tawcester Towers, and he has been renting out parts of Clusters for private functions - and charging his guests! The discovery of this appalling lapse in aristocratic behaviour sets Blotto and Twinks off on their latest adventure.
Determined to find out more about the Earl of Woking's activities, they discover the existence of a sinister group called Aristotours - brokers between impoverished owners of stately homes and the common people, offering 'a taste of the high life' to characters such as stockbrokers, surgeons and solicitors. And if this were not bad enough, the siblings discover Aristotours trying to infiltrate their evil practises into Tawcester Towers itself! So Blotto and Twinks set off on a quest to identify - and stop - the evil genius behind Aristotours.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2022
5 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Simon Brett
330 books536 followersSimon Brett 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 27, 2022
England - A goofy take on a murder mystery set in the Upstairs/Downstairs/Downton Abbey world of early 20th century English aristocracy. The fun language kept it interesting. For example, murder was termed as "coffinating" someone.
January 1, 2023
Things aren’t what they should be in the world of aristocratic siblings Devereaux (Blotto) and Honoria (Twinks) Lyminster. They have found that the bounder the Earl of Woking was allowing for tours to take place in his home, so that the great unwashed, the hoi-Pollio can see how the other one per cent live.
What makes it worse, is that soon everyone else is in on the act, eventually, their own older brother, who is in cahoots with the organisation Aristotours has turned the family seat, Tawcaster Towers into a tourist attraction, but times have changed, and stately homes, staff, and the best food all costs a pretty penny, and no mistake.
The book is the eleventh of Simon Brett’s books about the detective duo Blotto and Twinks. It blends the world of PG Wodehouse (with much of the same language and actions) with a soft central murder mystery, much skullduggery and wrong-footing of the idiotic Blotto, and his more worldly sister Twinks.
The siblings are both beautiful, which makes up for the lack of their gifts in other departments. Blotto is arrested for murder but manages to escape the seemingly inept police-force on numerous times, and when a former school-mate is also involved it could be curtains for Blotto’s freedom, until some last-minute information, and some help from all of Blotto and Twink’s many aristocratic friends come to the aid of the
Much is made of the lifestyle of the rich and famous, particularly those who are born into it. There is suspicion on both sides of the divide, with Blotto and Twinks wanting to keep back the progress, and their family embracing it, even as Aristotours, and their nefarious plans for world domination come even more obvious.
At the end of the book, the status quo is restored, and Blotto and Twinks see Tawcester Towers returned to them, seemingly unharmed by the experience.
The book is not particularly deep, it is a clean, linear read with characters and situations that are comical and believable, whilst not allowing the more seemly side of life to intrude on their picture of how the world should be.
What makes it worse, is that soon everyone else is in on the act, eventually, their own older brother, who is in cahoots with the organisation Aristotours has turned the family seat, Tawcaster Towers into a tourist attraction, but times have changed, and stately homes, staff, and the best food all costs a pretty penny, and no mistake.
The book is the eleventh of Simon Brett’s books about the detective duo Blotto and Twinks. It blends the world of PG Wodehouse (with much of the same language and actions) with a soft central murder mystery, much skullduggery and wrong-footing of the idiotic Blotto, and his more worldly sister Twinks.
The siblings are both beautiful, which makes up for the lack of their gifts in other departments. Blotto is arrested for murder but manages to escape the seemingly inept police-force on numerous times, and when a former school-mate is also involved it could be curtains for Blotto’s freedom, until some last-minute information, and some help from all of Blotto and Twink’s many aristocratic friends come to the aid of the
Much is made of the lifestyle of the rich and famous, particularly those who are born into it. There is suspicion on both sides of the divide, with Blotto and Twinks wanting to keep back the progress, and their family embracing it, even as Aristotours, and their nefarious plans for world domination come even more obvious.
At the end of the book, the status quo is restored, and Blotto and Twinks see Tawcester Towers returned to them, seemingly unharmed by the experience.
The book is not particularly deep, it is a clean, linear read with characters and situations that are comical and believable, whilst not allowing the more seemly side of life to intrude on their picture of how the world should be.
January 11, 2023
British humor - and very well done! Blotto and Twinks are siblings and belong to the British aristocracy. Imagine their horror when the discover that another member (in fact quite a few members) of the aristocracy has hired a group called Aristotours. Aristotours will run your home, manor, castle, etc., as a B&B of sorts. The ordinary people will pay money to experience the "high life" of the aristocrats. But, when they discover that their mother has become involved with this appalling (and perhaps anarchistic) group, they decide that the group's leaders must be identified and Aristotours must be stopped.
May 4, 2022
The aristocratic detective siblings are back I for another light hearted adventure. This time they are up against a dodgy company promising to show how the other half live, Aristotours, who wangle their way into the brother and sister's stately pile. Can they triumph over the four faced filchers? Yes me old trouser turn up they can!
August 17, 2022
4.4. I really enjoyed this book. My first time even hearing of Blotto and Twinks, I was quickly fully engaged with the predicament they found themselves in. This is a valid who-dunnit, with some comedy thrown in for a jolly good read. There are some actual laugh out loud moments! I highly recommend this and I will most definitely be reading more adventures of Blotto and Twinks.
February 14, 2023
As ever, Blotto and Twinks save the day and the Dowager Duchess is her ever priceless self. Fabulous.
May 29, 2023
Great distraction from reality.
October 30, 2023
Light, but very funny.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews