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Mollisan Town Quartet #3
Tourquai
A horrendous crime sets off a disturbing chain of events that will force the citizens of Mollisan Town to debate profound issues of free will and destiny in this powerful tale from the internationally acclaimed Tim Davys.In the Tourquai neighborhood of Mollisan Town, Superintendent Larry Bloodhound is the keeper of the peace and ruler of the streets. But there are others more powerful than he—a cadre of wealthy elite, including Oswald Vulture, who live above the law's reach.
When Vulture is found headless in his ornate office atop Mollisan Town's most exclusive building, Bloodhound knows he must take special care in the investigation. But with the head missing and no sign of a break-in or murder weapon, this just may be the perfect crime.
The search for answers leads Bloodhound and his team, Anna Lynx and Falcon Ècu—along with his closest friend, private detective Philip Mouse—deep into the exclusive, secretive world of Mollisan Town's most privileged. Who had the most to gain from Vulture's demise? His slithery and sexy secretary, Emanuelle Cobra? Or his seductive mistress, Jasmine Squirrel? And what about Igor Panda, a desperate gambler whose debts may have pushed him to do the unthinkable? But before he can find the truth, Bloodhound must face his own weaknesses.
As he did in Amberville and Lanceheim, Tim Davys weaves an intricate plot around larger questions of human nature, exploring issues of fate, loyalty, good, and evil. As Bloodhound uncovers the secrets behind the world of stuffed animals, so, too, does Davys reveal greater truths about the world of humans.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Tim Davys
8 books22 followersTim Davys is the pseudonym for a well-known Swedish public figure, and Amberville is his or her first novel.
A dark and stormy night…I was born in a country far, far away. Before the age of 20, I never read a book. Comic books, magazines, and movies taught me how to tell a story. I studied literature, got a job, found a wife, and bought a dog. I studied psychology, got another job, held on to the wife, and wrote a book.
Today I'm much older than I used to be. The dog is much older too. I would never comment on the age of my wife. The idea going forward is to stay alive, write a lot more, and adapt to a life in New York City. But if I've learnt on thing in this life (and I know I have), it's this: It's never going to turn out the way you intended.
A dark and stormy night…I was born in a country far, far away. Before the age of 20, I never read a book. Comic books, magazines, and movies taught me how to tell a story. I studied literature, got a job, found a wife, and bought a dog. I studied psychology, got another job, held on to the wife, and wrote a book.
Today I'm much older than I used to be. The dog is much older too. I would never comment on the age of my wife. The idea going forward is to stay alive, write a lot more, and adapt to a life in New York City. But if I've learnt on thing in this life (and I know I have), it's this: It's never going to turn out the way you intended.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 22, 2024
It was fine.
February 17, 2011
Tourquai is a classic murder mystery except that the story takes place in a town of stuffed animals. Moving, breathing, eating and loving stuffed animals. Yes, they are just like people but not quite. For instance, although the victim, Oswald Vulture,’s head was chopped off, he’s dead and he isn’t. If his head can be found back, it may be sewn on again and then he will be as alive as ever!
But Vulture is leaving behind a lot of money and that’s good news for a number of people, all of which are checked out by the police. There is also a further story line, that of Igor Panda who does all kinds of illegal things in order to get money, which he badly needs (or he might end up headless too – he has money lenders after him).
I really enjoyed reading this story. It reminded me of a classic mystery story and it was fluently written. Because of the stuffed animals and the way they did some things slightly different from people, the story was also funny and quirky.
No, I didn’t mind the stuffed animals at all. At first, I was a bit wary of a story that had stuffed animals as characters (there are no people in the book at all). However, since the animals behave so much like people, it was really like reading about people, but with the extra fun of them being stuffed animals. If that makes sense?
There were some red herrings in the book that weren’t stuffed! I’m referring to the tactic of misleading the reader into thinking a particular story line was going to lead to the killer, while this turned out to be a total dead end. In fact, the persons and information that were relevant to solving the murder, only came into play at the end of the book.
I felt a bit tricked by that and I didn’t like it. But my overall experience of this book was good. Enjoyable until (almost) the end.
But Vulture is leaving behind a lot of money and that’s good news for a number of people, all of which are checked out by the police. There is also a further story line, that of Igor Panda who does all kinds of illegal things in order to get money, which he badly needs (or he might end up headless too – he has money lenders after him).
I really enjoyed reading this story. It reminded me of a classic mystery story and it was fluently written. Because of the stuffed animals and the way they did some things slightly different from people, the story was also funny and quirky.
No, I didn’t mind the stuffed animals at all. At first, I was a bit wary of a story that had stuffed animals as characters (there are no people in the book at all). However, since the animals behave so much like people, it was really like reading about people, but with the extra fun of them being stuffed animals. If that makes sense?
There were some red herrings in the book that weren’t stuffed! I’m referring to the tactic of misleading the reader into thinking a particular story line was going to lead to the killer, while this turned out to be a total dead end. In fact, the persons and information that were relevant to solving the murder, only came into play at the end of the book.
I felt a bit tricked by that and I didn’t like it. But my overall experience of this book was good. Enjoyable until (almost) the end.
January 12, 2011
I confess...I didn't know what to expect when I opened Tourquai: A Novel by Tim Davys. I knew it was a detective-type mystery and that it was the author's third in a series of four books. The books stand-alone but are in the same imaginary fictional region (an area w/ four districts...each is the title of a novel). What I didn't realize was that the characters are all stuffed animals. Honestly, I'm not certain why the author made that decision. It actually isn't as distracting as one might expect and they act pretty much like normal characters. There are some wrinkles though...time is in terms of weather, drying out after rain is key, and having your head cut off may not be fatal if they can find it and stitch it back on.
Once again, I'm going with 3.5 stars. To be clear, this is a generally positive rank for me. I'm a tough grader and 4 stars likely means I plan to re-read it and 5 is a rave. I enjoyed the story and the way Davys followed several different characters as he explored the mystery at the heart of the plot. There's a bit of aside towards the end about fate versus free will....that felt a bit "tacked on" but was an interesting line to ponder. I did like some of the little quirks about the fictional world that Davys crafts.
FYI: This is a translation and Davys is a pen name. This is another book where an advance review copy was provided to me by the folks at Harper.
Once again, I'm going with 3.5 stars. To be clear, this is a generally positive rank for me. I'm a tough grader and 4 stars likely means I plan to re-read it and 5 is a rave. I enjoyed the story and the way Davys followed several different characters as he explored the mystery at the heart of the plot. There's a bit of aside towards the end about fate versus free will....that felt a bit "tacked on" but was an interesting line to ponder. I did like some of the little quirks about the fictional world that Davys crafts.
FYI: This is a translation and Davys is a pen name. This is another book where an advance review copy was provided to me by the folks at Harper.
January 23, 2014
Not as strong as the previous novels by Tim Davys. Still enjoyable, some characters are perfectly constructed in dialogue and narration. The overall story lacks a bit of consistency to keep me, as a reader, emerged. Must read, of course, if you enjoy Tim Davys' work.
Maybe the experience is more pleasant with some herbal influences...?
Maybe the experience is more pleasant with some herbal influences...?
November 19, 2012
I put this down because I had zero desire to read it once I started. It was distracting to read about stuffed animals that cussed and committed crimes.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews