Bungling bobbies on the beat
A SHOT IN THE DARK by Lynne Truss (Raven Books £12.99)
THE Keystone Cops might learn a thing or two from Lynne Truss. Her Fifties Brighton has a constabulary run by the brainless Inspector Steine (pronounced Steen), who turns a blind eye to crime while composing radio homilies on the law and the citizen.
Steine has an ambitious sidekick who finds all the clues, but not necessarily in the right order. His confidant is the tea lady, who seems to know more about the local mafia than the whole force put together.
Into this mad medley springs Constable Twitten, a college boy set on making his name by nailing the killer of an obnoxious theatre critic, in town to savage the latest kitchen sink drama.
Everything that can go wrong does go wrong in a farce that gathers hilarious pace with every page.
More Marx Brothers than Agatha Christie, this is crime fiction turned on its head — a giddy spell of sheer delight.
DISAPPEARANCE AT OARE by Julie Wassmer (Constable £8.99)
IT’S a busy life for Pearl Nolan, a leading light of Whitstable where she is a successful restaurateur-cum-private detective. Her latest case has Pearl tracking down a young artist who went missing seven years earlier.
Was it suicide — as his parents believe — or is he still to be found, a fugitive from troubled relationships?
With a little help from DCI Mike McGuire, who is intent on making Pearl his partner in life as in crime, the investigation lifts the veil on the dark side of the promenade.
With revelations of grubby manipulations of vulnerable young people, a more sinister explanation of past events begins to emerge. With her talent for evoking the delights of good eating while enjoying the sea breeze, Julie Wassmer is the perfect deckchair companion.
WEEKEND AT THRACKLEY by Alan Melville (British Library £8.99)
ALAN MELVILLE was a man of many literary talents. Famous as a broadcaster and sketch writer for West End stage reviews, he first came to notice in 1934 with this enjoyable mystery romp.
The book’s plot has all the ingredients of a traditional country house party mystery. It’s hosted by a wealthy recluse, whose guests are mostly rich collectors of rare jewellery.
The odd man out is Jim Henderson, with nothing to show after gallant war service except a determination to do the right thing.
Throw in a sinister butler who treats his employer like one of the boys and the scene is set for a contest of wits held within an escapeproof system of electrified doors and windows. When violence takes hold, Melville’s young hero discovers a family skeleton that explains how he has come to the attention of a criminal mastermind.