Blue Murder Colin Watson 9780571255863 Books
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A car mowing its way through Flaxborough market (and almost over Constable Cowdry) dramatically signals the presence of fearless, crusading journalist - Clive Grail, bent on uncovering scandal in that town's quiet and overtly respectable back streets. In answer to published hints of revelations to come, the mayor issues a challenge of a bloodcurdling and - as Inspector Purbright patiently explains - illegal nature. However, the war of threats is not the worst of it. Those who play with blue films and blackmail often find themselves involved in more than they had bargained for; and soon Purbright finds himself striving to solve a much graver and more sinister crime... First published in 1979, Blue Murder is the tenth novel in the Flaxborough series and displays Watson's characteristic dry wit and striking observation. 'Flaxborough is Colin Watson's quiet English town whose outward respectability masks a seething pottage of greed, crime and vice... Mr Watson wields a delightfully witty pen dripped in acid.' Daily Telegraph 'Arguably the best, and certainly the most consistent of comic crime writers, delicately treading the line between wit and farce... Funny, stylish and good mysteries to boot.' TIME OUT
Blue Murder Colin Watson 9780571255863 Books
Although I generally love Colon Watson's droll, tongue-in-cheek mysteries, this one was just not up to his usual high standards. If you're just getting to know Watson, try one of his better books such as "Lonelyheart 4122" or "Plaster Sinners."Product details
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Blue Murder Colin Watson 9780571255863 Books Reviews
Colin Watson, maybe it’s me, not your book. Blue Murder is the 10th book in the Flaxborough Chronicles. Perhaps if I had begun with the very first book, Coffin, Scarcely Used (first released in 1958), I would find the denizens of Flaxborough prickly but charming and humanly flawed instead of petty, deceptive and unlikable. The town dwellers are so dreadful that they rival the crew — with the exception of researcher Birdie Clemenceaux — from the national tabloid Sunday Herald, made up equal parts investigative reporting and scandal-mongering. You’ve got to be god-awful to make the British equivalent of the National Enquirer look decent by comparison.
The premise is that the Sunday Herald’s ace muckraker, Clive Grail, gets a tip that the bourgeois town of Flaxborough is secretly producing pornographic movies that have been boffo hits in the Persian Gulf. Detective Inspector Purbright, one of the few decent people in Flaxborough, is determined to shake out the truth.
If you can get messages in the afterlife, Mr. Watson (I’m sure you don’t want me taking the liberty of calling you Colin), you’ll be glad to know that, despite dying in 1983, Farrago is re-issuing your books in both paperback and . (Ask one of the more recent angels about .) So you probably don’t care that, after reading two-thirds of this dreadful book, I felt compelled to chuck it. But for the readers, caveat emptor. But just in case it really is me, I've thrown in an extra star.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Farrago in exchange for an honest review.
Blue Murder is the 10th Flaxborough mystery by Colin Watson. Originally published in 1979, the Flaxborough books are being reformatted and re-released by Farrago press so they can be rediscovered and enjoyed by mystery lovers.
These books are extremely dry and the plots are somewhat convoluted and ridiculous. They are on the whole really wickedly funny and extremely well crafted. They're a combination of murder mystery and a seriously acerbic lampooning of post WWII village life.
I have heard that Shakespeare had the somewhat enviable ability to actually think and write in iambic pentameter. Well, Colin Watson had an innate and unerring ear for the acidic and wry double-entendre.
There were moments in this book when I found myself yanked out of the story because I had to re-read what the author had said to make sure I understood what he meant. If the modern reader just skims over the story without putting in a little effort to actually dissect the clever writing, they won't appreciate more than 50-60%. A great deal of the meaning isn't directly on display. In that sense also, this book is quintessentially British. I suspect most modern American readers will have to put in a little extra effort to really enjoy and appreciate these books.
The series was written and set in 60s-70s England and as such they can appear somewhat nostalgic and quaint.
This book in particular seemed to me a little less accessible. I had to work a little harder to really appreciate the jokes. The plot was the tiniest bit plodding in places and instead of just devouring the book in one sitting, I had to read it in several sessions; I found my interest waning occasionally. I think most readers who prefer their reading to be easily digested and completely on the surface will probably be annoyed by Colin Watson. For those discerning readers who don't mind working for their enjoyment, they'll be richly rewarded for their efforts.
I really did enjoy this book and look forward to enjoying the rest of the series. They absolutely do not make them like this anymore. Watson's command of English was spectacular. He reminds me somewhat of Maugham, if Maugham had the naughty sense of humor of a 12 year old schoolboy.
Four stars.
Disclosure I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
nvestigative journalists from London have arrived in Flaxborough hot on the trail of a juicy story. Could residents really have been making and distributing pornographic films? How did the films wind up in foreign markets? Who tipped the reporters off to the story? And which familiar faces will be seen when the copy of the film is played?
The reporters don't get off to a very good start, running into a constable while driving along a blocked lane on market day. The constable would love to see the driver brought up on charges for attempted homicide, but the team finally settles into a rented farmhouse to begin their work. The journalists tap into local sources for information, bring in a translator (since the film has been dubbed in another language for the foreign viewers), and even have the legal advice of a lawyer sent from the newspaper's head office.
Why do things start going wrong? Did the informant that first broke the story have ulterior motives? Is the film what it is purported to be? And who is responsible for kidnapping the chief journalist? Can one small village really be the source of this much trouble?
These mysteries are carefully constructed so that everything dovetails neatly in the end, but readers must be patient with the slower speed of investigations set in a time before internet, CCTV, and other modern conveniences. Recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries in historical settings.
Colin Watson is funny, funny, even in a murder mystery. I love his books
The usual Colin Watson fun, but not a perfectly plotted mystery. Loved the eccentric characters and the highbrow prose.
I love these mysteries for the wit. But not this one; this was only wierd; I agree with Judy, try another one.
I read two, and found them slow, with far too much over-worked dialogue to suit a modern reader. Sorry I couldn’t like them, as this is a good summer for escape reading.
Although I generally love Colon Watson's droll, tongue-in-cheek mysteries, this one was just not up to his usual high standards. If you're just getting to know Watson, try one of his better books such as "Lonelyheart 4122" or "Plaster Sinners."
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