The appreciation of antique objects is not perhaps Detective Sergeant Sidney Love's forte, yet his critical appraisal of Lot Thirty-Four - comprising two golf balls, an LMS railway tumbler, an old meat mincer, two decanter stoppers, a soap dish and a moulded relief of a cottage entitled 'At the End of Life's Lane' - at an antiques auction which sets events in motion. The sale of Lot Thirty-Four at the handsome price of GBP400, together with further curious developments, leads Inspector Purbright to the heart of a chilling but decidedly genteel murder mystery...
First published in 1980, Plaster Sinners is the eleventh 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
'One of the best. As always with Watson, the writing is sharp and stylish and wickedly funny!' Literary Review
Plaster Sinners is the 11th Flaxborough mystery by Colin Watson. Released 12th July, 2018 by Farrago, it's 160 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats. This edition is a reformatting and re-release of Watson's original from 1980. For a book which is almost 40 years old, the wordplay is still droll and quite amusing.
As in all of the (highly recommended) books in this series, Colin Watson manages to skewer English village life. His characters are well drawn and humorous. And yes, this book is ridiculous, none of it would fly in real life, but it really works as a funny mystery/procedural. As with the other books in the series, puns and wordplay get a starring role. It's well worth reading and savoring this series slowly to enjoy the masterful writing. Colin Watson had a rare talent, and it's a joy to be able to revisit Flaxborough.
Five stars. I'm a bit sad that there's just one more book in the series.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
