The Lizard in the Cup

Jimmy Pibble #5

by Peter Dickinson

Kirkus Reviews The connoisseur touches which have distinguished all of Mr. Dickinson's curious and curiouser stories are fully in evidence here on an island in Greece where James Pibble has been asked to come and protect the very rich and powerful Thanassi Thanatos. His attention and yours will turn from modern art to a monastery with two old whiskey priests or rather ouzo monks and the pharmacological particulars of processing opium into morphine. This is not, of course, for your eat-and-run habitue but for those who will enjoy all these divers and startling special effects.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Peter Dickinson was an English author and poet widely respected for his children's fiction, detective novels, and imaginative speculative writing. Raised partly in southern Africa before continuing his education in England, he developed an early fascination with adventure stories and classic literature, influences that later shaped his narrative style. He attended Eton College and later studied at King's College, Cambridge, before beginning a long association with the magazine Punch, where he worked for many years as assistant editor, reviewer, and resident poet. Dickinson eventually left journalism to pursue writing full time, publishing works for both adult and younger audiences. His crime novels featuring detective James Pibble earned critical praise, while his fiction for children established him as one of Britain's most distinguished authors in the field. Over the course of his career he produced nearly fifty books that combined historical imagination, fantasy, and thoughtful reflections on human behavior. He achieved rare distinction by winning the Carnegie Medal twice, for Tulku and City of Gold, recognition that placed him among the most celebrated children's writers in Britain. Dickinson also received numerous other literary honors and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In addition to fiction, he wrote poetry and essays, and his work continued to influence generations of readers and writers in the field of children's literature.

Reviews

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Pibble has landed on the Ionian island of Hyos in order to protect a rich Greek man from the mob. The mob is looking at Hyos as a part of the chain in their drug smuggling operation.

Close by is a monastery run by Fathers Polydore and Chrysostom. They are very wealthy and one has to wonder from whence their wealth is coming.

Poison lizards, mysterious Home Office men wandering about the island and an English girl living like a hermit all play into this story.

This is a very good addition to the James Pibble series. I truly enjoyed it.

Peter Dickinson was a fine writer. Even though these stories were originally written in 1960’s, they seem timeless to me. These books are well written, although the plotting kind of loses track once in a while. Commander James Pibble is a keenly observant witness to human behavior. He picks up on minute clues in body language. I don’t know how I have missed reading him before and will continue to read him.

I want to thank Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not What You’d Expect

An unusual offering from Dickinson, although to be fair, most of his books are not main-stream detective novels.
In this late entry in the Detective Pibble series, he has arrived in Greece after being dismissed from British police under murky circumstances. Somehow he gets involved with a wealthy man who doesn’t mind breaking the law. There’s a convoluted plot involving drugs, stolen art, and a criminal on the run. Interspersed with this plot are some lovely and moving descriptions of Greece, and philosophical ponderings by Pibble. The book is well-written, and I recognize its value. But I didn’t really like it because it’s a sort of adventure/spy thriller. But if that’s your thing, by all means read this well-done, thoughtful look at international criminal enterprise.

[Romulus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dickinson’s style is sophisticated and he has some interesting ideas but the novel’s plot is too disjointed, too diffuse, to hold the reader’s attention. There are promising characters — among them an overbearing millionaire, his mysterious girlfriend and a couple of dubious Greek monks — but they never fulfill their potential. One reaches saturation point less than half way through and completing the book becomes a tiresome chore.

[Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The twists of the plot eventually increased my appreciation for this book. The characters are superabundant and insufficiently interesting, action is confusingly written, and there is a lot of dated 1972.

[Tina Grile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious story. At beginning not sure I would like it but the story made me want to know where it was going. The characters seemed extreme at times but there were ways to connect with them too.

[Jorn Barger · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half was promising, with interesting characters with plausible motives, but it gets overcomplicated and the last chapter tries and fails to reclarify things.

[N N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent writing wasted on an uninvolving story and blah characters.