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Cass Tuplin #2
Dead Men Don't Order Flake
On the night Leo Stone returns—notionally from the dead, in reality from the Democratic Republic of the Congo—Cass Tuplin gets a call from Gary Kellett. A call about an actual dead person: Gary’s daughter, killed in a car crash. Gary’s adamant it wasn’t an accident.
Cass agrees to investigate. After all, not just Rusty Bore’s only purveyor of fine fast food, Cass is also the closest thing to a private detective within a couple of hundred k’s. The local police (Cass’s son Dean) try to warn her off. It’s true Cass’s status as a celebrated yet non-licensed nobody doesn’t entirely suit Dean. But Dean also believes Gary’s a delusional, grieving father. Is that the case? Or did a young journalist die after asking too many questions?
Cass intends to find out. As soon as she’s dealt with some queries raised by the reappearance of Leo Stone.
Cass agrees to investigate. After all, not just Rusty Bore’s only purveyor of fine fast food, Cass is also the closest thing to a private detective within a couple of hundred k’s. The local police (Cass’s son Dean) try to warn her off. It’s true Cass’s status as a celebrated yet non-licensed nobody doesn’t entirely suit Dean. But Dean also believes Gary’s a delusional, grieving father. Is that the case? Or did a young journalist die after asking too many questions?
Cass intends to find out. As soon as she’s dealt with some queries raised by the reappearance of Leo Stone.
- GenresCrimeMurder Mystery
308 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2016
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Sue Williams
4 books22 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Sue Williams is the author of a crime series set in Rusty Bore, population 147. Sue was raised in country Victoria and hotly denies this provided any inspiration for her writing. She is a science writer and chartered accountant who also holds a PhD in marine biology. These days, Sue lives in Melbourne with her husband.
The Rusty Bore mysteries are Murder with the Lot (2013), Dead Men Don’t Order Flake (2016) and Live and Let Fry (2018). Sue is currently working on the fourth book in the series.
Sue Williams is the author of a crime series set in Rusty Bore, population 147. Sue was raised in country Victoria and hotly denies this provided any inspiration for her writing. She is a science writer and chartered accountant who also holds a PhD in marine biology. These days, Sue lives in Melbourne with her husband.
The Rusty Bore mysteries are Murder with the Lot (2013), Dead Men Don’t Order Flake (2016) and Live and Let Fry (2018). Sue is currently working on the fourth book in the series.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 28, 2016
Dead Men Don’t Order Flake is the second book in the Cass Tuplin murder mystery series by Australian science and travel writer, chartered accountant, marine biologist and author, Sue Williams. It is set some sixteen months after Murder With The Lot, but there is enough recap of essential facts that it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Of course, the pleasure of reading this sequel is enhanced by the familiarity with the regular characters that reading the first book in the series affords.
Cass Tuplin, proprietor of the now rebuilt Rusty Bore Takeaway, has somehow gained a reputation amongst Rusty Bore’s 147 inhabitants as a private investigator (unlicensed), and her participation in any investigation is heavily frowned upon by her eldest son, Senior Constable Dean Tuplin. But when Gary Kellett asks her to look into his only daughter’s death, she cannot refuse. The police (Dean) may have ruled it an unfortunate accident due to speeding at a notorious traffic black spot, but Gary is convinced that Natalie, a journalist with the Muddy Soak Cultivator, was murdered.
Cass is only slightly distracted from this task by the reappearance, after twenty years, of the mistakenly presumed-dead, but still gorgeous Leo Stone. Cass has a history with Leo, but just what has he been doing in the Congo for the last twenty years, and with whom? And when Brad, the younger son Cass is hoping will finally be able to find employment, returns from Uni unexpectedly, the reason only adds to her worries.
As Cass does her best to discover the truth about Natalie’s death, much to Dean’s annoyance, it begins to look like Gary’s daughter was not the only victim. But as the evidence mounts, so too does the list of possible suspects, who seem bent on protecting reputations or acquiring wealth, power or prestige. Theft, assault, dangerous driving and a decapitated dog are intended to deter this tenacious woman from her goal.
Once again, there is plenty of humour: character descriptions, place names (Hustle, Muddy Soak, Sheep Dip), eating establishments (Slick Café, The Broken Nail) and the quirky townspeople are all sources. Climate change, solar power, helium gas, sausage rolls, a parade of Freddy Mercurys, an underground room and vanilla slices all feature, and Williams deftly includes a reference to marine biology and Aussie crime fiction: this time Kerry Greenwood’s Death At Victoria Dock gets a mention.
Williams captures small town Victoria with ease and her plot has enough twists and red herrings to keep it interesting. Fans of Murder With The Lot will not be disappointed, and will be pleased that Williams is working on a third Cass Tuplin book. Once again, a great cover by W.H.Chong for this excellent sequel!
Cass Tuplin, proprietor of the now rebuilt Rusty Bore Takeaway, has somehow gained a reputation amongst Rusty Bore’s 147 inhabitants as a private investigator (unlicensed), and her participation in any investigation is heavily frowned upon by her eldest son, Senior Constable Dean Tuplin. But when Gary Kellett asks her to look into his only daughter’s death, she cannot refuse. The police (Dean) may have ruled it an unfortunate accident due to speeding at a notorious traffic black spot, but Gary is convinced that Natalie, a journalist with the Muddy Soak Cultivator, was murdered.
Cass is only slightly distracted from this task by the reappearance, after twenty years, of the mistakenly presumed-dead, but still gorgeous Leo Stone. Cass has a history with Leo, but just what has he been doing in the Congo for the last twenty years, and with whom? And when Brad, the younger son Cass is hoping will finally be able to find employment, returns from Uni unexpectedly, the reason only adds to her worries.
As Cass does her best to discover the truth about Natalie’s death, much to Dean’s annoyance, it begins to look like Gary’s daughter was not the only victim. But as the evidence mounts, so too does the list of possible suspects, who seem bent on protecting reputations or acquiring wealth, power or prestige. Theft, assault, dangerous driving and a decapitated dog are intended to deter this tenacious woman from her goal.
Once again, there is plenty of humour: character descriptions, place names (Hustle, Muddy Soak, Sheep Dip), eating establishments (Slick Café, The Broken Nail) and the quirky townspeople are all sources. Climate change, solar power, helium gas, sausage rolls, a parade of Freddy Mercurys, an underground room and vanilla slices all feature, and Williams deftly includes a reference to marine biology and Aussie crime fiction: this time Kerry Greenwood’s Death At Victoria Dock gets a mention.
Williams captures small town Victoria with ease and her plot has enough twists and red herrings to keep it interesting. Fans of Murder With The Lot will not be disappointed, and will be pleased that Williams is working on a third Cass Tuplin book. Once again, a great cover by W.H.Chong for this excellent sequel!
August 17, 2016
Cass Tuplin has returned in second book DEAD MEN DON'T ORDER FLAKE. Proprietor of the recently rebuilt Rusty Bore Takeway, she's a fish, chip and dim sim dispenser extraordinaire with a sideline in private enquiries. Which means she's one of those slightly nosy women who can find out stuff, despite objections from her eldest son, and local Senior Constable, Dean. Her propensity to dig until dirt moves out of the way is part of the reason why a local father, Gary Kellett, asks her to look further into the death of his only daughter. Natalie was a journalist in the "big town up the road" Muddy Soak, and her death in a car accident at a notorious traffic blackspot was put down to poor driving, until Cass starts looking around, and Dean starts getting a bit huffy about the question marks over police conclusions.
Now you'd expect that an investigation like that would ruffle a few local feathers - not just Dean's - but Cass has the state of her own plumage to worry about as well. The return of presumed-dead, teenage heart-throb, and previous romantic interest is causing mild interest in lots of places. When Leo Stone casually wanders into the Rusty Bore Takeaway, acting like his twenty year disappearing act, and the headstone in the cemetery (incidentally organised by Cass) are just a blip in the timeline of their shared attraction, the questions over where he's actually been and what he's been up to fight for prominence with the questions about that car accident. To say nothing of what happened to a watch that went missing many years before.
Needless to say, if you hadn't worked it out from the blurb, this is a humorous, on the eccentric / cosy side, Australian rural series, set somewhere fictional in the Wimmera / Mallee of Victoria (in other words just up the road), populated by a mildly dotty crowd of locals with a track record (after two books) of death and destruction that is starting to feel like it could give Midsomer Murders a run for their money.
Told from Cass's viewpoint, the first book in the series, MURDER WITH THE LOT, did for self-deprecating humour what over-salting takeaway chips can do, but the balance in the second book is much better. There's still plenty of one-liners and a lot of wry observations, but they don't hold up advancement of plot, and Cass doesn't come across as quite the flake (pun only slightly intended) that she might have in the earlier novel. As with the earlier book, the investigation is only part of life - it goes up against the ongoing business workload, the problems with maintaining good relationships with two sons and their love interests, offers of more than friendship from the other shop-owner in town, and the need to be there for the older members of the community. And the long-lost love interest, now unencumbered by fiancé's, husbands, potential mothers-in-law, and the daftness of youth.
The plot here is good - with interwoven elements between the present and the past nicely held together with a combination of believability and local involvement to support that. There's also some good old fashioned motivations behind a lot of actions - money, power, prestige - human nature being what it is regardless of size of location. Lovers of dogs might also want to be aware that all's not well in that department, although a supporting cast of ferrets fare considerably better.
DEAD MEN DON'T ORDER FLAKE obviously comes from the entertaining side of crime fiction. It's central character is one of those women of a certain age, unencumbered by the constraints of expectation and "rules of behaviour" that age, experience and a certain level of "who gives a..." provides, eventually, to us all. The only downside to DEAD MEN DON'T ORDER FLAKE is personal as there are fish and chip shops in small Mallee towns that I have a lot of trouble going into without a bit of a giggle. Luckily last time I was in one, the bloke behind the counter didn't have red hair, and didn't have the slightest idea what I was laughing about.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Now you'd expect that an investigation like that would ruffle a few local feathers - not just Dean's - but Cass has the state of her own plumage to worry about as well. The return of presumed-dead, teenage heart-throb, and previous romantic interest is causing mild interest in lots of places. When Leo Stone casually wanders into the Rusty Bore Takeaway, acting like his twenty year disappearing act, and the headstone in the cemetery (incidentally organised by Cass) are just a blip in the timeline of their shared attraction, the questions over where he's actually been and what he's been up to fight for prominence with the questions about that car accident. To say nothing of what happened to a watch that went missing many years before.
Needless to say, if you hadn't worked it out from the blurb, this is a humorous, on the eccentric / cosy side, Australian rural series, set somewhere fictional in the Wimmera / Mallee of Victoria (in other words just up the road), populated by a mildly dotty crowd of locals with a track record (after two books) of death and destruction that is starting to feel like it could give Midsomer Murders a run for their money.
Told from Cass's viewpoint, the first book in the series, MURDER WITH THE LOT, did for self-deprecating humour what over-salting takeaway chips can do, but the balance in the second book is much better. There's still plenty of one-liners and a lot of wry observations, but they don't hold up advancement of plot, and Cass doesn't come across as quite the flake (pun only slightly intended) that she might have in the earlier novel. As with the earlier book, the investigation is only part of life - it goes up against the ongoing business workload, the problems with maintaining good relationships with two sons and their love interests, offers of more than friendship from the other shop-owner in town, and the need to be there for the older members of the community. And the long-lost love interest, now unencumbered by fiancé's, husbands, potential mothers-in-law, and the daftness of youth.
The plot here is good - with interwoven elements between the present and the past nicely held together with a combination of believability and local involvement to support that. There's also some good old fashioned motivations behind a lot of actions - money, power, prestige - human nature being what it is regardless of size of location. Lovers of dogs might also want to be aware that all's not well in that department, although a supporting cast of ferrets fare considerably better.
DEAD MEN DON'T ORDER FLAKE obviously comes from the entertaining side of crime fiction. It's central character is one of those women of a certain age, unencumbered by the constraints of expectation and "rules of behaviour" that age, experience and a certain level of "who gives a..." provides, eventually, to us all. The only downside to DEAD MEN DON'T ORDER FLAKE is personal as there are fish and chip shops in small Mallee towns that I have a lot of trouble going into without a bit of a giggle. Luckily last time I was in one, the bloke behind the counter didn't have red hair, and didn't have the slightest idea what I was laughing about.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
January 25, 2017
‘There’s a wry, satirical element to much of Williams’ humour…In the grand tradition of cosies, [Cass is] a woman underestimated at your peril…Fun and often charming crime fiction, thanks to its winning super-sleuth heroine.’
Saturday Paper
‘Williams captures small town Victoria with ease and her plot has enough twists and red herrings to keep it interesting. Fans of Murder With The Lot will not be disappointed, and no doubt will be hoping for more of Cass Tuplin. An excellent sequel!’
BookMooch
‘Once again, Williams has created a small-town mystery with big repercussions…[Her] style is consistent across both Cass Tuplin mysteries, full of Cass’ humorous and irreverent take on life and its dramas, with Cass’ great one liners, smart observations and witty internal monologues adding to the entertainment factor of Dead Men Don’t Order Flake.’
Weekly Times
‘An enormously enjoyable and pacy novel set in a speck of a country town in rural Victoria, with a plucky amateur sleuth amid a quirky ensemble of townsfolk and family. Quintessentially Australian without being overcooked.’
Abbey’s Bookshop
‘[A] finely wrought and highly amusing crime novel…Williams has created a wonderful new series in the comedy crime genre. Dead Men Don’t Order Flake is a multilayered yarn that mines the rich ore of regional Australia and I can’t wait for the next Cass Tuplin adventure.’
Australian
‘Williams has put together a recipe for madcap adventure the main ingredient an engaging female lead whose nosiness solves the mysteries of her tiny hometown.’
Adelaide Advertiser
‘This book is pure entertainment the author captures the quirky ways of small town Australia perfectly, well, apart from murder that is, we don’t get too many of them in these parts.’
Audiothing
‘Smoothly written with plenty of humour, and some wry observations by Cass, this is an enjoyable, off-beat crime novel with a good cast of characters and a nicely paced storyline.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘Sue Williams is Australia’s answer to New Jersey’s Janet Evanovich. Both mix murder with mirth, and both feature semi-competent female investigators who bounce in and out of trouble…Great light entertainment.’
New Zealand Listener
Saturday Paper
‘Williams captures small town Victoria with ease and her plot has enough twists and red herrings to keep it interesting. Fans of Murder With The Lot will not be disappointed, and no doubt will be hoping for more of Cass Tuplin. An excellent sequel!’
BookMooch
‘Once again, Williams has created a small-town mystery with big repercussions…[Her] style is consistent across both Cass Tuplin mysteries, full of Cass’ humorous and irreverent take on life and its dramas, with Cass’ great one liners, smart observations and witty internal monologues adding to the entertainment factor of Dead Men Don’t Order Flake.’
Weekly Times
‘An enormously enjoyable and pacy novel set in a speck of a country town in rural Victoria, with a plucky amateur sleuth amid a quirky ensemble of townsfolk and family. Quintessentially Australian without being overcooked.’
Abbey’s Bookshop
‘[A] finely wrought and highly amusing crime novel…Williams has created a wonderful new series in the comedy crime genre. Dead Men Don’t Order Flake is a multilayered yarn that mines the rich ore of regional Australia and I can’t wait for the next Cass Tuplin adventure.’
Australian
‘Williams has put together a recipe for madcap adventure the main ingredient an engaging female lead whose nosiness solves the mysteries of her tiny hometown.’
Adelaide Advertiser
‘This book is pure entertainment the author captures the quirky ways of small town Australia perfectly, well, apart from murder that is, we don’t get too many of them in these parts.’
Audiothing
‘Smoothly written with plenty of humour, and some wry observations by Cass, this is an enjoyable, off-beat crime novel with a good cast of characters and a nicely paced storyline.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘Sue Williams is Australia’s answer to New Jersey’s Janet Evanovich. Both mix murder with mirth, and both feature semi-competent female investigators who bounce in and out of trouble…Great light entertainment.’
New Zealand Listener
December 6, 2016
Sue has a great sense of humour and really shows in this second Rusty Bore novel. Lost loves, ferrets, vanilla slices and missing watches put these together with questionable car accidents make for a very interesting case for Cass to investigate.
September 30, 2016
A fun read
April 16, 2023
Sue writes a rollicking good story, which I found hard to put down. I just love the adventures Cass manages to get up to, all while tending the busiest take-away in Victoria. And the other characters in the town are hilarious, but so well written that I can see them in full colour. These books would make a great TV series.
April 21, 2019
Cass Tuplin is back, muddling her way through another mystery in Rusty Bore, a small drought stricken town out on the middle of the Mallee.
"Dead men don’t order flake. But that’s exactly what Leo Stone asked for the April afternoon he strolled in, his gladiator shoulders filling up my shop doorway. A blast of cold wind whirled in behind him, slapping the fly strips against the wall."
Cass's old flame has walked back inter her life, her takeaway shop to be precise, after twenty years presumed to be dead.
"I stood there in gobsmacked silence. Twenty-odd years ago we had a top-notch memorial service for Leo. Every one of Rusty Bore’s hundred and forty-seven residents made it. The church was full of the sound of stifled sobs by the time Ernie got up to do the eulogy'
Full of mixed feelings, confused, angry that he hadn't attempted to contact her over those twenty years, wary over a potential partner Serena, Cass is unsure what to do so she charges him $9.50 for his fish and chips and tries to get some perspective.
All this is put on hold when she is asked by a grieving father to look into the death of his daughter, local reporter, in a single car accident involving a tree on the notorious Jensen Corner.
"I sat still a moment. Natalie Kellett. That’s why I knew the name: Natalie Kellett died in that car crash on Jensen Corner. It’s a renowned black spot; my own mother died there when I was a kid. Named after the first person that crashed and died there: Alistair Jensen, back in 1950-something, decades before my mum. Nice for the bloke to be remembered for something, I suppose. It doesn’t seem to matter how many accidents happen there, apparently there’s no money to fix that bit of road."
This simple request puts Cass into a mix of corruption, climate change coal versus solar investments, Government inquiries, fracking, more suspicious deaths, battles with her disbelieving son Senior Constable Dean and troubles with her environmentalists son Brad.
This novel is set some sixteen months after her first novel "Murder With The Lot". Williams again fills her mystery with an assortment of the odd characters found in any dead and dying country town. The wealthy town of Muddy Soak lording it over poor Rusty Bore.
It's a tongue in check take of the amateur meddling 'lady detective' transplanted into the most unlikely of small towns, Rusty Bore.
It's a delight.
p.s. Flake is a term used in Australia to indicate the flesh of any of several species of small shark, particularly the gummy shark. The term probably arose in the late 1920s when the large-scale commercial shark fishery off the coast of Victoria was established. Until that time, shark was generally an incidental catch rather than a targeted species. Its is the standard fish you receive when you order fish & chips.
"Dead men don’t order flake. But that’s exactly what Leo Stone asked for the April afternoon he strolled in, his gladiator shoulders filling up my shop doorway. A blast of cold wind whirled in behind him, slapping the fly strips against the wall."
Cass's old flame has walked back inter her life, her takeaway shop to be precise, after twenty years presumed to be dead.
"I stood there in gobsmacked silence. Twenty-odd years ago we had a top-notch memorial service for Leo. Every one of Rusty Bore’s hundred and forty-seven residents made it. The church was full of the sound of stifled sobs by the time Ernie got up to do the eulogy'
Full of mixed feelings, confused, angry that he hadn't attempted to contact her over those twenty years, wary over a potential partner Serena, Cass is unsure what to do so she charges him $9.50 for his fish and chips and tries to get some perspective.
All this is put on hold when she is asked by a grieving father to look into the death of his daughter, local reporter, in a single car accident involving a tree on the notorious Jensen Corner.
"I sat still a moment. Natalie Kellett. That’s why I knew the name: Natalie Kellett died in that car crash on Jensen Corner. It’s a renowned black spot; my own mother died there when I was a kid. Named after the first person that crashed and died there: Alistair Jensen, back in 1950-something, decades before my mum. Nice for the bloke to be remembered for something, I suppose. It doesn’t seem to matter how many accidents happen there, apparently there’s no money to fix that bit of road."
This simple request puts Cass into a mix of corruption, climate change coal versus solar investments, Government inquiries, fracking, more suspicious deaths, battles with her disbelieving son Senior Constable Dean and troubles with her environmentalists son Brad.
This novel is set some sixteen months after her first novel "Murder With The Lot". Williams again fills her mystery with an assortment of the odd characters found in any dead and dying country town. The wealthy town of Muddy Soak lording it over poor Rusty Bore.
It's a tongue in check take of the amateur meddling 'lady detective' transplanted into the most unlikely of small towns, Rusty Bore.
It's a delight.
p.s. Flake is a term used in Australia to indicate the flesh of any of several species of small shark, particularly the gummy shark. The term probably arose in the late 1920s when the large-scale commercial shark fishery off the coast of Victoria was established. Until that time, shark was generally an incidental catch rather than a targeted species. Its is the standard fish you receive when you order fish & chips.
July 22, 2024
A cosy mystery.
I'm not usually a reader of cosy mysteries, but the title sounded like it could be fun.
Cass Tuplin is the owner of the Rusty Bore take-away fish and chip shop (hence the flake in the title - not the chocolate bar) owner and she also doubles as a private investigator. When a local journalist is killed in a car crash, her father doesn't believe it was an accident and asks Cass to investigate.
This is a tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted read. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, as the blurb suggests, but it was amusing and met my need for an easy read that didn't make me work too hard.
Overall, it perhaps isn't quite my kind of book, the relationship between Cass and her policeman son felt overplayed, and I didn't find the ending very satisfying, but that's more a personal preference.
The book is well-written and I'm sure that readers who enjoy cosy mysteries will enjoy the plot and the characters.
I'm not usually a reader of cosy mysteries, but the title sounded like it could be fun.
Cass Tuplin is the owner of the Rusty Bore take-away fish and chip shop (hence the flake in the title - not the chocolate bar) owner and she also doubles as a private investigator. When a local journalist is killed in a car crash, her father doesn't believe it was an accident and asks Cass to investigate.
This is a tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted read. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, as the blurb suggests, but it was amusing and met my need for an easy read that didn't make me work too hard.
Overall, it perhaps isn't quite my kind of book, the relationship between Cass and her policeman son felt overplayed, and I didn't find the ending very satisfying, but that's more a personal preference.
The book is well-written and I'm sure that readers who enjoy cosy mysteries will enjoy the plot and the characters.
May 20, 2019
An off-beat, very Australian crime novel. Cass owns a takeaway shop and is Rusty Bore's unofficial private detective and is asked to look into a road accident that took the life of Natalie. Natalie's father believes it was murder and not an accident. We are taken into the lives of the characters of Rusty Bore and the neighbouring rural towns as Cass looks into the accident. The story was not a smooth read but contained enough to keep me reading, with a few giggles along the way.
May 4, 2021
I liked this book right away. The author has a comfortable, cheeky writing style that makes you smile. Yes, it’s a little silly with all the sexual innuendo, puns and ridiculous place names (Rusty Bore, Muddy Soak, Hustle, Sheep Dip, Gol Gol) but it works. It’s a light mystery with a lot of character and has all the Aussie slang you’d hope for.
March 24, 2023
Marginally better than the first instalment. Weird commentary on the Australian government being a constant source of bemusement. Doesn’t the author release the Australian government is democratically elected and therefore reflects the electorate’s choice?!?!
February 28, 2017
A light entertaining book that doesn't tax the brain - a good holiday read.
June 27, 2017
Four and a half stars. Fun book.
June 21, 2019
This book was fun. It was good to read a fun Australian, nay, Victorian country town murder mystery.
April 27, 2020
This was quite an enjoyable story, but having recently read a couple of standout Aussie amateur detective stories, it paled in comparison.
July 19, 2020
A light hearted read picked out for me by my local library. 3.5 stars.
March 31, 2019
I’ve enjoyed these 3 books very much Light funny entertaining but admit I want to thump her sons !!
July 1, 2016
Review
Are you a mystery lover? Does your overwrought mind need a break from all those dark and deeply disturbing psychological thrillers? Then meet Cassandra Ariadne Tuplin proprietor of the newly rebuilt Rusty Bore Takeaway and also part time Private Detective (unlicensed) for the town.
Now just because Cass runs a takeaway this book is no culinary cosy - or cozy, depending where you live - there are no cupcake recipes or any recipes really so the ingredients of the famous Chiko roll still remains a secret. You may, however, pick up a hint or two on the making of snotblocks and sausage rolls.
Cass is reeling from the shock of having her erstwhile friend and (almost) lover Leo Stone walk in to her takeaway and calmly order flake and chips. Leo was supposed to be dead, the town had held a memorial service for him, and Cass had laboured long over the words for his memorial stone (I must say, she seemed a tad put out by all that unnecessary effort) and here he was, bold as brass and nary a word about his long silence.
A phone call soon diverts her attention from handsome Leo, Gary Kellett wants Cass to investigate the death of his daughter, Natalie died in a car accident but Gary is convinced it was murder. Cass doesn't allow her non-licensed status deter her, before long she is deeply involved in the dirty doings of the townspeople.
One of the biggest obstacles to her investigation is Senior Constable Dean Tuplin who happens to be her son. Dean loves his clipboard, and is ever alert to the dangerous driving, parking and walking habits of his people, diligently issuing tickets to all and sundry, including his mother. As Cass says, he does his job to the best of his ability, which is part of the problem. However, Dean can be diverted by the judicious use of sausage rolls.
Cass has another son, Brad, who, according to Cass, happens to be an expert on everything. Anyway, Brad comes home to live (he has troubles at uni) and somehow becomes involved in the investigation, uncovering some political funny business which actually puts his mum in a rather dangerous situation.
There are some wonderful characters in this book, Showbag who owns a goat that once suffered from solar sickness (she still gets funny turns). Madison the ferret lady who is, (unknown to Australia), a National Ferret Icon! Oh, not forgetting Ernie, the 89 years old IPad geek now residing at the Garden of God Extended Care home. I loved Ernie. Not forgetting Cass herself who nervously cleans clean things, especially when Leo is around.
This book is pure entertainment the author captures the quirky ways of small town Australia perfectly, well, apart from murder that is, we don't get too many of them in these parts.
This is book 2 in the Cass Tuplin Series but there is enough backstory for it to be a standalone read.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a break from the heavy stuff, appreciates a well written story, has interesting characters, lots of humour and yes, a murder mystery.
Thanks to Text Publishing for providing a book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Are you a mystery lover? Does your overwrought mind need a break from all those dark and deeply disturbing psychological thrillers? Then meet Cassandra Ariadne Tuplin proprietor of the newly rebuilt Rusty Bore Takeaway and also part time Private Detective (unlicensed) for the town.
Now just because Cass runs a takeaway this book is no culinary cosy - or cozy, depending where you live - there are no cupcake recipes or any recipes really so the ingredients of the famous Chiko roll still remains a secret. You may, however, pick up a hint or two on the making of snotblocks and sausage rolls.
Cass is reeling from the shock of having her erstwhile friend and (almost) lover Leo Stone walk in to her takeaway and calmly order flake and chips. Leo was supposed to be dead, the town had held a memorial service for him, and Cass had laboured long over the words for his memorial stone (I must say, she seemed a tad put out by all that unnecessary effort) and here he was, bold as brass and nary a word about his long silence.
A phone call soon diverts her attention from handsome Leo, Gary Kellett wants Cass to investigate the death of his daughter, Natalie died in a car accident but Gary is convinced it was murder. Cass doesn't allow her non-licensed status deter her, before long she is deeply involved in the dirty doings of the townspeople.
One of the biggest obstacles to her investigation is Senior Constable Dean Tuplin who happens to be her son. Dean loves his clipboard, and is ever alert to the dangerous driving, parking and walking habits of his people, diligently issuing tickets to all and sundry, including his mother. As Cass says, he does his job to the best of his ability, which is part of the problem. However, Dean can be diverted by the judicious use of sausage rolls.
Cass has another son, Brad, who, according to Cass, happens to be an expert on everything. Anyway, Brad comes home to live (he has troubles at uni) and somehow becomes involved in the investigation, uncovering some political funny business which actually puts his mum in a rather dangerous situation.
There are some wonderful characters in this book, Showbag who owns a goat that once suffered from solar sickness (she still gets funny turns). Madison the ferret lady who is, (unknown to Australia), a National Ferret Icon! Oh, not forgetting Ernie, the 89 years old IPad geek now residing at the Garden of God Extended Care home. I loved Ernie. Not forgetting Cass herself who nervously cleans clean things, especially when Leo is around.
This book is pure entertainment the author captures the quirky ways of small town Australia perfectly, well, apart from murder that is, we don't get too many of them in these parts.
This is book 2 in the Cass Tuplin Series but there is enough backstory for it to be a standalone read.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a break from the heavy stuff, appreciates a well written story, has interesting characters, lots of humour and yes, a murder mystery.
Thanks to Text Publishing for providing a book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
July 5, 2016
Dead men don’t order flake….but that’s just what Leo Stone does when he walks into Cass Tulpin’s takeaway…
So begins the second instalment in Sue Williams’ delightful rural crime comedy capers of Cass Tulpin set in Rusty Bore (population 147).
This book will have you laughing out loud as Cass investigates the death of a local journalist whilst juggling life as a mum, grandmother, attractive single woman, fish and chip shop owner and the return of her dead old flame! Cass is a fun friend to ride through the pages with. She’s droll, tough, not too smart and pleasantly self-deprecating. Williams manages to walk the line between farce and comedy through writing her idiosyncratic characters with such warmth, wry humour and the complexity of back story of Cass’s life.
The plot comically cascades with page-turning pace to a perfectly satisfying resolution. I particularly loved how it enfolded many of the characters into it -which is exactly true of the complex ties that bind a small country town. The oil bubbles with her rekindled romance with the (once thought of dead) ex boyfriend and the investigation is action packed - even while in Target buying leopard print g string. Really.
There is barely a moment without a laugh and I gobbled this book up like hot chips straight from the wrapper. For those who love dry comedy, cosy crime or just a funny read - this book will appeal to you all. It’s so satiating and enjoyable - just like the comfort food from Cass’s Rusty Bore take away. Now whose for some potato cakes and sauce?
So begins the second instalment in Sue Williams’ delightful rural crime comedy capers of Cass Tulpin set in Rusty Bore (population 147).
This book will have you laughing out loud as Cass investigates the death of a local journalist whilst juggling life as a mum, grandmother, attractive single woman, fish and chip shop owner and the return of her dead old flame! Cass is a fun friend to ride through the pages with. She’s droll, tough, not too smart and pleasantly self-deprecating. Williams manages to walk the line between farce and comedy through writing her idiosyncratic characters with such warmth, wry humour and the complexity of back story of Cass’s life.
The plot comically cascades with page-turning pace to a perfectly satisfying resolution. I particularly loved how it enfolded many of the characters into it -which is exactly true of the complex ties that bind a small country town. The oil bubbles with her rekindled romance with the (once thought of dead) ex boyfriend and the investigation is action packed - even while in Target buying leopard print g string. Really.
There is barely a moment without a laugh and I gobbled this book up like hot chips straight from the wrapper. For those who love dry comedy, cosy crime or just a funny read - this book will appeal to you all. It’s so satiating and enjoyable - just like the comfort food from Cass’s Rusty Bore take away. Now whose for some potato cakes and sauce?
February 15, 2017
An easy and entertaining read
March 23, 2022
This was an unexpected delight. Fabulous australian humour and descriptions. The characters were so well developed, i felt i knew them. So how did a fish and chips shop owner become a private investigator? I'm going to have to read the first book to find out, but it didn't feel like i had to, to enjoy this one. A mother who worked hard her whole life and had two sons who think they know
better, one of them a clueless, by the book, cop. Really they don't deserve her so it was good that even thigh she loves them, she still stood up to them (a little). A good mystery with laugh out loud moments.
better, one of them a clueless, by the book, cop. Really they don't deserve her so it was good that even thigh she loves them, she still stood up to them (a little). A good mystery with laugh out loud moments.
December 3, 2016
I was after a light read to offset the nonfiction books. This book fit the bill but half way through it was too interesting to go back to nonfiction so i stayed up to finish it off. Intriguing, funny and plausible.
June 26, 2016
A fun book. I really like having a strong Aussie feel to a story. No dramas no big deal here. Just a quick fun murder mystery with a big Aussie background.
August 31, 2017
Better than the first book now I'm hooked to this series thanku more books pleas
March 5, 2018
A great book, very funny and easy to read. Didn't realise it was in a series, will definitely read the first book!
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