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Terry Bell Mysteries #3
The Jansson Tapes
When a familiar leggy blonde slides onto the back seat of his cab with the offer of work, taxi-driver and amateur sleuth Terry Bell isn’t keen. However, compared to the tedium of driving a cab all day, the lure of another mystery is too strong to resist, and Terry agrees to help. Tracking down a missing writer and his tape recorder sounds simple enough, but following the clues to a remote village, the case takes a dangerous turn when the man turns up dead.
After the police take over, Terry and his sidekick Carol return home to find their flat ransacked—and that’s not the only surprise. Caught between a suspicious detective inspector and the machinations of a mysterious woman, can the wily investigator unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again?
In this murder/mystery series set on England's northeast coast, The Jansson Tapes is book #3 in the Terry Bell Mystery series.
After the police take over, Terry and his sidekick Carol return home to find their flat ransacked—and that’s not the only surprise. Caught between a suspicious detective inspector and the machinations of a mysterious woman, can the wily investigator unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again?
In this murder/mystery series set on England's northeast coast, The Jansson Tapes is book #3 in the Terry Bell Mystery series.
219 pages, ebook
Published May 9, 2020
2 people want to read
About the author
Colin Garrow
51 books143 followersColin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate.
He has published more than thirty books, and his short stories have appeared in several literary mags, most recently in Witcraft, and Flash Fiction North. Colin lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.
He plays several musical instruments and makes rather nice vegan cakes.
He has published more than thirty books, and his short stories have appeared in several literary mags, most recently in Witcraft, and Flash Fiction North. Colin lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.
He plays several musical instruments and makes rather nice vegan cakes.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 9, 2020
'The Jansson Tapes' is actually the third book in the series featuring Terry Bell, who is a taxi driver and amateur sleuth. I hadn't realised that it was the third book when I agreed to the blog tour spot. Not to worry because 'The Jansson Tapes' reads perfectly well as a standalone. I couldn't wait to start reading 'The Jansson Tapes' and so after grabbing a cup of tea, I sat down with the book and started to read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Jansson Tapes' but more about that in a bit.
I liked Terry Bell from the first time I met him. He's a bit of a cheeky chap, who works as a taxi driver. He is also an amateur detective. His primary job as a taxi driver provides perfect cover for his detective work. He thinks that his primary job will enable him to go places and tease certain information out of people, who would think nothing of chatting away quite happily to the taxi driver. Terry is determined, driven, tenacious, thorough but at the same time he is also kind and compassionate. Terry is also streetwise and he certainly knows his own mind. I thought that Terry has quite a dry sense of humour, which I found quite amusing. Overall, I liked Terry and I look forward to learning more about him in other books in the series.
It didn't take me long to get into 'The Jansson Tapes' at all. In fact the synopsis and the fact that Colin Garrow wrote it were enough to get my attention. I had previous read and loved one of Colin's other books ('Blood On The Tyne: Body Parts') so I had a gut instinct that I would love 'The Jansson Tapes' too. I was spot on because I loved it. The book isn't particularly long so I was able to sit and read it in one long reading binge. I lost all track of time, whilst reading the book and when I finished reading 'The Jansson Tapes', I was staggered to realise that I had been reading for a couple of hours.
'The Jansson Tapes' is really well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. I enjoyed everything about 'The Jansson Tapes'. I loved the fact that the story was set on the North East coast, but then I am a tad biased because I live in the North East of England too. I loved the variety of characters that I came across in the book. I loved the plot and well you get the picture. This might sound a tad silly to some but I was reading this book with a Geordie accent in my head- repeating the text and the conversation. I loved the way in which the author has used the occasional bit of Geordie regional dialect. The book was well plotted. This was one of those gripping and enjoyable books, that keeps your interest and keeps you guessing.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Jansson Tapes' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Colin's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I liked Terry Bell from the first time I met him. He's a bit of a cheeky chap, who works as a taxi driver. He is also an amateur detective. His primary job as a taxi driver provides perfect cover for his detective work. He thinks that his primary job will enable him to go places and tease certain information out of people, who would think nothing of chatting away quite happily to the taxi driver. Terry is determined, driven, tenacious, thorough but at the same time he is also kind and compassionate. Terry is also streetwise and he certainly knows his own mind. I thought that Terry has quite a dry sense of humour, which I found quite amusing. Overall, I liked Terry and I look forward to learning more about him in other books in the series.
It didn't take me long to get into 'The Jansson Tapes' at all. In fact the synopsis and the fact that Colin Garrow wrote it were enough to get my attention. I had previous read and loved one of Colin's other books ('Blood On The Tyne: Body Parts') so I had a gut instinct that I would love 'The Jansson Tapes' too. I was spot on because I loved it. The book isn't particularly long so I was able to sit and read it in one long reading binge. I lost all track of time, whilst reading the book and when I finished reading 'The Jansson Tapes', I was staggered to realise that I had been reading for a couple of hours.
'The Jansson Tapes' is really well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. I enjoyed everything about 'The Jansson Tapes'. I loved the fact that the story was set on the North East coast, but then I am a tad biased because I live in the North East of England too. I loved the variety of characters that I came across in the book. I loved the plot and well you get the picture. This might sound a tad silly to some but I was reading this book with a Geordie accent in my head- repeating the text and the conversation. I loved the way in which the author has used the occasional bit of Geordie regional dialect. The book was well plotted. This was one of those gripping and enjoyable books, that keeps your interest and keeps you guessing.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Jansson Tapes' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will be reading more of Colin's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
November 2, 2020
Having read three Terry Bell Mysteries pretty much off the belt, I can definitely say that these books are as binge-worthy as anything I've ever watched on TV. The Jansson Tapes is the third book in the series, but it could definitely be read as a standalone. I've no doubt that anyone jumping into the series at this stage will want to pick up the earlier books to be further entertained by more Terry Bell shenanigans.
Taxi driver Terry certainly has a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time but this time trouble comes looking for him when he is asked to find a missing writer and his tape recorder. The mystery writer is using the name Tove Jansson, of Moomin fame, but this is no cartoon strip as Terry and his girlfriend Carol find themselves thrust into danger yet again.
Colin Garrow has created such a brilliant character in Terry Bell and his banter with the other characters carries the story along effortlessly. I love Terry's sense of humour and his pretty laid back nature even when he's being chased by bad guys. There's so much going on in the book that time flies by when you're reading and as with the earlier books, I found it amazing to have reached the end so quickly with so much ground being covered. At only 221 pages, it may be a novella but every single word has purpose so you feel as if you've read a full length novel.
As I live in the North East of England, I love the North East setting and it's always fun to recognise places with which you're familiar in books. Colin Garrow even includes some authentic Geordie dialect but nothing that requires a Geordie dictionary, just the odd 'pet' and 'ye' and 'ah' instead of 'you' and 'I'.
Hugely entertaining and filled with non-stop action, The Jansson Tapes is a superb addition to the Terry Bell Mystery series. It's a series I definitely plan to read again to get my Terry Bell fix while I wait for the next instalment. Keep them coming, Colin!
I received a gifted ebook from the author and all opinions are my own.
Taxi driver Terry certainly has a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time but this time trouble comes looking for him when he is asked to find a missing writer and his tape recorder. The mystery writer is using the name Tove Jansson, of Moomin fame, but this is no cartoon strip as Terry and his girlfriend Carol find themselves thrust into danger yet again.
Colin Garrow has created such a brilliant character in Terry Bell and his banter with the other characters carries the story along effortlessly. I love Terry's sense of humour and his pretty laid back nature even when he's being chased by bad guys. There's so much going on in the book that time flies by when you're reading and as with the earlier books, I found it amazing to have reached the end so quickly with so much ground being covered. At only 221 pages, it may be a novella but every single word has purpose so you feel as if you've read a full length novel.
As I live in the North East of England, I love the North East setting and it's always fun to recognise places with which you're familiar in books. Colin Garrow even includes some authentic Geordie dialect but nothing that requires a Geordie dictionary, just the odd 'pet' and 'ye' and 'ah' instead of 'you' and 'I'.
Hugely entertaining and filled with non-stop action, The Jansson Tapes is a superb addition to the Terry Bell Mystery series. It's a series I definitely plan to read again to get my Terry Bell fix while I wait for the next instalment. Keep them coming, Colin!
I received a gifted ebook from the author and all opinions are my own.
June 11, 2020
I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.
This is the third in the Terry Bell Mysteries, which starts with Death on a Dirty Afternoon and is followed by A Long Cool Glass of Murder. Terry Bell the cabbie (amateur sleuth in his spare time) and his sidekick Carol are back in this the third story in the series.
This time instead of it being a dead female, it's a man who has turned up as deceased. As Terry and Carol try to solve the mystery of the dead man and his missing tape recorder! What ensues is typical of the escapades that Terry and Carol find themselves in. Terry always seems to be in the thick of everything that's going on.
I am really enjoying the Terry Bell Mysteries series, having read the first two in this series previously. I enjoy the way that the Author tells the story with a huge nod to the Geordie accent and the way that people living in that area speak. I can almost hear the characters in my head as I read the passages of conversation. The stories are told with an element of humour and lightness despite them being centred around a murder.
I look forward to seeing if Colin Garrow writes anymore in this series, as I would like to see more of Terry and Carol's developing relationship.
This is the third in the Terry Bell Mysteries, which starts with Death on a Dirty Afternoon and is followed by A Long Cool Glass of Murder. Terry Bell the cabbie (amateur sleuth in his spare time) and his sidekick Carol are back in this the third story in the series.
This time instead of it being a dead female, it's a man who has turned up as deceased. As Terry and Carol try to solve the mystery of the dead man and his missing tape recorder! What ensues is typical of the escapades that Terry and Carol find themselves in. Terry always seems to be in the thick of everything that's going on.
I am really enjoying the Terry Bell Mysteries series, having read the first two in this series previously. I enjoy the way that the Author tells the story with a huge nod to the Geordie accent and the way that people living in that area speak. I can almost hear the characters in my head as I read the passages of conversation. The stories are told with an element of humour and lightness despite them being centred around a murder.
I look forward to seeing if Colin Garrow writes anymore in this series, as I would like to see more of Terry and Carol's developing relationship.
June 10, 2020
Another really good book from Colin Garrow. Although this is book three in the Terry Bell series you can read this book as a stand alone. I would recommend reading book one and two to gain more context and have more understanding of the characters and other mysteries.
The Jansson Tapes started like every other Terry Bell mystery and took a dark turn very quickly which really surprised me.
Terry Bell is an average Joe who seems to keep getting himself caught in very dangerous situations. This was a really fun, quick paced read full of humor and I really enjoyed reading this book.
The one complaint I do have about this series is the amount of characters we get introduced to but never learn a lot about them and I felt very confused about many of the characters and what they had to do with the story.
I would recommend this series to beginners or people who want to get into the mystery category because for people who read mysteries on a regular basis may want more than they get from these stories.
The Jansson Tapes started like every other Terry Bell mystery and took a dark turn very quickly which really surprised me.
Terry Bell is an average Joe who seems to keep getting himself caught in very dangerous situations. This was a really fun, quick paced read full of humor and I really enjoyed reading this book.
The one complaint I do have about this series is the amount of characters we get introduced to but never learn a lot about them and I felt very confused about many of the characters and what they had to do with the story.
I would recommend this series to beginners or people who want to get into the mystery category because for people who read mysteries on a regular basis may want more than they get from these stories.
June 17, 2020
With more than a gentle nod to The Rockford Files and The 39 Steps, Colin Garrow’s third offering in the Terry Bell series is the most exciting yet. Filled with his trademark humour, the wisecracking duo of Terry and Carol set off in pursuit of some missing reel-to-reel tapes, unaware of the danger they’re facing.
From the moment the book starts to its thrilling climax, the action is as non-stop as the Geordie banter. Populated with some terrific characters, Terry Bell somehow manages to extricate himself from some serious situations and keep himself one step ahead of the bad guys as the complex story twists and turns from one crisis to the next.
If you like your crime at the entertaining end of the spectrum, driven by distinctive characters, a plot you wouldn’t find in a formula manual, and a liberal injection of humour, this is a series you should seek out. While each book can be read as a standalone, like all series, you’ll get more from the books if you read them in order.
This is my favourite of the three books so far. The author’s enjoyment leaps out from every page as he reveals some of the inspiration behind his writing and Terry Bell’s character. I’m tempted to suggest there’s more than a passing nod to Raymond Chandler in some of the descriptive narrative, which is another bonus.
If you like to be entertained and enjoy a lot of fun and excitement alongside the thrills, then look no further than the Terry Bell series.
From the moment the book starts to its thrilling climax, the action is as non-stop as the Geordie banter. Populated with some terrific characters, Terry Bell somehow manages to extricate himself from some serious situations and keep himself one step ahead of the bad guys as the complex story twists and turns from one crisis to the next.
If you like your crime at the entertaining end of the spectrum, driven by distinctive characters, a plot you wouldn’t find in a formula manual, and a liberal injection of humour, this is a series you should seek out. While each book can be read as a standalone, like all series, you’ll get more from the books if you read them in order.
This is my favourite of the three books so far. The author’s enjoyment leaps out from every page as he reveals some of the inspiration behind his writing and Terry Bell’s character. I’m tempted to suggest there’s more than a passing nod to Raymond Chandler in some of the descriptive narrative, which is another bonus.
If you like to be entertained and enjoy a lot of fun and excitement alongside the thrills, then look no further than the Terry Bell series.
June 14, 2020
This is the third book in the Terry Bell series, I was kindly gifted all three but thought I would read book 3 first so that I could give you an honest review as to if it could be read as a stand alone and it definitely can.
Terry is a taxi driver and sleuth detective but bar the first chapters where it says he is has a fair you don't really see that side in this book and so I am assuming that is explored more in the first two books.
The writing style is fluid and easy to get into. I really enjoyed the fast paced plot and good mix of characters and my favourite line by far was, 'Joe Spud was crazier than a bus full of zombies on a trip to the zoo'.
I will be going back to read the first two in the series and look forward to the next Terry Bell mystery.
Thank you to @colingarrow and @damppebbles for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.
Terry is a taxi driver and sleuth detective but bar the first chapters where it says he is has a fair you don't really see that side in this book and so I am assuming that is explored more in the first two books.
The writing style is fluid and easy to get into. I really enjoyed the fast paced plot and good mix of characters and my favourite line by far was, 'Joe Spud was crazier than a bus full of zombies on a trip to the zoo'.
I will be going back to read the first two in the series and look forward to the next Terry Bell mystery.
Thank you to @colingarrow and @damppebbles for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.
June 14, 2020
3.5 / 5
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews