Requiem for a Dummy

Johnny One Eye #4

by David Stuart Davies

London 1943. Successful ventriloquist Raymond Carter begins receiving death threats over the telephone. These calls are especially unnerving as the threats are made in the voice of his dummy, Charlie Dokes. Disturbed, Carter calls on the services of private detective Johnny Hawke to get to the bottom of this bizarre case. However, when one of the cast of Carter's radio show is brutally murdered, the ventriloquist becomes a suspect and the investigation begins to take a dark and surreal path. This not only places Johnny in danger, but also those who are close to him. This complex mystery thriller, the fourth in the "Johnny One Eye" series, is set against the grim backdrop of war-torn London, and is told with wit, humour and suspense.

Genres: World War II, Historical Fiction, Crime

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

David Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Nicki]

In this fourth instalment, Johnny Hawke is retained by Raymond Carter, a well-known ventriloquist, who has been receiving telephone death threats from a person impersonating his dummy.

The story itself is as far-fetched as tea from China and it's not hard to identify the culprit, who alongside terrorising Ray also begins to rack up a body count. When revealed, the reasons for killing are wafer thin.

Johnny is an appealing character, although he does have a penchant for keeping information to himself instead of sharing it with this Scotland Yard inspector friend despite constantly shaking said friend down for information.

This was another quick read with Johnny notching up another successfully solved case at the end.

[Susan]

1943 and Raymond Carter is now a successful ventriloquist. But he has started to receive threats. This has led him to employ Johnny Hawke for help. But then a dead body is found. Who is tormenting him and why. Will this be the last body.
Another enjoyable well-written mystery in this series with its very likeable main character and secondary ones.

[Paula S,]

A very good read

Even I solved the “mystery” it was really good book. The writer does pull some twists in then and made the book exciting. Not your everyday murder novel.