From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough, #3)

Colin Watson

Start date: October 15, 2019

Finish date: November 9, 2019

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Members enjoyed the previous books in this series, so we're going on to the next one.…more
[close] Members enjoyed the previous books in this series, so we're going on to the next one.

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What Members Thought

Oct 16, 2023 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, humor, mystery, thriller, silver-age-mystery, bought-2011, mount-tbr-2023

The police at Flaxborough receive an anonymous tip. Something nasty has happened at the home of of Gordon Periam. There was some sort of altercation in the bathroom and neither Periam nor his lodger, Brian Hopjoy have been seen since. Inspector Purbright and company find bloodstains in the bathroom, evidence of the use of acid, and something nasty in the drains. It looks like someone was done away with in a very ruthless manner. But who? Is it Hopjoy who has been dissolved? Or is it Periam? They The police at Flaxborough receive an anonymous tip. Something nasty has happened at the home of of Gordon Periam. There was some sort of altercation in the bathroom and neither Periam nor his lodger, Brian Hopjoy have been seen since. Inspector Purbright and company find bloodstains in the bathroom, evidence of the use of acid, and something nasty in the drains. It looks like someone was done away with in a very ruthless manner. But who? Is it Hopjoy who has been dissolved? Or is it Periam? They've barely begun the investigation when a couple of MI5 men show up--apparently Hopjoy was one of theirs and they want to make sure that everything "hush-hush" stays hushed. So now Purbright has to figure out not only who (if anyone) has been killed and, if it's Hopyjoy whether his MI5 work resulted in his death or if it was something more prosaic (like jealousy). The trail leads Purbright and the secret agents on a merry chase through gambling dens to a rural farm and from a fancy hotel to the seaside where an interesting item washes up.

Watson infuses his story with humor--most particularly in its send-up of the spy trade. The MI5 fellows see everything through their top-secret lens and so betting slips become secret codes and absolutely everything has a double-meaning. And they tend to think the local police are poor fish who just can't understand all this hush-hush business. But just maybe this time a murder is just a murder and not some sort of end game in a double agent duel. It's amusing to see Purbright and Sergeant Love get the better of the secret agent men.

Purbright is a great character with a very understated intelligence that works away at the everyday details while the MI5 guys run about looking for double agents in haylofts and betting parlors. The plot is well done too. Watson keeps switching things until you're just not sure who died, if anyone died, and if they did where are they? Quite a lot of fun. ★★★ and 1/2 [rounded up here]

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. ...more

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Sep 10, 2019 Sandy rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-detective-grp, mystery, humor, rread-2019

A fun mystery with an unusual beginning, humorous middle, and twisty ending. The two spies 'helping' the investigation are amusing secondary characters, accurately described as TweedleDum and TweedleDee, and never really aware of their co-worker's real work. ...more

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Mar 21, 2018 Jenn Estepp rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sleuths-and-gumshoes, kindling

Next in the Flaxborough series and each one is a little better than the one before. So far. This one was twisty and clever and quite funny.

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Oct 12, 2019 Jill rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: colin-watson

Although there was some humour in this book, I didn't think it was as entertaining as the two previous books. However the story was well thought out, and had me mislead and guessing. ...more

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