Reading the Detectives discussion
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A Case of Blackmail in Belgravia
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A Case of Blackmail in Belgravia - SPOILER Thread - (Jan 22/Feb 22)
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I did like this book, having met Freddy before in the Marchmont series, I did know he was a humourous, intelligent person, and found following him through the investigation did show his lighter side. From about halfway through I did have an idea who the murderer was, but the book did hold my interest to find out why. The thought of Freddy dragging the toy cart along and having to keep stopping to rearrange the load, was funny. The attitude of his mother, was a bit of a shock. In fact most of the people being blackmailed was very much one rule for them, and a different rule for others. I thought this was a good start to the series.
Yes, definitely felt like a good start, and fun - I was shocked that his mother couldn’t seem to grasp the legal peril both she and Freddie were in! Also, that she was keeping something so expensive secret from her husband. I guess it might have been common in that class, at that time, but I’d hate being married to someone I had to lie to, in order to avoid being lectured like a wayward child!I couldn’t help feeling Valentina might be like Angela’s Edmund (wasn’t that the name of her illicit love?) Anyway, she’s an interesting character, I hope she returns in future books.
Jill, that scene of Freddie and the toy cart was humorous. All his scenes with his mother seemed so to me. She was unable or unwilling to see the consequences of what she had done.I wondered too, Susan.. Some interesting females appear here who make me wonder if they will reappear later in Freddie's life.
Freddie is an interesting character of unfocused energy. He is wishy-washy in his career and seems to wallow in his playboy lifestyle. He is unable to stand up to his mother and insist on doing the right thing. Yet once he is stirred up to discover the truth, he is committed. His sense of right and wrong drives him, but his innate compassion is demonstrated by how he deals with extraneous evidence. In the Angela Marchmont books, we see Freddie mature as a person and we see the beginnings of that growth here.
ChrisGA wrote: "Jill, that scene of Freddie and the toy cart was humorous. All his scenes with his mother seemed so to me. She was unable or unwilling to see the consequences of what she had done.I wondered too, ..."
I agree, at first I felt Freddie was almost a farcical, Bertie Wooster wannabe in the Angela books - he was so cheeky, and always flirting with her. I didn’t like him at first, but in the last couple books I thought he was coming into his own as a friend, and more determined investigator. Now, meeting his mother, I see where he may have gotten his flighty instincts from! As you say, at first he has a hard time standing up to her, but he gets it together when needed. I’ll be interested to read on in the series to see how he develops.
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Susan, I also enjoyed Valentina and hope she crops up again. I believe Angela's illicit love was Edgar Valencourt.
Judy wrote: "I've finished this now - I enjoyed it, but have knocked a star off my rating because I thought there were rather a lot of people at the initial party to keep track of, and they seemed a bit similar..."True, I never was sure who was the explorer, who were the mother and son, who were the troubled, childless married couple? Doesn’t help when they are all introduced immediately, in a big clump, with names straight out of a Python skit, and in pairs (Mr. and Mrs. Horseyface-ffotheringay could be mother and son, husband and wife…)
I thought this was a hoot. As a mystery it wasn't that great; the plot was rather thin and I spotted the murderer the moment the gift was unexpectedly changed. I really didn't mind, though, because I thought the writing was very good, Freddie was an engaging companion - not unlike Wodehouse's Galahad Threepwood - and it was a lot of light-hearted fun. I thought Freddie's mother was a great character; that other-worldly "oh, do take care of it for me, dear, I have to go to a party" attitude to serious problems she has created for herself, along with notions like "people like us don't get arrested" were amusingly infuriating and rather reminiscent of some of those in prominent positions today.
So...another series this group has introduced me to which I'm going to enjoy. Thank you.
(If anyone is interested, my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
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Sid wrote: "I thought this was a hoot. As a mystery it wasn't that great; the plot was rather thin and I spotted the murderer the moment the gift was unexpectedly changed. I really didn't mind, though, because..."Good review, Sid - I agree about the Wodehouse tone, makes it fun and entertaining, great way to kick off our reading new year! And I agree, Freddie’s mum’s “rules and laws are for thee and not for me” is reminiscent of powerful people this side of the pond, as well. ;)
Love this series, more for the humour and atmosphere than plot but they're always well written
I loved this book too. Yes, the mystery may not be so good, but the writing is so funny, and Freddie and all the characters... It was a bit like Heyer (romances, don´t know her mysteries). Wonder if anyone read others in the series? I was tempted to get the second in the series, but feared to be disappointed.
Hey Michaela, I've now listened to the first three books in the Freddy Pilkington-Soames series and really enjoyed them all. Great humor of various types. I plan to continue the series.
Good to hear, thanks Joanne! :)
The scene with the body had a Wodehouse sort of feel to it; in fact I enjoyed the comic touch all through even though we have a proper mystery
It's 1929, and Ticky Maltravers is the toast of London high society, adored by everyone—or so it seems, until somebody poisons him over dinner. Now it turns out that numerous people with secrets to hide had every reason to wish him dead. But which of them murdered him? For Freddy Pilkington-Soames, newspaper reporter and man-about-town, the question hits a little too close to home, thanks to an unfortunate drunken encounter with Ticky's corpse which he'd much rather the police didn't find out about—and thanks also to his exasperating mother Cynthia's seeming determination to get herself arrested by tampering with the evidence. But a pretty girl with big blue eyes is demanding his help in solving the mystery, so what can he do but agree? Now all he has to do is hide the wrong clues, find the right ones, and unmask the murderer before the police discover what's really been going on. That ought to be easy enough. If only people didn't keep getting killed...
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