Mrs Pargeter’s Plot (Mrs Pargeter #5) by Simon Brett (May/June 25)

[Susan]

Welcome to our May/June 25 buddy read of Mrs Pargeter’s Plot by Simon Brett The fifth book in the Mrs Pargeter series was first published in 1996.

When life in London gets too busy, there’s nothing Melita enjoys more than escaping to the glorious English countryside. Unfortunately for Melita, constructions for her dream summer home in Kent come to an abrupt halt when a body is discovered in the basement.

The dead man appears to have been shot by a gun belonging to Concrete Jacket, Melita’s builder. Concrete is swiftly arrested for murder.

But Melita smells a rat. Concrete may be a scoundrel but he’s no killer. Someone set him up. But who?

Melita immediately begins her own investigation. And with the help of a few colourful acquaintances, including a mischievous monkey named Eramus, puts together a devious scheme to catch the real villain.

Please do not post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

[Susan]

I am about halfway through this. Not sure I can keep up with all these old, 'Porridge,' style nicknames! Anyone else reading it?

[Pamela]

Just started it, quite a good opening chapter I felt. I agree about the nicknames, thank goodness Gary is just called Gary!

[Susan in NC]

I got about 1/3 in, lost interest-yes, partially the silly names, but just don’t hold my interest.

[Judy]

I will be reading it, but need to finish a couple of other books first. Sorry to hear there are more silly nicknames, as those were already getting a bit annoying in the previous book!

The spoiler thread is linked below:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Sandy]

I will also be reading but am falling behind.

[Susan]

Me too, Sandy! I'm struggling a bit with this one. Nobody seems to be investigating the actual murder, which happens right at the beginning of the book!

[Judy]

I've started reading this now and I see Mrs P has yet another new home in mind. She doesn't stay put for long!

[Jackie]

that was something I liked in the series: when she relocated to somewhere completely different.

[Judy]

Yes, I like her moving around too. I've read a few chapters now and am enjoying it so far despite the nicknames etc!

[Sandy]

I am about halfway through. I find myself skimming whenever her husband is mentioned. They are always short acclaims but there are a lot of them.

[Judy]

Sandy wrote: "I am about halfway through. I find myself skimming whenever her husband is mentioned. They are always short acclaims but there are a lot of them."

Definitely! I'm wishing she would come across more people who hated her husband - or maybe someone who knows a scandal about him that will give her a shock, like a secret lover! I somehow suspect this won't happen, though.

In the first book, it seemed as if Mrs P didn't know much about her husband's criminal career, but that has increasingly ceased to be the case as she gets together with all his old cronies such as Concrete, Keyhole etc.

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "Me too, Sandy! I'm struggling a bit with this one. Nobody seems to be investigating the actual murder, which happens right at the beginning of the book!"

I'm increasingly thinking this too - I'm more than halfway through now. While I'm still enjoying the character of Mrs Pargeter, there seems to be very little about the murder so far, apart from that dramatic opening chapter.