One Man's Meat

The residents of Flaxborough appear to have taken leave of the planet via "moon shot .
Enter DI Purbright to return them to earth and their senses.

Skulduggery in the corporate business world features here. Purbright and Love investigate a murder and a disappearance, while sexual shenanigans lurk in the background. Miss Teatime intervenes to get old friend Mortimer Rothermere (né Hive) out of deep trouble.

Yes, it’s another instalment of Colin Watson’s nicely-judged acerbic wit, directed at the good citizens of Flaxborough in this ninth Mystery.

The plot has many neat convolutions and deceptions and there are some scenes which are not for the puritanical reader… but hey-ho, this is the English provinces in the swinging seventies!

A most enjoyable and well-observed addition to this series of welcome re-issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago (Prelude Books Ltd.) for the digital review copy.

A divorce agency (and yes, we can guess who's behind it!) and a dog food company - who but Colin Watson can turn such unprepossessing elements into a whimsical tale of murder and dodgy goings-on Little England? His sardonic humour is much in evidence, as is Miss Lucilla Teatime, my favourite character in Flaxborough - another stylish romp from Watson who is the Waugh and Wodehouse of the middle-class.

The Flaxborough books by Colin Watson are brilliant light hearted crime novels, no huge dramas, just an interesting puzzle, with a satisfying denouement.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago for an advance copy of One Man's Meat, the ninth novel in the Flaxborough Chronicles series of police procedurals featuring Inspector Purbright, originally published in 1977.

Julia Horton is approached by Mortimer Rothermere of the Happy Endings Agency with a view to enabling her to escape her unhappy marriage to dog food executive, David, with a decent settlement. That it is a con doesn't occur to her until the consequences become serious. Fortunately Mortimer's old friend Miss Lucilla Teatime is there to rescue the situation.

I thoroughly enjoyed One Man's Meat which is a cleverly plotted tale of cross and double cross, told in a very funny, arch tone. The bulk of the novel revolves around a marriage gone wrong and the petty desire for revenge which often accompanies this situation. Mr Watson, being true to himself, takes it to extremes and in the process produces a very amusing scenario. More sinisterly David uses his business employees to make it happen as, obviously, the makers of Woof don't want any scandal attached to their name or product. Mr Watson has a good poke at their practice and while amusing none of it is beyond the realms of possibility.

Inspector Purbright is a much sharper operator than his good manners and kindly demeanour would suggest, much to the alarm of his Chief Constable and interviewees but the credit for sorting out the mess must go to the inestimable and amoral Miss Lucilla Teatime, by far my favourite character in these novels. Nothing is ever said overtly about her sharp practices, it's all done by gentility and inference. It's a masterclass in British good manners.

One Man's Meat is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Another befuddling situation for Inspector Purbright and for his police force to solve that was created by Mr.Mortimer Rothermere of the Happy Endings Agency. To add to this fake disappearance, Purbright has to solve a murder that was committed on and off an amusement ride. Miss Teatime came to Purbright rescue after being persuaded to help by her consociate Mr. Hive. Love how Colin Watson incorporates people and past events from his previous novels into his newest books.

One Man's Meat, the ninth Flaxborough book, is another enormously enjoyable instalment in a marvellous series.

Here, following a death on a funfair ride which may or may not have been an accident, an elaborate story of marital disharmony, deception, double-crossing and skulduggery in the dog-food business unfolds. It's perhaps slightly more of a crime mystery and less of a comedy than some of Watson's earlier books, but it's still very amusing and a great read. Many of our favourite characters are here, doing what they do best – including the magnificent Miss Lucilla Teatime, who is a simply wondrous creation. Watson's penetrating humour and shrewd, skewering observations are well in evidence and the book is written in his lovely, witty, readable prose,

If you've read Watson before, you probably won’t need me to tell you how good One Man's Meat is. If you haven't, don't hesitate; this works fine as a stand-alone book but my advice is to begin at the start of the series with Coffin, Scarcely Used and savour the whole lot. The series has been a truly joyful discovery for me and I can recommend this and all the others very warmly.

(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)

I love this series and this writer. His books always make me laugh and entertain. This one is as good as the other in this series.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Farrago and Netgalley for this ARC

You would think that there is not a lot of intrigue or danger in the field of pet food production, and you might also believe that a small carnival is just a bit of fun, or that they have nothing to do with local boarding kennels. Imagine how surprised you will be to learn how they all connect. Between the death of a young man who falls from a carnival ride, the wife of a local executive who goes missing, and the arrival of another of Miss Teatime's old friends, Flaxborough is in for more drama. Coroner's inquests, doctored photographs, extra-marital affairs, and a busy rumor mill will keep everyone busy as the constable's try to piece it all together.

As usual, Purbright plugs away at the investigation until he finally makes sense of it all. With the help of Sid and the other constables, and even some assistance from the ever busy Mrs. Teatime, he does find out what it all means and amuses readers along the way with his humor and his gentle teasing of his supervisor. The various personalities in the town are stereotypical while still having some individuality to keep things interesting.

This is not the "little grey cells" approach of Poirot, but police procedure mixed with small town society and foibles. Perfect for mystery lovers who are looking for a more leisurely pace to reaching the solution and enjoying the journey.

What does the death of a young man on a fair ride have to do with an impendiing divorce of an unhappy couple? I was scratching my head for just a minute or two wondering that very thing. Basically, the story begins with what would seem to most an exciting space ride at a fair. The story makes what appears a sharp right turn to the unhappy marriage of David and Julia Harton. Divorce is on the horizon, but perhaps there is a better way out for Julia?

When Julia is approached by a Mortimer Rothermere of the Happy Endings Agency with a plan as to how she can come about a divorce, with a sizable settlement. Despite how unorthodox Mortimer's plan is, she begins to see that it just may work. The problem is, Mortimer is a con artist of the highest ilk.

Having recently become a fan to Colin Watson's work, it was quite pleasurable to see Inspector Purbright hard at work to expose the actual cause of death of the young man. Purbright is quite intelligent, and brings things together quite nicely. As always when reading one of these novels in this series, there is quite a bit of humor and intrigue. What a delight it is to have Miss Lucilla Teatime as part of this story as well. There are twelve books in this series.

Many thanks to Farrago and to NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Date of publication: June 14, 2018; Originally published in 1977.

I really like Colin Watson's writing. His books are gentle, always involving the same core of characters, and well written.

This one has a forward telling us that the dog-food company in the book shouldn't be misconstrued as a real company, which it could be - up to a point - as it shows itself to be ruthless and very capable of spying on its competitiors - and they on it. Although, in the end, we know WHO did it, on whose behalf is left to the readers mind. I was pleased to see Miss Teatime turn up again. She is a worthy partner to Inspector Purbright - if not so scrupulously honest.

I really liked this. You think that it's going one way, but then it takes a twist. It's got all the regular cast of characters in it - and although you don't actually see that much of the police and their investigation, I liked that and it felt totally in keeping with the series. I could have used a little more of Miss Teatime, but I do really like the under current of scheming big business and business gobbledygook that has come in to the books in the last few titles.

I can't wait for the rerelease of the next one!