The latest series of this light hearted crime drama opens with two women receiving roulette wheels in the post; each appears to come from somebody they know and both contains instructions not to touch the spinner. Inevitably they ignore the instruction and as the wheels spin they each receive a fatal electric shock. These two bizarre deaths match those in the first book written by a deceased local crime writer; and both women have connections to him; the first provided the artwork for his books and the second had a piece of that art on her wall. Clues lead Barnaby and Nelson to the Luxton Deeping Crime Festival
where the late author's lost final manuscript was due to be unveiled. The manuscript has gone missing though and as the first victim was the only person to have seen it, it could be a key motive
it isn't the only possible motive though.
This is a typically silly story; so if you enjoyed previous stories you'll probably enjoy this. The initial murders are enjoyably bizarre but require some suspension of disbelief; we must accept that both victims ignore the warning and that they actually hold the roulette wheels while they spin rather than standing back while waiting for it to stop. The various characters at the Crime Club and family of the book's author are typical of Midsomer; a mix of unpleasant or flawed characters who are likely either be later victims or proved innocent and apparently nice people; who fans of the show will suspect the most! Inevitable the first two murders aren't the last; one of the later victims proves to be a real surprise thanks to a twist I won't spoil here. Overall I found this enjoyably silly; if you like your crime gritty you'll probably be disappointed but if you like it slightly ridiculous and preferably in attractive surroundings you'll probably like it.
This is a typically silly story; so if you enjoyed previous stories you'll probably enjoy this. The initial murders are enjoyably bizarre but require some suspension of disbelief; we must accept that both victims ignore the warning and that they actually hold the roulette wheels while they spin rather than standing back while waiting for it to stop. The various characters at the Crime Club and family of the book's author are typical of Midsomer; a mix of unpleasant or flawed characters who are likely either be later victims or proved innocent and apparently nice people; who fans of the show will suspect the most! Inevitable the first two murders aren't the last; one of the later victims proves to be a real surprise thanks to a twist I won't spoil here. Overall I found this enjoyably silly; if you like your crime gritty you'll probably be disappointed but if you like it slightly ridiculous and preferably in attractive surroundings you'll probably like it.