Don't Point That Thing at Me

Rating:
Summary: Things!
Review: A quick, dark, and amusing read. The writing is clever and results in more than a few chuckles (although the mystery and solution is fairly average). I must admit, this was a gift from my mostly illiterate spouse or I otherwise wouldn't have read it. For once, I'm glad for the old hen because I enjoyed this book. Didn't much care for her pithy inscription though ("I mean it, Love Bess"). Nevertheless (and as is the norm), the last laugh was on her when I changed the That to Those and added an s to Thing in the title. A line through her inscription and the replacement "I'm talking about your BIG buttocks" resulted in yet another book soaring past my regular-sized noggin'. Recommended (the book, not the spouse).

Rating:
Summary: Not just Wodehouse.
Review: Although I enjoy Wodehouse, with whom Bonfiglioli is endlessly compared, I find more apt comparisons to S.J. Pereleman and, in his darkness, to some of the 20th century Eastern European writers. But he is also quite an orginal voice; there is nothing really quite like him that I have read. Will read more as they come out in the US.

Rating:
Summary: Scandelous, preposterous, delightful.
Review: I agree with Stephen Fry:"You couldn't snuggle under the duvet with anything more disreputable and delightful". And it is available from www.amazon.co.uk under the title THE MORTDECAI TRILOGY! How delicious.

Rating:
Summary: Scandelous, preposterous, delightful.
Review: I agree with Stephen Fry:"You couldn't snuggle under the duvet with anything more disreputable and delightful". And it is available from www.amazon.co.uk under the title THE MORTDECAI TRILOGY! How delicious.

Rating:
Summary: Seventie's Thriller that is Still Thrilling Today!
Review: I knew that "Don't Point That Thing at Me" had originally came out in the 70's and that it was very witty in the British style and I kind of like that stuff, but I'd never gotten a chance to read it, so when I saw it on sale at my local shop, I couldn't pass it up.

From start to finish, this book is hysterical. It revolves around an unsavory character by the name of CharlieMortdecai. At first glance, Charlie appears to be an aristocrat; he wears expensive clothing, drinks fancy cocktails, and hobnobs with the high and mighty. What he
really is though is a scoundrel who will do anything to make a buck. He's an art dealer of not so moral means, who gets involved with stolen art and blackmail.

What I really enjoyed about the book is the wonderfully descriptive writing. Everything was described with so much care in order to make the reader feel as if they are a part of what's going on. This book had me staying up way past my bedtime several nights in a row. If you are a fan of crime
thrillers and dark humor, this book will not let you down!

Ms. Mindy Adams

Rating:
Summary: A crime classic, well worth reading.
Review: This is a really good book with a mixture of comedy, crime and suspense. It narates the picaresque adventures of a corrupt, mysogynist art dealer. Highly recommended

Rating:
Summary: A Deliciously Droll Caper
Review: This is a reprint of an exceedingly witty English book from 1970 in which the wordplay and piercing descriptions far outweigh the enjoyment to be gotten from the actual plot, which features stolen art, blackmail, double crossing, etc... There is plenty of foreshadowing, so you aren't surprised at the rather bleak ending, but the journey there is highly entertaining. Imagine a crime thriller written by P.G. Wodehouse, and you might get a feel for the type of dry Brit humor to be found here.

Rating:
Summary: When Your Manservant is Named Jock Strapp....
Review: When the detective in the mystery has a manservant named Jock Strapp, you get a pretty good idea of what to expect. It's a detective story, well sort of as the hero is not all that honest himself, even when he's sober. So you combine the stolen paints, the secret police, a dead client, and the obligatory ravishing young widow -- and it's hard to make a dishonest living.

This is the first of a series of British mysteries beginning in 1972. It's written by an art dealer. But as the introduction says, This is not an autobiographical novel: It is about some other portly, dissolute, immoral and middle-aged art dealer. The rest of the characters are quite imaginary too, especially that Mrs. Spon, but most of the places are real.

Popular enough to have assumed almost cult status in England, I'm glad to see that it's finally crossed the pond.