Rehearsing for Death is criminally funny
Rehearsing for Death
By Michael Kenyon
Endeavour Press
Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction
Pub Date 27 May 2016
Review
Rehearsing for Death is almost criminally funny.
If you enjoy the humor of classic britcoms and the unique flavor of British mysteries, Michael Kenyon is an author you simply must read. While Rehearsing for Death is an immensely funny mystery, it is neither satire nor farce. It is not slapstick. What Kenyon does is highlight the naturally humorous aspects of life, the quirks foibles and strange coincidences, as well as the natural joie de vivre that people have when they have a positive outlook and don't take themselves too seriously. While I was taken aback initially, I rapidly grow enamoured with Kenyon's writing style.
Chief Inspector Peckover is not amused when his Super assigns him and Detective Constable Jason Twitty to go undercover with the Sealeigh choir. Nabbing crooks yes, but singing in front of an audience now that is a bit daunting. Peckover is rather eccentric, with a habit of composing light verse about everything from cases to the people he encounters. Twitty is a treat, with a flamboyant sense of style and an eye for the ladies (frequently returned and in one instance quite hilariously). The two definitely don't "blend", but the Sealeigh choir is populated by such an array of oddballs that they aren't noticeable. While they are searching for stolen relics on the continent, they encounter a far more complex plot and of course murder.
Here and there I found a few inconsistencies and loose ends which remained baffling at the end, but the witty writing more than made up for them. At the end I felt that the imperfect resolution was natural, given the lifelike imperfection of the characters. After all, as readers, we knew far more than Peckover and Twitty. I definitely recommend Rehearsing for Death to anyone who enjoys the unique flavor of British comedies and enjoys a hearty mystery thrown in.
4/5
I received a copy of Rehearsing for Death from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
“A very valuable addition to the classic British detective genre” – The New York Times
A spate of high-value art thefts is terrorising Europe…
For every article that has gone missing, the Sealeigh choir – a travelling choir from a small village on the Ken coast – have held a concert nearby.
Chief Inspector Henry Peckover and Detective Constable Jason Twitty are sent to become the choir’s newest recruits as part of an undercover investigation, but playing the part of professional singers and avoiding suspicion is no easy task.
The routine of rehearsals and choir gossip is challenging and Peckover struggles to manage with Twitty’s flamboyant nature, fearing he will scupper the investigation.
The entire choir is under suspicion and the two policemen cannot afford to become distracted.
A ruthless criminal is in close proximity, concealing treasured art and they must be discovered before someone realises that Peckover and Twitty are not really who they claim to be…
By the time the choir arrives in Ghent for their next concert, Peckover has discovered tantalizing information about several of its members.
The investigation is now an international operation and together with French Sergeant Pépin and Flemish Inspector Spaak, Peckover must work on the preliminary report from Scotland Yard to close the case.
But before they discover the thief, the body of one of the choir members is found in the cathedral and Peckover and Twitty find themselves heading up a murder enquiry...
Can they find the culprit before another body is discovered?
Rehearsing for Death is the latest Inspector Peckover mystery, following on from No Mercy, Cradling Death, The Man At The Wheel and Zigzag.
Praise for Michael Kenyon
“Kenyon mines plenty of laughs from the cultural and linguistic clashes in this latest adventure for the continually harassed Peckover.” – Publisher’s Weekly
