Dover Beats the Band
A Dover Mystery, Book 10
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Detective Chief Inspector Wilfred Dover is the most idle and avaricious hero in all of crime fiction. Why should he even be bothered to solve the case?
The naked, burned and mutilated body of a middle-aged man has been found at the Muncaster Municipal Dump. When the autopsy reveals a peculiar clue, DCI Dover and his ever-unwilling assistant MacGregor set off on a trail that leads them to a squalid seaside resort. A mysterious organization, they learn, had convened there recently.
Their inquiries bring them smack into the midst of an undercover investigation by Special Branch of a dangerous right-wing secret society. Never before has Dover been in such an equivocal spot. Though a vicious murder cries out to be solved, one doesn’t readily tamper with Dover’s legendary inertia.
Editorial reviews:
“Something quite out of the ordinary.” Daily Telegraph
“Joyce Porter is a joy… Dover is unquestionably the most entertaining detective in fiction.” Guardian
“Plotted with the technique of a virtuoso.” New York Times
“Wonderfully funny.” Spectator
“Dover is wildly, joyously unbelievable; and may he remain so for our comic delight.” Sun
“You will be fascinated by his sheer dazzling incompetence. Porter has a keen eye, a wicked sense of comedy, and a delightfully low mind.” Harper’s
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Chief inspector Wilfred Dover ( Dover and the Claret Tappers ) of Scotland Yard continues to wreak havoc in this hilarious mystery. The immolated body of a middle-aged man discovered in a Muncaster garbage dump propels the inspector and his whipping boy, detective sergeant MacGregor, on a lurching investigation. A blue bead found in the stomach of the deceased leads the duo to Rankin's Holiday Ranch at Bowerville-by-the-sea, where the dead man took his last supper at a conference held by the Steel Band, a terrorist group of which the victim was a member. Just when Dover and MacGregor find the link between the killing and the organization, the Special Branch squelches the case. Ever watchful for a chance to advance himself, Dover (who, despite evidence to the contrary, has a good brain) forges ahead to solve the case. Broad wit, sharp insight and a thrilling denouement give this comedy real punch.
