Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

You know you're in safe hands with Lynne Truss, and the second in the delightful Constable Twitten series is another great read. I love how charming the setting is, and how the quirky story comes together. Full of characters and intrigue, this is a perfect holiday read.

Brilliant sequel to 'A Shot in the Dark' and beautifully cements the world of Inspector Steine. I loved the radio series and this novel diverges strongly from it while building on other radio-based foundations. Plenty of new and entertaining sub-plots to keep the original radio series lover hooked. The descriptions of 50s Brighton are wonderful and you feel like you are right there while still recognising prominent buildings and streets found in Brighton today. Wonderfully funny, cleverly written - I loved it and can't wait for the third instalment.

In the summer in Brighton crime is to the fore. Whilst holidaymakers bask in the sunshine, the Brighton Belles try to lure them to spend money in the attractions and then a young man is found dead in a deckchair. Finding links to a local crime family Constable Twitten is thwarted in his attempts to investigate by his superiors and the police charlady. Twitten knows she is criminal mastermind but no-one believes him.
I found it really hard to engage with this book. Partly because I hadn't read the first instalment and that was really needed, and partly because it is very complicated and quirky. I suspect a second reading would make me change my mind!

The second book in the splendidly quirky Twitten series from Lynne Truss. Summer in Brighton brings its problems and our investigative team - The Brighton Belles - have their hands full as they juggle everything and anything that comes through their door. When a grisly murder is uncovered it's all hands on deck and Constable Twitten has a hunch. An enjoyable, fast moving farce - fun and frolics with eccentric characters aplenty, well written with clever detail and a delightful setting. Whilst this could be read as a standalone there is huge enjoyment to be had in reading from the first book in the series. A breath of fresh air.

This ARC was courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

I've not read any of Lynne Truss' work before but will be searching out in future

This is part of a series and I really enjoyed this - now need to get me hands on the others in the series to get my fill!!

This is well written and funny with lots of threads - the perfect summer read

This book is a tour de force of comic caper, dramatic irony and good old fashioned farce. Having read the first in this series I was delighted to get my hands on this. The writing is good and there are laugh out loud moments. We follow once again Constable Twitten who appears to be the only sane voice in the Brighton Constabulary. There are plots and sub plots here that weave themselves into a fine mess before the whole thing is resolved. I love the period details and the whole feel of the books is one of warmth despite the bodies. I think the wit of the author is clear to see, she points out how as a writer you change the mod with the weather, she pokes fun at some of the monstrous architecture on the seafront of Brighton as well as indulging us in some great word play. This book is a confident step forward from the previous book and I look forward to the next outing of this motley gaggle of characters that include bumbling policemen and the criminal mastermind charlady of Brighton.

#TheManThatGotAway #NetGalley

The second book in this light hearted crime series set in Brighton, England in the late 1950's. The enthusiastic Constable Twitten returns to irritate the lazy Inspector Steine with his determination to actually solve crimes.

These books are very, very English and I think you may need to be above a certain age and born in the UK to really appreciate all of the references and witticisms. However there is still lots of fun to be had by any reader as Twitten continues to try and convince everyone that Mrs Groynes, the police station charlady, is actually a master criminal.

This was a fun read but I must admit to losing track of things in the middle when the plot seemed to take off in so many different directions I could not keep up. Serious readers might want to keep notes. I just let it flow past and waited for the author to link it all up at the end in a very satisfactory manner.

I am very much looking forward to another episode in the life of the Brighton Constabulary. Will Sergeant Brunswick get shot in the leg again? Will Twitten come to regret embracing the devil? Is it possible to exceed the body count achieved in this book? We can only wait and see.

Fans of Colin Watson’s Flaxborough novels will enjoy this romp around the seamier side of Brighton in the late 1950’s.

The second in the Constable Twitten Mystery series is better than the first, although I felt it sagged a little in the middle and had a rather rushed conclusion in which a large number of puzzles were resolved.

The book is rich in characters and in a very English sense of fun. Farce rather than irony rules here, and it will not be to everyone’s taste. The waxworks museum, the sewers, a nightclub, a mint-humbug emporium, the left-luggage office and, naturally, the police station, all feature in the tapestry of criminal activities.

Wrong-doing of every variety, from murder upwards, is rampant. Twitten continues his daily battles with the criminous charlady, Mrs Groynes, Sergeant Brunswick goes undercover, yet again, and Inspector Steine continues on his clueless way.

Recommended to readers who enjoy English criminal capers with an interestingly- nostalgic seaside setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Books (Bloomsbury Publishing) for the digital ARC.