Book Review: Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter

By Sandy Amazeen Mar 21, 2011, 19:58 GMT

Set in England during the 1920’s, this delightful bit of fluff features the mentally challenged but good natured Devereux Lyminster, better known as Blotto although he doesn’t drink and his dishy looking, intellectually gifted sister Lady Honoria who prefers the name Twinks. They cause their mother, the Duchess of Tawcester no end to headaches as neither measure up to the high standards expected of the aristocracy. When a dead body is discovered in the library while the Duchess was entertaining an entourage, she responds by demanding the officer conclude his investigation before her guests finish dinner. Twinks quickly realizes the man was poisoned but who is he, why murder him and is the murderer still loose in the mansion?

With Blotto along as good-looking muscle, Twinks matches wits against a cunning foe while trying restore the exiled King Sigismund of Mitteleuropia to his rightful place. When Ex-King Sigismund’s daughter Ex-Princess Ethelinde is kidnapped, the siblings assisted by their faithful chauffeur Corky head out on a rescue mission. With murder, mesmerism, love and cricket at stake anything can and does happen.

Brett presents a brilliant tongue-in-cheek mystery/parody brimming with humor that pokes gentle fun at the proper British “stiff upper lip” attitude. It is great good fun watching Blotto squirm under Ethelinde’s unwanted attentions and Twinks splendid intellect reason things out. Hopefully this is just the start of the siblings’ adventures as readers are sure to be clamoring for more.