Colin Watson is celebrated for his humorous detective novels, set in the fictional town of Flaxborough and featuring Inspector Purbright. Beyond this series, he also penned a study of detective fiction and thrillers. His works are characterized by a distinct style, often exploring mysteries with an unconventional wit. Watson brought a fresh perspective and unique characters to the genre, captivating readers.
Chief Inspector Purbright and Sergeant Love are called in when Brian Hopjoy and his roommate disappear from their rented lodgings at 14 Beatrice Avenue. While none of the neighbors even hint at foul play, drains yield suspicious substances: blood, lye. When the spooks come to play, things heat up.
An elderly sex-pest is at large in DI Purbright’s home town. Leaping out from behind bushes at unsuspecting females, making lewd suggestions and, when challenged, scuttling away with odd off-balance leaps, he soon earns the nickname of the ‘Flaxborough crab’. No one can identify him, and it turns out that quite a few older gentlemen have begun exhibiting over-familiar behavior around the opposite sex. Suave Dr Meadow knows more than he is letting on, yet how can Purbright , aided once again by the fragrant but dodgy Miss Lucy Teatime, get him to talk? Events take a darker turn before the ill-assorted pair succeed in catching their crab.
The owner of "The Flaxborough Citizen" is found dead beneath an elecricity pylon, in his slippers, his mouth full of marshmallows. Is it accident, suicide or murder?
Who Put Hopjoy in the Acid Bath?
