I do hope the Pargeter cycle picks up. On the surface it looks like so much fun, but Volume Two misses the mark as much as Volume One did, in a different way. From Miss Marple we move to a Jessica Fletcher vibe as Mrs Pargeter buys a house. But woman who rents limosines, routinely dresses in mink and has underworld buddies looking out for her like some aging Modesty Blaise surely wouldn't choose to live in one of the new "tasteful" developments? I could see her living in a converted barn, in the bottom floor flat of a stately home turned bijou apartments, or even a London penthouse...but Smithy's Loam (apparently the developer--or perhaps Mr Brett?--doesn't know what "loam" means) just doesn't ring true. Again.Neither does the plot. How many people worry about what became of the person they bought the house from once the deal's out of escrow? Or think of calling the previous owner because the boiler's playing up? Call me independent, but I would just get it fixed; and I certainly wouldn't obsess about the previous owner's whereabouts to this degree, particularly if it was a done deal with no money or services owing.The "happy families" game with the neighbour ladies is kind of fun, as is the revealing of oh so many skeletons in family closets...although perhaps there are a few too many? And the ending is simply too convenient and unconvincing. Again it reads patched-on.I can imagine Simon Brett's school reports: "Brett is a clever lad, but refuses to apply himself. He is not working to his full potential, confusing style with content."Having been gifted with several of Brett's books, I will save them for sleepless nights. They certainly won't keep me awake!
