As far as Superintendent Henry Tibbett could tell, the murder of a two-bit hoodlum at the Pink Parrot Club was just that - a not very interesting, almost routine shooting death. It might or might not ever get solved, and it wouldn't much matter either way.
That would not turn out to be one of Henry's best observations. It wouldn't take long before he would find himself caught up in an international intrigue that had already resulted in at least three deaths. The full story can be found in Death and the Dutch Uncle, written by Patricia Moyes in 1968. It's the subject of today's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast. You are welcome to listen to the complete review by clicking here.
Death and the Dutch Uncle starts out as a straightforward detective story, but it isn't long before we enter the world of espionage thrillers, where the true state of international relations is very likely to be quite different from what it appear to be on the surface. And Henry Tibbett will find himself suddenly en route to Amsterdam – with his wife Emmy coming along with him and playing a vital role in a story of intrigue, multiple murders, and – I’m happy to say – a most unpleasant villain.
As usual, Patricia Moyes’s writing is excellent, with enough humor to offset some of the terrors of the story. Her characters, both good and evil, are interesting people. I didn’t see some of the twists coming along, but they certainly seemed fair and do take the book into unexpected areas. Death and the Dutch Uncle is a delightful way to spend an autumn afternoon.
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