Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King’s Daughter    by Simon Brett Order:  USA  Can Felony & Mayhem, 2011 (2009) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Devereux Lyminster and his sister Honoria are called Blotto and Twinks in this 1930s tongue-in-cheek mystery. Blotto achieved this sobriquet not because of his size but because, as he is the first to admit, he has less of the little grey cells than his sister Twinks. A great many less. Blotto feels if the world learned to play cricket, there would be peace across the lands. The Lyminster's ancestral home, Tawcester Towers, has been playing host to ex-king Sigismond of Mitteleuropia and his daughter, ex-princess Ethelinde. Blotto and Twinks' mother, the Duchess of Tawcester, is not happy with the arrangement and delights in patronizing her guests. Usurping King Vlatislav of Mitteleuropia holds court now in that country, much to the Duchess's disgust. She wants her home devoid of guests. She sends Blotto to Mitteleuropia to rescue ex-princess Ethlinde who has been kidnapped. While there, he is to de-throne the usurper. Simon Brett's Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter is fun from first page to last. Blotto gets to drive a Lagonda which was an actual car. Whether a Klig or Frimmelstopf Roadster were real or not doesn't matter. It's a joy to imagine them. Blotto's concentration on cricket impels him to pack a cricket bat for his trip to Mitteleuropia, where no one plays the game. The bat does come in handy, though. It's a delightful book, full of playful names and happenings. If you're in the mood for something to dispel the winter blues, Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King's Daughter is the answer. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews