Blotto, Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess: The Second Blotto and Twinks Mystery    by Simon Brett Order:  USA  Can Felony & Mayhem, 2012 (2012) Softcover     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth This series starring Blotto '(handsome, honorable, not the sharpest knife in the drawer) and his sister Twinks (just a bit brainier than a girl should be)' adds a humorous twist to the traditional English mystery. In Blotto, Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess, the siblings, who happen to be attending a traditional house party in the English countryside in the 1920s (as seems their bent), find a dead body and are off investigating the death of a Duchess in Blotto's Lagonda (I didn't recognize the car either and had to do some research – pretty swanky car for any period of time). When their extremely faithful chauffeur is accused of the crime and hauled off to the local jail, with the possibility of swinging by the neck from a rope not too far in the future, the pair must do something to save their loyal servant. They set about chasing clues. The brother and sister are an unusual pair, in that she is the mastermind and Blotto is content to drive his vehicle and play cricket. He thinks that if everyone everywhere played cricket, there would be no wars! He does use his best cricket bat to good advantage in rough situations. Even his second best bat scores in dire need. Poor Blotto is pursued by a potential marriage partner. He is not enamored of the idea, but British social restrictions dictate that if he saves the woman, he must marry her. Now he is on the verge of saving her life! The tongue-in-cheek conversations with the spoofing of the mannerisms and vocabulary of the times, while fun, become a bit tedious after a bit. I began to lose interest in the plot, despite its being a good one. But Blotto and Twinks are indeed a prodigious pair. 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