You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. It probably isn't the usual type of book I would choose but I liked it, Inspector Dover is a great character and I would read more in the series.
Dark Murder Mystery
Not for everyone, the main character is quite unlikeable. But I love dark humor and cynicism, and this was a fun, quick read
Not for everyone, the main character is quite unlikeable. But I love dark humor and cynicism, and this was a fun, quick read
I'm happy I got this ARC because I discovered a new to me humorous and entertaining series.
Dover is the perfect anti-hero, he will make you laugh and you end loving him for all his imperfections.
The story is engrossing and entertaining, it aged well and it's an interesting depiction of an era.
I loved the quirky cast of characters and the plot.
Looking forward to reading the next instalment, it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Dover is the perfect anti-hero, he will make you laugh and you end loving him for all his imperfections.
The story is engrossing and entertaining, it aged well and it's an interesting depiction of an era.
I loved the quirky cast of characters and the plot.
Looking forward to reading the next instalment, it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
A house maid, Juliet Rugg, working for Sir John Counter at Irlam Old Hall has gone missing. The local police of Creed invite Scotland Yard to the case. They send Chief Inspector Wilfred Dover and Sergeant Charles MacGregor to investigate her disappearance. Motive and opportunity seem to be difficult to discover among the possible suspects.
Dover is not a likeable character and is not meant to be, always speaking his mind not caring who he upsets. But somehow with a lot of help from MacGregor the case gets solved.
Overall an enjoyable mystery though would Dover's overthetop character get too tiresome
Originally written in 1964
A NetGalley Book
Dover is not a likeable character and is not meant to be, always speaking his mind not caring who he upsets. But somehow with a lot of help from MacGregor the case gets solved.
Overall an enjoyable mystery though would Dover's overthetop character get too tiresome
Originally written in 1964
A NetGalley Book
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The 'hero' of our narrative is Dover, a Chief Inspector with Scotland Yard who is sent to a remote location on an odd case that the local police were unable to think of anything to do.
In Dover one: There is a woman who is missing. Her defining characteristic is her weight and the repetitive mention of her size or all the misbehaviours and icky(ish) mindsets of everyone in the vicinity should have put me off. It is a police procedural with the procedure being a key factor. We are walked through every interview and thought process that Dover and his suffering subordinate, Macgregor. For all intents and purposes, my concentration should have veered off at some point in the telling of this story but it did not. I am trying to unravel the ideas I have for identifying the root cause of such an occurrence.
Dover is sent on this mission understandably to relieve his London colleagues of his presence. He is described as a slob who has an inflated opinion of his own prowess, but the latter part is not completely true. He deflects the truth to make himself look and sound more intelligent but he does it knowingly. He knows that he is taking a shortcut but is impatient to get going and refuses to let others know he is wrong even if he does admit it to himself (in a fashion). This plot has a group of unsavoury characters. None of the people are likable and are described in very vividly prejudiced terms but it suits the storyline because I do not think we are meant to like anyone in the story. The unexpected turns that the investigation takes and the way that Dover manages to come out on top (at least in the public eye) was fascinating in an odd way. The ending and the actual perpetrators of the crime in some ways show us why the missing woman was predominantly described by her appearance! I do not know if I have clarified the meandering path that my thoughts took to ultimately being satisfied with this book and getting a chance to see yet another aspect of how people's minds worked in post-war England, but I did try.
Overall I am pleased to make an acquaintance of this author, and a whole new style of mystery narration. Although I do not think the content would be everyone's cup of tea, if one can get past the (graphic) negative caricatures of people and look at it only as part of the story itself, it is more palatable.I say this as someone who is usually very sensitive to the background portrayal of any story, and someone who actually (surprisingly) enjoyed both the stories I have read of this series so far.
I received an ARC of the reprint thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
In Dover one: There is a woman who is missing. Her defining characteristic is her weight and the repetitive mention of her size or all the misbehaviours and icky(ish) mindsets of everyone in the vicinity should have put me off. It is a police procedural with the procedure being a key factor. We are walked through every interview and thought process that Dover and his suffering subordinate, Macgregor. For all intents and purposes, my concentration should have veered off at some point in the telling of this story but it did not. I am trying to unravel the ideas I have for identifying the root cause of such an occurrence.
Dover is sent on this mission understandably to relieve his London colleagues of his presence. He is described as a slob who has an inflated opinion of his own prowess, but the latter part is not completely true. He deflects the truth to make himself look and sound more intelligent but he does it knowingly. He knows that he is taking a shortcut but is impatient to get going and refuses to let others know he is wrong even if he does admit it to himself (in a fashion). This plot has a group of unsavoury characters. None of the people are likable and are described in very vividly prejudiced terms but it suits the storyline because I do not think we are meant to like anyone in the story. The unexpected turns that the investigation takes and the way that Dover manages to come out on top (at least in the public eye) was fascinating in an odd way. The ending and the actual perpetrators of the crime in some ways show us why the missing woman was predominantly described by her appearance! I do not know if I have clarified the meandering path that my thoughts took to ultimately being satisfied with this book and getting a chance to see yet another aspect of how people's minds worked in post-war England, but I did try.
Overall I am pleased to make an acquaintance of this author, and a whole new style of mystery narration. Although I do not think the content would be everyone's cup of tea, if one can get past the (graphic) negative caricatures of people and look at it only as part of the story itself, it is more palatable.I say this as someone who is usually very sensitive to the background portrayal of any story, and someone who actually (surprisingly) enjoyed both the stories I have read of this series so far.
I received an ARC of the reprint thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is completely based on my own reading experience.
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author and Farrago and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
An overweight, nymphomaniac teenage housemaid has vanished and Detective Inspector Dover is on the case… barely!
I have no idea how I managed to miss the Joyce Porter Dover series previously, as I am an avid fan of classic murder mysteries and also of humour, and this book has both.
D.I. Dover is what you would get if the Poirot books focused on Japp instead of Poirot. And if Japp was large, lazy and thoroughly unpleasant to everyone he meets. Oh, and incompetent. Even with the help of the – rather more palatable – Sergeant MacGregor, it is a wonder that Dover has ever managed to get a case solved, as his technique consists mainly of glowering at people and taking a nap. I have never come across a character so completely unfazed by his own ineptness!
This series was originally published in the 60s, so obviously some aspects haven’t aged well, such as the attitudes towards women and foreigners. However, this is surprisingly less noticeable than I had anticipated, being as how the main character loathes everyone indiscriminately and pretty much equally.
Instead I found myself increasingly amused and engaged by Dover’s antics – much like I would by an elderly pet that is a bit smelly and growls/hisses at everyone, but they are part of the family anyway and you just humour their little foibles). I loved the clever tongue-in-cheek way the author tips the reader the nod regarding clues the brave detectives miss or dismiss, making the story almost an inside joke between writer and reader, with poor old Dover as the butt.
Fans of classic golden-era crime fiction (Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin and similar) will enjoy this mystery that has a similar plot structure and style, but with an added sly humour that updates the tone.
He turned back to the telephone. There was only one man for the job. ‘I’ll send you one of my chief inspectors,’ he said. ‘Good chap. Name’s Dover. I’ll get him down to you first thing in the morning.’
The Assistant Commissioner dropped the receiver back in place and grinned wickedly. A man in his exalted position shouldn’t indulge in petty spite where his subordinates were concerned, but it was, oh, so pleasant to give way to these little human frailties, once in a while.
‘I’d love to see the old bugger’s face when he hears what he’s got landed with this time!’ The Assistant Commissioner chuckled happily to himself and picked up his phone again to send the good news down the line.
– Joyce Porter, Dover One
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/dover-one-joyce-porter/
An overweight, nymphomaniac teenage housemaid has vanished and Detective Inspector Dover is on the case… barely!
I have no idea how I managed to miss the Joyce Porter Dover series previously, as I am an avid fan of classic murder mysteries and also of humour, and this book has both.
D.I. Dover is what you would get if the Poirot books focused on Japp instead of Poirot. And if Japp was large, lazy and thoroughly unpleasant to everyone he meets. Oh, and incompetent. Even with the help of the – rather more palatable – Sergeant MacGregor, it is a wonder that Dover has ever managed to get a case solved, as his technique consists mainly of glowering at people and taking a nap. I have never come across a character so completely unfazed by his own ineptness!
This series was originally published in the 60s, so obviously some aspects haven’t aged well, such as the attitudes towards women and foreigners. However, this is surprisingly less noticeable than I had anticipated, being as how the main character loathes everyone indiscriminately and pretty much equally.
Instead I found myself increasingly amused and engaged by Dover’s antics – much like I would by an elderly pet that is a bit smelly and growls/hisses at everyone, but they are part of the family anyway and you just humour their little foibles). I loved the clever tongue-in-cheek way the author tips the reader the nod regarding clues the brave detectives miss or dismiss, making the story almost an inside joke between writer and reader, with poor old Dover as the butt.
Fans of classic golden-era crime fiction (Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin and similar) will enjoy this mystery that has a similar plot structure and style, but with an added sly humour that updates the tone.
He turned back to the telephone. There was only one man for the job. ‘I’ll send you one of my chief inspectors,’ he said. ‘Good chap. Name’s Dover. I’ll get him down to you first thing in the morning.’
The Assistant Commissioner dropped the receiver back in place and grinned wickedly. A man in his exalted position shouldn’t indulge in petty spite where his subordinates were concerned, but it was, oh, so pleasant to give way to these little human frailties, once in a while.
‘I’d love to see the old bugger’s face when he hears what he’s got landed with this time!’ The Assistant Commissioner chuckled happily to himself and picked up his phone again to send the good news down the line.
– Joyce Porter, Dover One
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/dover-one-joyce-porter/
I'm happy I got this ARC because I discovered a new to me humorous and entertaining series.
Dover is the perfect anti-hero, he will make you laugh and you end loving him for all his imperfections.
The story is engrossing and entertaining, it aged well and it's an interesting depiction of an era.
I loved the quirky cast of characters and the plot.
Looking forward to reading the next instalment, it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Dover is the perfect anti-hero, he will make you laugh and you end loving him for all his imperfections.
The story is engrossing and entertaining, it aged well and it's an interesting depiction of an era.
I loved the quirky cast of characters and the plot.
Looking forward to reading the next instalment, it's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author and Farrago and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
An overweight, nymphomaniac teenage housemaid has vanished and Detective Inspector Dover is on the case… barely!
I have no idea how I managed to miss the Joyce Porter Dover series previously, as I am an avid fan of classic murder mysteries and also of humour, and this book has both.
D.I. Dover is what you would get if the Poirot books focused on Japp instead of Poirot. And if Japp was large, lazy and thoroughly unpleasant to everyone he meets. Oh, and incompetent. Even with the help of the – rather more palatable – Sergeant MacGregor, it is a wonder that Dover has ever managed to get a case solved, as his technique consists mainly of glowering at people and taking a nap. I have never come across a character so completely unfazed by his own ineptness!
This series was originally published in the 60s, so obviously some aspects haven’t aged well, such as the attitudes towards women and foreigners. However, this is surprisingly less noticeable than I had anticipated, being as how the main character loathes everyone indiscriminately and pretty much equally.
Instead I found myself increasingly amused and engaged by Dover’s antics – much like I would by an elderly pet that is a bit smelly and growls/hisses at everyone, but they are part of the family anyway and you just humour their little foibles). I loved the clever tongue-in-cheek way the author tips the reader the nod regarding clues the brave detectives miss or dismiss, making the story almost an inside joke between writer and reader, with poor old Dover as the butt.
Fans of classic golden-era crime fiction (Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin and similar) will enjoy this mystery that has a similar plot structure and style, but with an added sly humour that updates the tone.
He turned back to the telephone. There was only one man for the job. ‘I’ll send you one of my chief inspectors,’ he said. ‘Good chap. Name’s Dover. I’ll get him down to you first thing in the morning.’
The Assistant Commissioner dropped the receiver back in place and grinned wickedly. A man in his exalted position shouldn’t indulge in petty spite where his subordinates were concerned, but it was, oh, so pleasant to give way to these little human frailties, once in a while.
‘I’d love to see the old bugger’s face when he hears what he’s got landed with this time!’ The Assistant Commissioner chuckled happily to himself and picked up his phone again to send the good news down the line.
– Joyce Porter, Dover One
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/dover-one-joyce-porter/
An overweight, nymphomaniac teenage housemaid has vanished and Detective Inspector Dover is on the case… barely!
I have no idea how I managed to miss the Joyce Porter Dover series previously, as I am an avid fan of classic murder mysteries and also of humour, and this book has both.
D.I. Dover is what you would get if the Poirot books focused on Japp instead of Poirot. And if Japp was large, lazy and thoroughly unpleasant to everyone he meets. Oh, and incompetent. Even with the help of the – rather more palatable – Sergeant MacGregor, it is a wonder that Dover has ever managed to get a case solved, as his technique consists mainly of glowering at people and taking a nap. I have never come across a character so completely unfazed by his own ineptness!
This series was originally published in the 60s, so obviously some aspects haven’t aged well, such as the attitudes towards women and foreigners. However, this is surprisingly less noticeable than I had anticipated, being as how the main character loathes everyone indiscriminately and pretty much equally.
Instead I found myself increasingly amused and engaged by Dover’s antics – much like I would by an elderly pet that is a bit smelly and growls/hisses at everyone, but they are part of the family anyway and you just humour their little foibles). I loved the clever tongue-in-cheek way the author tips the reader the nod regarding clues the brave detectives miss or dismiss, making the story almost an inside joke between writer and reader, with poor old Dover as the butt.
Fans of classic golden-era crime fiction (Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Edmund Crispin and similar) will enjoy this mystery that has a similar plot structure and style, but with an added sly humour that updates the tone.
He turned back to the telephone. There was only one man for the job. ‘I’ll send you one of my chief inspectors,’ he said. ‘Good chap. Name’s Dover. I’ll get him down to you first thing in the morning.’
The Assistant Commissioner dropped the receiver back in place and grinned wickedly. A man in his exalted position shouldn’t indulge in petty spite where his subordinates were concerned, but it was, oh, so pleasant to give way to these little human frailties, once in a while.
‘I’d love to see the old bugger’s face when he hears what he’s got landed with this time!’ The Assistant Commissioner chuckled happily to himself and picked up his phone again to send the good news down the line.
– Joyce Porter, Dover One
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/dover-one-joyce-porter/
This is good, not great. It was written in the 60s. The main character seems apathetic in general, which is unusual for an inspector. But he is a "character" and the author's style helps things along. This is my first Dover story. Reviews of the others in the series show promise, so I may have to check some out.
I really appreciate this version for review!!
I really appreciate this version for review!!