The book starts off with the local Flaxborough butcher being randomly reminded of the fact that he had not seen his sister-in-law in a while.This information takes the tally of missing women to two and gets a new investigation started.There is a local marriage bureau that seems to be the only common factor, which gets the officials thinking. The book is a very compact one, with no superfluous information, except for a small sentence here and there thrown in for comic effect. Inspector Purbright and Sergeant Love are on the case from the start and their droll conversation sets the mood of the case. There is also a mysterious addition to the tale, a woman who has made herself comfortable in town and adds excitement to the story. 

There is a lot of actual investigation described in this book, as the people scramble about to make sure the missing women tally does not get any higher.It has a dash of humour (as mentioned before) as well as a way of setting false clues for us to get us distracted before the final reveal.

I will be following up with the next book on the list soon.There is only a fact or two of overlap between this case and the previous ones, and can be read as a standalone if the situation warrants it.

I've been enjoying this old mystery series by Colin Watson being republished by Farrago. The writing is superb; the stories, old school British police procedurals from the 1960s.

Lonelyheart 4122, the fourth book in the series, concerns two women who have gone missing after consulting a marriage bureau (think forerunner of Match.com). Now a woman named Lucy Teatime has come to town and has begun using the dating service. Will she lead the police to the dastardly Romeo or will she become one of his victims?

I always enjoy Watson's way with words. My favorite of this book? "The Renault's cornering was tight as a turd in a trumpet." That's a phrase I've never heard before. :) As you can see, the writing can be very amusing as well as suspenseful.

If you like a good mystery, I highly recommend these books. Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrago for providing me with an arc of this great old chestnut. I did guess the solution but I still enjoyed the story immensely.

Miss Teatime has arrived in Flaxborough and any eligible men of means had better be on guard. DI Purbright has the case of two missing middle-aged women on his hands and thinks that Miss Teatime may be the next victim. Sergeant Love is being walked off his feet tracking down clues. And who is breaking into the offices of the Handclasp House, a matrimonial agency? All this and more awaits the eager visitor to Flaxborough.

I just continue to be delighted with this series and with Detective Inspector Purbright, but I have to say that Miss Teatime really takes the show in this one. She appears to be just another tourist but the longer you know her the more complicated she becomes. Sergeant Love has a larger role in this book than in the previous ones which I really enjoyed. He and Purbright play off of each other perfectly. I also really enjoyed the story itself, it starts off seeming pretty straightforward but it’s definitely not. I was questioning motives and suspects right up until the end. Colin Watson really knows how to put together an engaging, make-you-think twice, kind of story.

You won’t get much more ‘British’ in the feel of these books, and this one makes a place for itself in a seemingly straight-line path to the suspect. Originally published in 1967, there is a very definite sense of the time in some outmoded beliefs and customs, but this doesn’t lessen the enjoyment one gets from Watson’s clever use of language and wordplay to illustrate and develop the story, from characters to sly asides, the humor and sharply presented imagery engages and delights. Far from being only a story from Purbright and Love, a new character is introduced in the form of Miss Lucilla Teatime.

Arthur Spain is worried about his sister-in-law’s silence, moreso when he discovers her doorstep holding newspapers and bottles of curdled milk. He’s on to contact Purbright, now in the middle of another case involving yet another well-to-do 40-something single woman. In the search, Purbright has discovered that both women have had meetings with Handclasp House, a local dating agency owned and managed by the Staunches. (How British can you get?)

In the midst of their questions at Handclasp House, Purbright is introduced to Miss Teatime, a potential client of the Staunches services, and clearly a woman with plenty of secrets to hide. Lucilla is actually an invaluable asset in this investigation with her own ever-changing intentions that are never quite clearly defined, and Purbright’s determination to keep this latest woman safe from the dangers that lurk around the women on the Handclasp House’s roster.

Clearly, although Watson isn’t above making fun of the agency and some rather unusual matches, the empathy for those looking for love is never far from the reader’s awareness, and with Lucilla being particularly comical in her oft-scattered approach, there’s clearly a keen intelligence hidden there, behind her appearance. Soon Purbright is relying on information provided by Lucilla in combination with his own keen puzzling of clues, sharp observations and a few red herrings thrown in to keep readers (and he) guessing. A reveal that was surprising in the solution and the path to get there – a truly clever mystery that will have even the most casual of readers delighted.

I received an eBook copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9HX/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I love the Flaxborough series! It is amusing, full of eccentric characters and I just feel as if I am there. The descriptions are so good that I can imaine being there at that time. I lived in England for many years so these stories are dear to my heart!

A lovely, old fashioned police procedural. Not too challenging, but very enjoyable. Nice, light, entertaining reading.

The fourth in the Flaxborough Mystery series is much better than the third. Lonelyheart 4122 is the anonymous number of the enigmatic man who possibly murdered two lonely women and may be working on his third.

Inspector Purbright and Sergeant Love are searching for two missing middle-aged ladies. Mrs. Bannister is a relatively wealthy widow. Miss Reckitt is a spinster with some savings too. Their only connection is a lonely hearts club (think 1960s match.com), where both were looking for love and companionship. There is a parallel story line of Miss Teatime’s meeting with the mysterious 4122, who got her name from the club.

I read the previous entry in the series and didn’t like the spy part of the plot. Here is my review of Hopjoy was Here (dianereviewsbooks.com/hopjoy-was-here). However, I liked the small village of Flaxborough and its citizens enough to read this one, the next book in the series. I’m glad I did. The mystery was much better especially the ending. People are still looking for love so this felt both modern and quaint in its methods.

“It would be quite in character for a latter-day courtship to be conducted by correspondence.”

I can’t imagine what the villagers would think of Tinder and sexting! Overall, Lonelyheart 4122 earns 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, Farrago, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I'm reading this series in order and I am absolutely hooked. I have read that this is the best in the series, I can't say what's to come, but it's the best so far. Inspector Purbright is investigating the disappearance of women who had been clients of a matchmaking agency. When you read this, knowing that the author wrote it long before the internet, and read the flirtatious letters written back and forth, you'd swear the author had visited the 21st century and read through dating sties - only the medium has changed, the messages are the same. This isn't as witty as previous entries in the series, but it is more intriguing and not without wit. The twists at the end, heck even the very last line of the book, had me tapping my Kindle as fast as I could to keep up. Also, it's really fun to find an old series that I'd never heard about that is so enjoyable, thanks to Farrago publishing for the re-release.

Butcher Arthur Spain's sister-in-law has gone missing. He immediately reports it to the local police department. After some investigation DI Purbright realise that this is the second lady that has vanished and that all leads point to lonely agency. Miss Lucy Teatime sets a romatic date and detectives try to follow to see what is going to happen but things don't turn out as planned.
Proper British mystery at its best, the style of writing, quirky but charming characters, English setting it has it all.
Funny and satiric it is British to the core.
Delightful read!

Excellent! Hugely enjoyable.
Review scheduled for publication date.

The Flaxborough Chronicles feature Inspector Purbright in the quiet town of Flaxborough. This fourth investigation for D.I. Purbright has the Inspector looking into the mysterious disappearances of two local ladies. They both have not been seen for some time and friends and family are concerned. A common thread is that they both used the services of a dating service called the Handclasp House. Surely one of their possible suitors is not responsible for their disappearances? When a lady newly arrived in town signs up for the service, Purbright assigns D.S. Love to tail her and make sure she is safe, as well as keeping an eye out for the possible villain. The lady in question, Miss Lucy Teatime, has some plans of her own that complicate the surveillance, and readers are left to turn the pages as quickly as possible to reach the climax and see if the police win or if Miss Teatime becomes victim number 3.

Readers have already met a few of Purbright's fellows on the force: Chief Constable Chubb, Detective Sergeant Love, Sergeant Malley the coroner's officer, along with some of the town's other inhabitants. Now the cast expands yet again as more of the townsfolk are introduced - Mr. Maddox, manager of the Roebuck Hotel; Leonard Leaper, a former newspaper reporter who has become a minister; Detective Constable Pook, who becomes flustered when he accidentally wanders into the ladies undergarments section of a store; and Mrs. Staunch, the proprietress of the dating service.

Although there are many online dating services available now, the quaintness of the system in use 60 years ago when the books were first written is one of the enticements of the story. Imagine having to send your lonely heart letters to a service, having them forward the letters on, and then the whole thing happening in reverse for the replies. One could only hope that the service was trustworthy and did not take a peek at the notes passing through their hands.

Readers who enjoy Miss Marple and mysteries set in small English towns full of eccentric residents will welcome having this series drawn to their attention.

Colin Watson's Flaxborough series is smart, tightly plotted, and beautifully written. This entry in the series continues the story of Detective Purbright and Sergeant Love, but the main character is a new one: Lucilla Teatime.

Miss Teatime appears to be a well-heeled lady of a certain age, newly arrived in Flaxborough and looking for a romantic companion to help her settle into her community. She goes to a matrimonial agency -- the precursor of Match.com -- for help. But Purbright and Love have begin to worry that the matrimonial agency is not quite what it seems.

Miss Teatime is definitely not what she seems.

The story of these three individuals and the nefarious inhabitants of Flaxborough is lively and filled with marvelous word pictures of the fictional Flaxborough. Each book in the series is quite different from the others, but they're all satisfying.

Different from the previous novels, the police have primarily one mystery to solve that of two missing women who visited the Handclasp House Marriage Bureau. The Bureau was owned and operated by the Staunches. The author described the Staunches as having great insight and ingenuity. I find that the author himself has this same trait that can be found in all of his books. A new main character is introduced in this book a Miss Teatime. The police solve the mystery of the missing women with the considerable help of Miss Teatime. We are still left with the conundrum of who is Miss Teatime.

When I came across this cosy English mystery on Netgalley, I didn't realise that it was a rerelease of a title from the 60s, which certainly explains some of the language and outdated schools of thought regarding women. However, despite its flaws that are down to the time it was written, it was an enjoyable, easy read, a quintessentially English country mystery, rather Midsomer Murders-esque. It follows the police as they try to solve the mystery of the disappearing women, and the introduction of the enigmatic Lucille Teatime, whom the police believe to be a potential victim but who seems to be conducting her own investigation. I thought the story was going to be predictable but actually the ending surprised me which I loved. The story never took itself too seriously which made for a gentle read, and I'd happily check out others in the series.

The fourth in the Flaxborough mysteries from Colin Watson is, as expected, another joy. Purbright is on the case of missing persons in his own inimitable fashion. Wry, biting, witty humour, madcap characters and superb writing make this extremely readable and immensely enjoyable. Vintage crime on top form.

I have not read any of the other books in this series.

This book actually made me very interested into picking them up!

Miss Lucilla Teatime is the star of, and a most wonderfully amusing character in, this fourth instalment in the Flaxborough Chronicles.

Purbright and Love take a bit of a backseat in the solving of the disappearances of two ladies whose only connection is with the very discreet local marriage agency.

The writing is so good, the humour both gentle and pointed.

The solution is not difficult to fathom but it is how Watson gets us there that is the joy of this novel.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago for an advance copy of Lonelyheart 4122, the fourth novel in the Flaxborough series, originally published in 1967.

When Henry Spain contacts Inspector Purbright about the disappearance of his sister-in-law, Lillian Bannister, alarm bells ring as they are already looking into the disappearance of Martha Reckitt, another comfortably off lady in her 40s. When they find a link to a local dating agency, Handclasp House, they find another potential victim in the form of newly arrived Lucy Teatime but she is not exactly as she seems.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lonelyheart 4122 which is a fun romp through dating 1960s style with some elegant twists. Handclasp House is apparently more genteel and discerning than modern dating sites with a steep joining fee and a complicated numbering system to protect the clients and while Mr Watson is happy to poke fun at their system he has plenty of sympathy for the lonely who are looking for companionship and commitment.

Much of the joy, however, in the novel comes from Lucilla Edith Cavell Teatime and her machinations. She is not at all what she seems and each chapter brings a little enlightenment. I spent most of the novel trying to work out her agenda but was still surprised when the reveal came and I just loved the ending - pure genius.

Lonelyheart 4122 is another good addition to a highly amusing series so I have no hesitation in recommending it.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

DI Purbright and Sergeant Love investigate the disappearance of two Flaxborough women. The only apparent link between them is that they have both used a marriage bureau recently: did they meet the personal responsible for their disappearance through that agency? Lucy Teatime, new to Flaxborough, signs up for introductions at the same bureau: will she be the next victim or is there more to Miss Teatime than meets the eye?

This was very enjoyable: light without being "cozy", and with gentle humour throughout. I laughed aloud when Miss Teatime realises she needs to be holding a flower to identify herself to her blind date and accidentally pulls up an entire plant from the flowerbed beside her park bench. It was cleverly plotted and I did not see the ending coming.

My favourite of the Flaxborough Chronicles to date with the introduction of the divine Miss Teatime! And, in an age of Tinder hook-ups, the dangers of a 'marriage bureau' are too funny. Wilson's dry wit and wicked skewering of social pretensions are as sharp as ever - very sly, very droll humour.