Why a Booktrail?
1857: Oh you do like to be beside the seaside…don’t you?
A Shot in the Dark
What you need to know before your trail
Brighton, 1957. Inspector Steine rather enjoys his life as a policeman by the sea. No criminals, no crime, no stress.
So it’s really rather annoying when an ambitious – not to mention irritating – new constable shows up to work and starts investigating a series of burglaries. And it’s even more annoying when, after Constable Twitten is despatched to the theatre for the night, he sits next to a vicious theatre critic who is promptly shot dead part way through the opening night of a new play.
It seems Brighton may be in need of a police force after all.
Locations
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1950s Brighton
The book takes place not long after the ‘Middle Street Massacre’ of 1951, when the majority of Brighton’s criminals wiped one another out in a vicious battle.
Inspector Steine (pronounced ‘Steen’) has dined out on this event and it was even made into a film. Now, six years later, he is still enjoying a dubious existence as a minor celebrity.
There is still crime in Brighton and the upcoming appearance of theatre critic, Algernon Crystal is causing some trouble. This is the Brighton of gas lamps and cops who seem to be having more problems that they should have with the recent spat of burglaries.
How normal for the seaside!
“The sparkling sea beyond, herring gulls wheeling and calling overhead, the comforting sound of a horse-drawn milk cart trundling along the sea front, the heady whiff of seaweed mixing intriguingly with warm sugar and peppermint from the humbug shop on the corner.”
“ Ask people what they knew of 1950s Brighton and they would confidently list: crime, gangs; cockles and mussels in vinegar, shiny shingle, sunburned shoulders; more crime, more gangs;reprehensible Max Miller jokes, saucy postcards, and more gangs.”
Booktrail Boarding Pass: A Shot in the Dark
Destination : Brighton Author/Guide: Lynne Truss Departure Time: 1950s
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