The Jansson Tapes (The Terry Bell Mysteries Book 3) - Colin Garrow

A tape machine. A missing writer. A mysterious woman.

When a familiar leggy blonde slides onto the back seat of his cab with the offer of work, taxi-driver and amateur sleuth Terry Bell isn’t keen. However, compared to the tedium of driving a cab all day, the lure of another mystery is too strong to resist, and Terry agrees to help. Tracking down a missing writer and his tape recorder sounds simple enough, but following the clues to a remote village, the case takes a dangerous turn when the man turns up dead. 

After the police take over, Terry and his sidekick Carol return home to find their flat ransacked—and that’s not the only surprise. Caught between a suspicious detective inspector and the machinations of a mysterious woman, can the wily investigator unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again?

The Jansson Tapes is book #3 in the Terry Bell Mystery series set on England's northeast coast.

What did I think?

Having read three Terry Bell Mysteries pretty much off the belt, I can definitely say that these books are as binge-worthy as anything I've ever watched on TV.  The Jansson Tapes is the third book in the series, but it could definitely be read as a standalone.  I've no doubt that anyone jumping into the series at this stage will want to pick up the earlier books to be further entertained by more Terry Bell shenanigans.

Taxi driver Terry certainly has a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time but this time trouble comes looking for him when he is asked to find a missing writer and his tape recorder.  The mystery writer is using the name Tove Jansson, of Moomin fame, but this is no cartoon strip as Terry and his girlfriend Carol find themselves thrust into danger yet again.

Colin Garrow has created such a brilliant character in Terry Bell and his banter with the other characters carries the story along effortlessly.  I love Terry's sense of humour and his pretty laid back nature even when he's being chased by bad guys.  There's so much going on in the book that time flies by when you're reading and as with the earlier books, I found it amazing to have reached the end so quickly with so much ground being covered.  At only 219 pages in paperback, it may be a novella but every single word has purpose so you feel as if you've read a full length novel.

As I live in the North East of England, I love the North East setting and it's always fun to recognise places with which you're familiar in books.  Colin Garrow even includes some authentic Geordie dialect but nothing that requires a Geordie dictionary, just the odd 'pet' and 'ye' and 'ah' instead of 'you' and 'I'.

Hugely entertaining and filled with non-stop action, The Jansson Tapes is a superb addition to the Terry Bell Mystery series.  It's a series I definitely plan to read again to get my Terry Bell fix while I wait for the next instalment.  Keep them coming, Colin!

I received a gifted ebook from the author and all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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Death on a Dirty Afternoon (The Terry Bell Mysteries Book 1) - Colin Garrow

Two deaths. A suspicious cop. A taxi driver in the firing line.

When taxi driver Frank is found dead on his dining room table, ex-cabbie Terry Bell assumes his old friend died of a heart attack. But when Terry's former boss also turns up with his face bashed in, it starts to look like there's a connection.

Faced with a Detective Inspector who doesn't like coincidences, and a series of threatening letters, Terry does a bit of investigating of his own, but when another body is discovered, the temperature starts to rise - in more ways than one.

Death on a Dirty Afternoon is book #1 in the Terry Bell Mystery series. 

What did I think?

Death on a Dirty Afternoon is the first book in the Terry Bell Mystery series and what an amazing start to the series it is.  It's an absolute delight to read; witty, intriguing and fraught with danger as Terry gets himself into some entertaining scrapes.  You would be forgiven for thinking that Terry is a member of law enforcement but no, he's a taxi driver in Whitley Bay, a seaside town on the North East coast.

Terry returns to work as a taxi driver when the firm he used to work for find themselves two men down; Frank and Ronnie aren't off sick though, they're both dead and Terry finds his fingerprints at both crime scenes.  Luckily for Terry, he used to go to school with Charis, the local DI, otherwise he might have found himself behind bars.  At least that would have been a safe place for him as it looks like Terry could be the next victim.  Terry just can't keep his nose out of trouble and can't help doing his own investigating, which sees him and his colleague, Carol, ending up in serious danger.

Death on a Dirty Afternoon is such a refreshing read; yes, there's murder, mystery and a cracking plot but Colin Garrow's sense of humour really sets it apart.  I found myself giggling, chortling and full-on belly laughing at some parts, whilst still being completely intrigued by the fantastic storyline.  

Filled with colourful characters and with an outstanding eventful plot, my only disappointment was that I finished the 257 page story so quickly, but thankfully there are more books in the series so I can continue reading about Terry's escapades.  I absolutely loved this superb little book where it's definitely a case of quality over quantity.  A very highly recommended read and I can't wait to read more.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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