Bootlegged Angel
First Published: 1999
Published By: Constable and Company Ltd
Angel Number: 8
Personal Favourite: 6
Quotable Quote: "Para. Ceta. Mol." I found small words came easier.
The Backstory
Despite being recently married to wealthy and well connected fashion designer Amy May, Angel is bored. And boredom usually gets him into trouble.
DIY private eye Veronica Blugden thinks of Angel first when a case involving smuggled beer lands on her desk, as, after all, he's wise in the ways of the street.
He can't possibly find himself bored when he finds himself in charge of a country pub which hasn't seen much action since D-Day, especially when the barmaids happen to be Amy May's models.
But Angel finds that although the smugglers are amateur, they are in the pay of a group who are anything but...
The Webmaster's Take
Estimates vary, but the cost of smuggling to us (aka the Treasury, the government using the Royal we again) is upwards of £3 billion per year. Apparently though, the cost to us of being a member of the European Union is upwards of £6 billion.
You don't need to be a master mathematician to work out that if the government brought the tax on alcohol and tobacco down, we might actually be able to afford to part of the exclusive club in which we were meant to bring down our tax anyway, as it wouldn't be cost effective to pop over for a pack or two of fags. Go figure.
I perceive that Bootlegged is the most widely read of the Angels; everyone seems to have an opinion on smuggling, usually forthright. On Amazon, there is a reviewer who took great exception to the book, stating it was "a savage attack on heroes". A little strong perhaps for a book that is a comedy detective, and hardly a serious commentary on the premise that smugglers are seriously wrecking the British economy. Unless you've been a teetotal non-smoker all your life, you will have bought smuggled alcohol or tobacco, whether you've been aware of it or not. And if you like videos, music, PC software, etc etc etc as well, or instead of, you will at some point have bought something where the profits definitely do not go back to the creators. The government only focus on alcohol and tobacco as the tax is highest. Smuggling is a huge problem that will never go away, and it ain't all Whiskey Galore.
Anyhow, the views on smuggling, I think, are given free and equal hearing in this book, with some facts thrown in; everything you wanted to know about smuggling, immigration, animal transportation and of course the brewing industry. Oh, and a wacky story line, with characters that do not necessarily need to be one over the eight to be funny. Actually, a few of the characters have several over the eight, and although I've never read the book drunk it might be fun to try it. Purely as a scientific exercise, you understand. I wouldn't encourage drinking and reading.
This is the first book after Angel gets m-(thwack - ok - sorry), anyway, Amy isn't particularly prolific or essential to the plot in this one (apart from the excuse for the models and the wonderful scenes in the Silver Vault), although her character gets developed a little, and she is starting to hit the Big Time, with Fitzroy happily sharing her percentage, a potential 1% of the profits from the women's tops market.
Technical analysis...concentrate...Ripley is, in my opinion, the master of the theatrical ending, essential in any comedy novel, difficult to stage in the typical detective novel, but to make it funny as well, is close to genius, especially where it involves fatalities. The style of these only really gained rhythm with Family and part of the entertainment I gain from these books is imagining...just what will he come up with next? The climax in this one is probably one of the best, with a menacing lead up, and naturally, a bit of violence. Not caused by drink, (well, not directly) but they do add to the fireworks.
Hic.
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