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Peter Shandy

 

The hero of the stories set in an agricultural college is Professor Peter Shandy, Professor of Botany and crops specialist. Shandy is 56 years old and believes himself to be neither big, nor small, and neither fat, nor thin. He has greying hair with a bald spot on the back of the head. He does not regard his face as particularly good looking - more like something where he puts his glasses.

 

The Professor usually wears corduroy pants and flannel shirts. He lived for many years in a brick house on the Crescent of the College, the residential area of the faculty. Peter has a great passion for numbers and deals with them in a rather automatic way. He would even count the spots of a leopard attacking.

 

In the first novel, Sleep You May, Shandy has no car, but borrows from the a place. In the second book, The Luck Runs Out, he has now bought a small car.

 

Together with his friend, Timothy Ames, Peter Shandy has bred the giant beet Balaclava - a giant beet that grows very quickly and delivers highly nutritious animal feed. Thanks to his share of the license fee and his salary as a professor and his modest lifestyle he is quite wealthy.

 

Shandy lives a rather quiet life, works hard and gives in to his humble pleasures. Every Christmas he visits his cousin, Henry, and his wife, Elizabeth, who live several hours away.

 

Although a respectable professor, completely absorbed in his work, he is always involved in the most horrific murder cases and they give the reader the feeling that he is downright attracted to murder victims. The state authority mostly go by the premise of natural deaths, although suggesting little evidence of a murder. Because of these little hints (in the first novel, it is a yellow glass marble lying around) Shandy is forced to carry out his own investigations.

 

In the first book, Sleep You May, Jemmy Ames, the wife of Shandy's friend Timothy, is murdered and Peter finds her behind the sofa in his own living room. After the funeral, Timothy flies to his daughter, Jemmy, because she is in labour. During his absence, a distant relative has agreed to keep an eye on his house.

 

Peter Shandy brings Timothy to the airport, and picks up the relatives from there - and he immediately falls in love with her. The two soon discover their common liking for numbers and lists. Gradually, Peter shares his thoughts regarding the deceased Jemima Ames, and also the now deceased Ben Cadwell and talks to her about the killings. Helen acts here as Watson in Sherlock Holmes, in which she advises not furiously, but gives practical advice so Peter Shandy simply has a chance to collect his thoughts.

 

Later in the novel, Shandy writes her a short hasty message. He begins this message with the words "Dear Sir Watson" and ends with "Your humble Arsene Lupin". At the end of this first story, Helen marries Peter Shandy and after their wedding she will play an increasingly important role in his investigations.

 

Scene of the Action

The Balaclava Agricultural College at Balaclava Junction in Balaclava County near Boston was founded in the College of Balaclava Buggins, who named it after his first name, as his name appeared ugly to him.

 

At college, much emphasis is placed on comprehensive and practical training. The moral values ??are strict and relationships between faculty and students are forbidden.

 

Every year there is a so-called field competition between the College and the surrounding communities in which there are individual and team competitions in the disciplines chauffeuring with 2, 4, 6 and 8 teams, competition plowing and other contests. In this day long competition run the magnificent black horses Balaclava Blacks, with which the college regularly wins against the headless horseman from Hoddersville and raving louts from Lumpkin Corner. The Balaclava Blacks are the pride of the college.

 

Peculiarity of the Novels about Peter and Helen Shandy

The bizarre and humorous thrillers buzz with alliteration such as "Balaclava Black," "Raging bully", "Balaclava Buggins", "Agile Alice", "Jumping Jemima" and "Victorious Sieglinde" to name a few.

 

Through the lovable and realistic described people you often feel that they could be someone living in your own neighbourhood. The books are enjoyable and dark in any case, like those centred on private Detectives Mike Hammer.

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