A review of Stumped by Ken Spargo

This book is a real bodyline full of laughs

It’s always a pleasure to read a novel with a storyline that has not been regurgitated again and again. That’s what first caught my attention about this book - its take on the inner workings (although fictional) of the behind-the-scenes process to select a touring Australian Cricket Test team is a real laugh. Added to this, there is a murder mystery which involves a strange team of investigators. The Australian Cricket team selected to tour India has just been announced, and nicknames like Pudden, Thumbs, Slab and Bails abound. The process of the team’s selection has been a torrid one with each selector vying to get his State’s players into the mix. When the touring team finally arrives in India, readers get a sneak peek at the gossip and skullduggery that’s involved in being a member of the team’s entourage, along with some of the, at times, feeble attempts at team-building. So, the scene is set – we have our cricket team in India whilst at the same time, a young Indian couple stumble across the body of a woman floating face down in the sea, a short distance from their small village. Investigations carried out by the local police read like a script from an old Keystone Cops’ silent movie. By roundabout means, an unlikely trio is formed to unravel the mystery of the death. Was the woman’s death an accident or murder? What possible interest could a work experience student, a beggar and a pensioner possibly have in solving the crime? Moreover, what has this got to do with our Aussie cricket team who has just landed in India to defend our Aussie pride on the harsh cricket pitches of India? Full of Aussie slang and idioms, this book is a delight for anyone who enjoys a real fair dinkum Aussie novel, with a twist…………it’s a novel which appeals to my sense of humour, and I am sure that there are many others out there who are bound to experience some good belly laughs. “A novel that has something for everyone – cricket, behind the scenes gossip and a murder mystery all rolled into one! Full of Aussie ‘isms’, this book is a real bodyline full of laughs.”

Stumped

woman’s body washes up on a beautiful deserted beach as the Australian Cricket Team undertakes a three test-match-tour of India. Was she known to the touring party? Read more about “Stumped”