Biggles Takes It Rough

[rosanicus]

Finally read the Biggles with the funniest title!

It's a fun one, bu t I do object a bit to Biggles' extreme ignorance in the matter of what could a group of career criminals POSSIBLY want with a REMOTE SCOTTISH ISLAND full of PEAT while they're transporting BARLEY in via boat. Hmm Biggles I don't know, it's just such a mystery. He clearly overcame his alcoholism in the interwar period and then decided he would be deleting the concept of alcohol from his brain, relearning it every time it comes up on a case and then deleting it again.

Some other notes:

• Obviously I adore Bertie in this. He is trying so hard to have a fun time and Biggles won't stop reminding him that he is "working" and needs to "do work". Meanwhile he would much rather be fishing for lobsters, residing in a castle, and possibly engaging in some like deerstalking. The bit where he catches the crab, stands around for a bit being sad about the lack of lobster, and ends up launching the crab at a baddie by accident is absolute peak WEJ comedy and I adored it. A good one for Bertie laughs, not so great for Bertie having much to do on page - although he and Rod did get to go fishing and caught a good amount of delicious fish, so score one for them.
• Ginger also has a variable time in this one. I really loved the note about his new lighter which Bertie gave him and he uses so often &Co have started teasing him about it. Given that he doesn't smoke I have to imagine he is really getting contrived with his excuses for using it, which is a fun little thought experiment. He also got conveniently kidnapped in a way which advanced the plot, so he's really on a tear here.
• LOVED Biggles' occasional bitchy asides here. His reply to Bertie about the castle are really excellent, as is his ongoing frustration with Rod's desire to go in guns blazing. He's trying so hard to be a perfect example of modern policing and people will not stop carrying around shotguns, locking him into ancient kitchens, and shooting at his besties. A little bitchiness is very excusable.
• The presence of the Navy in this is so much fun. I loved when the team showed up to rescue the scuppered boat and we got the 'frogman' getting suited up - LOVE the term frogman. It's so whimsical. And the fact they showed up literally minutes after Bertie threatened the baddies with them on no evidence whatsoever was extremely good.

Overall, I did enjoy this one. It's slow to start and is a bit lacking in actual drama and intrigue, but I did wake up at half past five this morning and spend 45 minutes reading this instead of scrolling through YouTube shorts, so I appreciate it on that front at least. I may write a missing scene at some point of them all huddling for warmth in the lean-to and/or getting up to the things that the title implies (for those of us with dirty minds).