Death Spons the Wheel by George Bellairs was first published in 1965 however this book has aged well and is an excellent read.

The story is set in the Isle of Man and in France with a backstory featuring World War 2. Bellairs most famous creation Detective Superintendent Littlejohn is the main character.

The writing is superb and the story keeps a good pace with lots of twists and turns and some humour.

Other Bellairs are due to be re-issued and I will certainly be seeking them out.

Thoroughly recommended

So happy to have read this wonderful book! I don’t know how I missed this author but now that they are reissuing these great British mystery classics I am going to catch up on the amusing Inspector Littlejohn. Even though this book is decades old it has aged very well with a very clever plot. But even more than the engaging plot, Bellairs really creates some interesting and memorable characters. And the location, the Isle of Man, is a unique spot with even more interesting characters and local history. If you haven’t met Inspector Littlejohn I highly recommend you acquaint yourself with him....you won’t be sorry! All in all a thoroughly entertaining mystery that held me until the very end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Agora Books for an advance copy of Death Spins the Wheel, the forty second novel to feature Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard, originally published in 1965.

Littlejohn is on the Isle of Man visiting his friend Archdeacon Kinrade when Inspector Knell asks if he could advise on his murder investigation into the death of French pensioner and professional gambler, Mme Garnier, shot dead on the beach late at night.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death Spins the Wheel which is a traditional whodunit with several excellent twists. It held my attention from start to finish with its great plotting and misdirection, because nothing is as it seems and Mme Garnier is not your typical French little old lady. The action is split between the Isle of Man and Evian-les-Bains on the Swiss border, Mme Garnier's home town, which Littlejohn and the Archdeacon visit to excavate her past. What they uncover pushes their thinking in a new direction. The plotting is fairly standard, a well concealed perpetrator, a missing stranger and some explosive discoveries, but it is well constructed with the reveals coming in a logical manner, just enough at a time to truly whet the appetite for more. I also really enjoy Mr Bellairs' style of writing. It is not humourous but it has a certain knowing tone telling the reader that it is entertainment and not to be taken too seriously. You really get the sense that he thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

As with most novels written in a previous generation characterisation takes second place to the plot so there isn't much to say about it. Superintendent Littlejohn drives the action so he is smart and sociable but that's about it. I don't think the novel suffers for this lack because it's all about the plot and as it's well done it's a very readable novel which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I really enjoy Bellairs books, this is not really one of my favourites, although it moves along really fast and is very easy to read, but unfortunately it is also pretty predictable and I like a few more twist to a mystery.
Having said that, I think that anyone that like a mystery with a past will very much enjoy this book. And of course, Inspector Littlejohn and The Isle of Man feature in this book.

A wonderful mystery! Even if it's more than 50 years old it aged well and it was an engaging and pleasant read.
The book is full of humour with an interesting plot and a likeable cast of characters.
It was my first book in this series but there was no problem in understanding the characters and their relationships.
I loved the historical part about the French Resistance to nazis and I was engrossed by the plot since the beginning.
A wonderful discovery and I hope to be able to read other books in this series soon.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Three cheers for another Bellairs re-issue!

Set on the Isle of Man and in France, the investigation of the murder of Madame Sylvie Garnier, a visitor from Evian, involves not only Superintendent Littlejohn (yet again on holiday from Scotland Yard), but also Inspector Knell, Archdeacon Kinrade and Dorange of the French Police. The only “regular” missing here, is Cromwell.

Madame Garnier has been playing roulette, with some success, at the recently-opened casino, but the motive for her shooting is not robbery. It soon emerges that the solution may lie back in her personal history and her involvement in the Maquis (the rural guerrilla bands of French Resistance fighters) during World War Two.

As with many of the stories from the 1960’s and ’70’s, the plot is fairly straightforward and the culprit and probable motive are discernible before the half-way mark. However, the characterisation is strong, with little by way of caricature. Occasionally, the writing is a little choppy, and there are a few misprints, but, overall, this is excellent light reading.

Originally published in 1965, “Death Spins the Wheel” is number 42 in the Littlejohn series, but can be read easily as a standalone by newcomers to the books.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital review copy.

4 stars

This book was originally published in 1965.

Mdme. Garnier was an elderly lady from France. She turned up on the Isle of Man and wanted to gamble. She booked a room at the casino hotel for two weeks and proceeded to the casino. She took modest winnings from the casino night after night. She was found on the beach near the casino by a passerby and had been shot in the head.

Superintendent Littlejohn was vacationing there with his wife when the murder occurred. He was asked by Inspector Reginald Knell to take a look at the case. Littlejohn, Knell and the Archdeacon join together to investigate the case. Littlejohn was supposed to be helping the Archdeacon build a greenhouse, but thought him joining the investigation would keep him out of trouble.

Obtaining a copy of her secret diary from Inspector Knell, the Archdeacon looks it over and almost immediately sees what’s going on. Mdme. Garnier has a form of precognition. Remarkable!

The investigation leads Littlejohn and the Archdeacon to Evian, France to interview the people who knew the elderly lady and to visit the university where she and her now deceased husband worked. They learn quite a bit there. Meanwhile, back on the Isle of Man a stranger who seems to be French attacks a local citizen and Knell.

The identity of the attacker and Mdme. Garnier’s killer comes as quite a surprise.

This is a very good book. Mr. Bellairs was way ahead of his time when writing his little stories. There is action, drama, likeable characters and of course, the brilliant Superintendent Littlejohn and his gracious wife. During a time when the only “forensic” tool was fingerprints, Littlejohn does a remarkable job in clearing his cases.

I want to thank NetGalley and Agora Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book to read and enjoy. It made a great addition to the Littlejohn collection.