I have recently been introduced to George Bellairs and his Inspector Littlejohn series through the British Library crime classic reissues. Although this is the 35th book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone story.

The story starts with a dead carnie, stabbed in the back, discovered during massive rain and flooding. Should be pretty straightforward – look at the carnival folks. But as it turns out the victim was quite well liked, leading to few suspects. However, it turns out that he has been living a double-life: a carnival worker (living with a woman!) during the week, but a husband and father to a family on the weekends.

Inspector Littlejohn makes his way to the victim’s hometown, where the story really finds its groove. Among the town folks and especially his family, we finally get our suspects. A wife who resents him, a father-in-law who hates him, daughters who seem indifferent, people who have discovered his double-life – Bellairs once again excels in drawing his characters, making them three dimensional, complex and complicated. Inspector Littlejohn plods along, getting more and more drawn into the web that is small town life in England.

The mystery is never too mysterious, one has the feeling that you’ll get there about the same time that Littlejohn does, if not a bit before. But this is not a story for those that are looking for suspenseful twists and turns – this is a well-written, well-characterized police procedural that puts some common themes (double-life, vicious in-law, social-climbing wife) to good use in an entertaining slice of the past.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

*Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Continuing my adventure with the murder classics by authors unknown to me, I was happy to plunge into a novel by George Bellairs written in 1961. Those classics have qualities which are nowadays considered out-of-fashion by writers of the genre: lack of drastic scenes and slow, very slow unearthing the truth by a detective. And I liked this non-rush story. Superintendent Littlejohn happens to be near the place located on the Dumb River when a body is found. The investigation begins and gradually the identity of the victim is discovered. Or is it? Jim Lane or rather James Teasdale was a quiet man who enjoyed his job. But there is more to his life than meets the eye. George Bellairs wrote about small-town mentality, ambitions which were too grand and dreams which did not come true eventually.

Little John is visiting an area with heavy rains and floods. A body is found tangled in branches in the Dumb River. He has been stabbed in the back.since local police are busy with the floods, they ask Littlejohn to work on the murder. He calls Cromwell to join him.

The man was recognized as Jim Lane. But his drivers license says he is James Teasdale from faraway north. He also has a wife and 3 daughters. The wife is lazy; she feels she married beneath herself; and her father hates James. The autopsy shows he died soon after dinner Sunday night; thus he was probably killed near his home north.

As usual, Littlejohn always solves his case, although it requires interviewing several difficult people. It’s not until the end we find out what really happened.

If you have read Bellairs and Inspector Littlejohn before, you will know what to expect from this great little novel from 1961. It is not shocking, nor is it ground-breaking but it leads us through the unfolding of a crime and its detection with enough surprises and twists to keep us interested. This is simple, unaffected entertainment, and it is not the worse for that. This is a great example of a quality crime fiction writer doing what he does well.

As always the plotting is precise and requires no great suspensions of belief to reach its conclusion – you never know what the solution is going to be but you always feel that there is the possibility that you will get to it before the inspector. The story is gripping and the length of the book and the pacing means that you never get bored.

Inspector Littlejohn is always perceptive and does not suffer fools but he is always sympathetic to those who deserve it and it is here that we understand the comparisons made to Simenon’s Maigret, even though they are very different characters written in very different styles.

As always with Bellairs, and the reason why I return to him again and again, it is the detail that sets him apart for me, both in setting the scene and what is now almost 60 years since writing, fascinating historical details, evoking the era so well, along with the occasional use of brilliant similes that add clarity and sometimes poetry to the writing. But as always with Bellairs, it is the incidental characters that add colour, character and humour; we meet vividly described people who may add little to the plot but much to the story and this for me is what I most enjoy about the Inspector Littlejohn novels.

The Body in the Dumb River is a well crafted murder mystery by George Bellairs. Originally published in 1961, this reprint and reformat in the British Library Crime Classics series includes an introduction by Martin Edwards. Due out 1st Dec 2019 by Poisoned Pen Press, it's 224 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is a well written mystery, the 35th in the series to feature Inspector Littlejohn. I've really enjoyed these new (beautifully presented) classic British mysteries, many of which have been long out of print. This particular volume was well plotted and written with a satisfyingly twisty denouement which managed to surprise me on a couple of points. The epilogue was especially ironic and well played on the author's part. This is a solidly entertaining mystery and it wears its age (58+ years) surprisingly well.

Mr. Edwards' introductions are always erudite, full of interesting tidbits, and worth the price of admission. I enjoyed the commentary and the mystery itself very much.

Four stars.

The Body in the Dumb River is the thirty-fifth police procedural featuring George Bellairs series detective Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard. He had just wrapped up a case when asked to take another murder because the local police are too busy with the rain and flooding. The dead man is Jim Lane, a regular on the carnival route running a game booth and he has been stabbed in the back. Everyone is shocked because he is such a nice man.

Of course, it’s more complicated than that. Jim Lane may be a very nice man, but he’s also James Teasdale with a wife and three daughters back home. The woman he is with during the week seems to have given him a kind of happiness and acceptance he never found at home where there might be more viable suspects. Well, it’s more complicated than that and Littlejohn decides to go to his home and check out the suspects there.

I enjoyed The Body in the Dumb River and like most the crime classics republished by Poisoned Pen Press, it is fair and carefully plotted. I enjoy Bellairs wry humor and Littlejohn’s humanity. Littlejohn cares about the victims. You can feel his compassion for Lane/Teasdale and how much he was undervalued and unappreciated by his family. I hope to read more in Bellair’s wonderful series.

The Body in the Dumb River will be released December 1st. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The body in the Dumb River is a fun book to read because it is set in the days before modern day technology and crime solving depends on people using their brains instead of data bases and sophisticated technology.
Superintendent Littlejohn from Scotland Yard is in charge of solving the murder of a carnival worker found stabbed to death far from his home. It is soon discussion that the victim lived a double life which make it harder to solve the murder.
I really enjoyed this book and happily recommend it for others who like a great whodunnit.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

One beautiful cover.</b>

If I start a review like this you <u>know</u> there is a problem! I loved the previous British Crime Libraries book I read [bookcover:Fell Murder|46825800] by E.C.R. Lorac and couldn't understand why Lorac has fallen into obscurity. Based on this novel, I'm not having any trouble understanding the same thing about Bellairs writing..

Mild mannered and diminutive James Teasdale had been living a double life. But who wanted him dead?

By the 40% I no longer cared.

✎ Really dull, pedestrian writing.
<blockquote><i>At Basilden, he was the only traveller to descend from the train. It was 4 oo'clock and the sun was still shining.In spite of late October, it was warm and dry. The ticket collector had a rose in the lapel of his coat. Littlejohn asked him the way.</blockquote></i>

Rivetting.

✎ Other than Teasdale's girlfriend and wannabe singer Henry Wood, no characters stood out in a believable way. The Major was a fascinating if gross caricature. The solution seemed unlikely to me.

What lifted the book above 1★
✎ The above mentioned cover.
✎ Martin Edwards informative introduction (which I think shows Bellairs in his heart of hearts never had much faith in his writing ability)
✎ A quirky final outcome. Appealed to my warped sense of humour.

Thanks very much Poisoned Pen Publishers & Net Galley for this review copy and for being happy for me to share my opinions.

I was disappointed by this one, although the cover is pretty. I just expected more from the writing - did not hold my interest.

I love George Bellairs books, and this was no different. It's so well written, excellent plot, exciting mystery.
Definitely recommended.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that what first drew me towards these British Library Crime Classic books was the covers, what keeps me coming back are the great stories and new authors that I have discovered. I have to admit that I had no idea that there were so many crime authors in what is often called the golden age of crime writing. I foolishly thought that it was just Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and other well-loved authors that I have read over time. With each one of these books that I read, I discover someone new and they all seem to have something different to offer.
The Body in the Dumb River opens more or less with the discovery of the body. In many similar books, we are introduced to a cast of characters and it soon becomes clear that many people might have cause to be the killer once the murder occurs. Not so here, instead, with the exception of one or two people, everyone seems to love the dead man Jim and no one can quite seem to understand who could have done away with him. Of course, as the story unfolds it becomes clear who it was who might have wanted to kill him, even if it's not so obvious how it was done.
Chief inspector Littlejohn is a likeable character and works well as the primary detective in the case. I enjoyed reading his story and as this is number 35 in the series, it's clear that he has plenty of experience. I don't know how easy it would be to find more of the Littlejohn books, but I'd certainly be keen to read more if I came across them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The good old days when the Detective helps to do the dishwashing, fetch the coal and other household chores whilst trying to conduct an interview. The good Inspector Littlejohn had an entertaining way of naming and categorising his interviewees. The pomposity of the British middle class and their focus on keeping up appearances gave the author plenty of ammunition also.
It's a fairly standard murder mystery of a rather nice man living a dual life - a happy one as a carnival stall holder during the week and then a dour depressed one at the weekend with a horrid wife, snobbish daughters and a father-in-law from hell.

Another stellar entry from the British Library Crime Classics -- I am so grateful these titles are seeing the light of day again.

Inspector Littlejohn from Scotland Yard just happens to be finishing up a fraud investigation in a small village when a murder pops up. The village is being flooded by the local river and the body turns up in the midst of the emergency conditions. The victim is discovered to have been stabbed to death, and further investigation shows that he has a dual identity: he is married with three daughters and allegedly travels most weeks for business, returning home on the weekend. But in reality, he is making his living running a booth at the traveling fair, and has a lady love he cohabits with.

Littlejohn has to commute back and forth between the legal family and the place where the body was found and try to unearth which world caused the man to be murdered. This is a particularly interesting plot, but Bellairs excels at his characterizations and that is really the meat of the book. Most enjoyable and intelligent writing.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Note: Publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, is offering 11 new titles with 2 anthologies for 2019. These are amazing collectors items now available for the first time through digital and print. The original title of this reprint, by George Bellaire, from 1961, was "Murder Masquerade" George Bellaire is the pen name of Harold Blundell.
This book is a Detective Littlejohn series tale. A body is discovered in the Dumb River. Detective Littlejohn is in the vicinity, completing another case and relaxing, when he's called upon to take over the case during a raging flood. He follows the evidence and the leads in this fine example of police procedural, straight to the conclusion. The cast of characters are not likeable, the locals usually an over indulgent lot. I really enjoyed this book. No overt violence but not a cozy, per say. Littleton can buy me a pint anytime. Decent sort that he is.

With flooding in the area, the local police find themselves stretched to the limit. Since Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard wrapped up a case in the area, they call on him to investigate. The victim James Teasdale, aka Jim Lane, suffers the misfortune of being married to a woman from a snobbish family. He owned a carnival game attraction and spent most of the time on the road. His income helped maintain his wife's standard of living, but she nor her family knew how he really earned the income. While on the road, he lived with another woman to save money. Although the author includes several red herrings, the perpetrator seemed obvious. The writing style did not really grab me. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.

It was glorious revisiting George Bellairs, when I first moved to the UK, I lived in the garden flat of a mansion and the owner had the most amazing library and it included many George Bellairs mysteries. Thank you so much for letting me delve back in, they are truly something else.

One of my favorite types of English mystery novels, this is book number thirty-five in the Chief Inspector Littlejohn series. I have recently discovered the works of George Bellairs and like this main character and the way he is portrayed. Scotland Yard was called in when a murdered man was found caught up in debris in the flooding Dumb River. The identity is established as James Lane, a friendly sideshow operator in the vicinity to prepare for the opening of the local fair. The problem is that James Lane turns out to be someone else entirely and the questions about who murdered him just keep piling up. Littlejohn and Sergeant Cromwell have to settle the victim's identity before they can move on with the case.

I really enjoyed the way Bellairs wrote the character of James Lane. The puzzle of who would want to murder such a nice man kept the police at bay for quite some time. To understand the murder they had to unlock the truth about Lane and his relatives in a completely different part of the country. Some nifty investigating paved the way to the solution of this case, but as a reader I was never quite sure everything had been discovered about the victim and the solution came as a surprise. If you are a fan of the older mysteries, Bellairs is a great author for you to try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-galley of this novel.

This is surprisingly flat for a Bellairs book: the simple plot turns on the identity of the murder victim, one of those unassuming men on the surface, but with far more going on... I found the detectives quite bland and a lack of the quirky characters and banter that I expect from this author. Not much plot really, either. Not the best from Bellairs.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

I really enjoyed this novel...and I didn’t even consider it one of Bellairs’ best Littlejohn novels. It is like a lot of Bellairs’ novels, plenty of characters, (both pleasant and not so pleasant!), lots of twists and turns, lavishly sprinkled with clues, and culminating in a satisfying, plausible ending.

Bellairs novels are never very violent, and to me they represent the type of Golden Age novel that combines police procedurals with elements of a cozy mystery. Highly recommended for mystery fans.

#TheBodyInTheDumbRiver #NetGalley #GeorgeBellairs Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read "The Body In The Dumb River" by George Bellairs in return for a fair and honest review.

I've been reading Mr. Bellairs' "Littlejohn" mysteries in no particular order (although I'd love to start back at the beginning but the first book and a couple of the others are long out of print and/or not available as ebooks), but that does not change my enjoyment of them, as I take each as a standalone.

The Body In The Dumb River belongs to James Teasdale, a man leading a double life: one as a respectable husband and father, and one as a carnie; but someone has discovered Jimmie's lifestyle, and as a result he's ended up dead in the river, discovered in the midst of a rainstorm and massive flooding.

So, Littlejohn - who just happens to be in the neighbourhood - is called in to investigate, joined - eventually and to only a small degree - by his sidekick Cromwell.

Like all of George Bellairs 'cozy' mysteries - which I equate somewhat with Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh - there are characters aplenty and the mystery only deepens before coming to a satisfying end. It's refreshing sometimes to read a book where there are no computers, cell phones, anti-social media, etc. but still crimes are solved through hard work and following the clues.

Recommended as a breath of fresh air.