This was another intriguing mystery for Inspector Littlejohn, who has to investigate how an elderly lady came to fall out of a window while watering her plants. George Bellairs' books never fail to satisfy.

I received a copy from Net Galley agreeing to review. I love golden age mysteries and am happy yo be reading this 1951 reprint. I only hoped that the mystery was as good because there were way too many characters. It felt like every time I turned a page there was another one but it wasn’t a problem since they weren’t important. The important characters were a wacky family that had only one sane person who of course was the one that got bumped off. I consider this book a cozy, an Inspector Littlejohn mystery. The mystery has enough twists and turns, maybe a little too many, to keep you guessing. I enjoyed going back in time to a period when people had lumbago, wore busbies, read Wisden and lived in almshouses. It’s a quick fun read.

If you like classic British murder/mysteries. The George Bellairs, Littlejohn books are being republished by Agora Books, are well worth reading.

With his characters of Chief Inspector Littlejohn and Sergeant Cromwell, with well written plots, plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and turning the pages right to the end.

This was an enjoyable murder/mystery centred around a strange family and it’s fate.

This is the second time I have read this book in the past few years, and enjoyed it as much as the first time.

I was given this free review copy from Agora Books via Netgalley at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

George Bellairs is a new-to-me author I've discovered since the pandemic. I have to say that the books are uniformly enjoyable with puzzle elements and a strong supporting cast. I would recommend this series to anyone.

Another very enjoyable book by one of my favourite authors. As with his books you are introduced to the suspects and the victim before launching into the lvestigation. Inspector Littlejohn painstakingly pieces the evidence and brings it to a conclusion. Mr Belairs produces red herrings and true facts for the reader to way up to whom is the murderer. I cannot recommend his books enough as they bring great enjoyment to my reading.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as other Littlejohn novels. It could just be me, but I felt that this one was solvable VERY early on and it wasn't enjoyable to wait for the characters to catch up. The writing was enjoyable but not so much the story.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting murder mystery tale, perfect for fans of Agatha Cristie. The writing is good and full of dry wit. The characters are complex and multi faceted. There is plenty of suspense and drama within this story.
A good read.

“Dead March for Penelope Blow” is the 18th Littlejohn mystery by George Bellairs. On a website dedicated to the author, a quote from The Sunday Times states, “Mr. Bellairs always gives good value.” This is my feeling, in a nutshell. This is a satisfying read, and a nice little detective story. Published in 1951, it retains a Golden Age feel. Littlejohn, and his sergeant, Cromwell, remind me a bit of MacDonald and Reeves in E. C. R. Lorac’s series. Their styles complement each other, each comfortably in his niche and using his unique skills to best obtain information. They also share a respect for the people they encounter during their investigations. They consider themselves part of the community, and it makes for a better story.

Penelope Blow goes to London to seek out Chief Inspector Littlejohn, ostensibly to ask advice about the possible poisoning of her sister, Honoria. Unfortunately, he is away from Scotland Yard, and Penelope is dragged back to the family home by a nephew. Shortly afterward, Penelope falls to her death from her window. The coroner rules it an accident, but Littlejohn isn’t satisfied, and begins to investigate the banking family Blow.

There is a certain amount of dry wit and wry humor without any accompanying archness or condescension, which is very enjoyable. The characters are well-drawn, and we can clearly see their all-to-human foibles through Littlejohn’s eyes.

Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a reading copy in return for an honest review.

This is the third of George Bellairs’ Inspector Littlejohn mysteries I’ve read. I enjoyed the other two (A Knife for Harry Dodd and Death in Room Five), but I think this one is the best so far.

First published in 1951, Dead March for Penelope Blow is set in the small English town of Nesbury, home to the Blow family who live in the big house adjoining the bank which used to be the family business. The novel opens with Penelope Blow, one of the two surviving daughters of old William Blow, the banker, calling at Scotland Yard in the hope of seeing Inspector Littlejohn. Littlejohn, however, is away attending a murder trial and Penelope is forced to return to Nesbury, leaving a message for the Inspector to call her as soon as possible. Unfortunately, before Littlejohn has time to contact her and find out what she had been so desperate to tell him, Penelope falls to her death from a window while leaning out to water flowers in a window box.

As Littlejohn, with the help of his assistant Cromwell, begins to investigate the circumstances of Penelope Blow’s death, an intricate mystery unfolds involving family secrets, wills and inheritances, forgeries and thefts, and a suspected case of poisoning. The novel is carefully plotted, with some clever red herrings, and various revelations coming at just the right points in the story. It’s not really a very original mystery, but I still found it intriguing and although I correctly guessed who did it, I didn’t manage to work everything out before Littlejohn and Cromwell did.

What makes this a particularly enjoyable novel, though, is the strong, almost Dickensian, characterisation (in fact, when Cromwell is listening to the housekeeper, Mrs Buckley, talking about her ‘umble home, he thinks of Uriah Heep from David Copperfield). From Mr Jelley, the frail, elderly butler, and John Slype, the cheerful little window cleaner, to the fierce and beautiful Lenore Blow and her father Captain Broome, whom Littlejohn describes as ‘like a character out of Kipling’, they are all very strongly drawn and each of them, however minor, adds something special to the story. In contrast, Littlejohn and Cromwell are quite ordinary, but I do like them both!

Another interesting thing about this book is that, although it’s set in the post-war period and there are a few references to this (we are reminded that food rationing is still in place, for example), the story feels as though it could have been taking place in a much earlier period. The Blow family almost seem to be frozen in time, with relationships between the male and female members of the household and between servants and employers as rigidly structured as they would have been in Victorian times. The social history aspect of the novel is almost as fascinating as the mystery.

Having enjoyed this one so much, I’m looking forward to reading more from the Littlejohn series!

Littlejohn has his work cut out for him in this one; police jealousy, missed connections, un-cooperative and troublesome witnesses, multiple 'crimes' and finally madness entangles his steps. One can't help but sympathise. Who would be a policeman? But once again the doggedly-heroic Littlejohn feels personally responsible and honor bound to see to it the victim gets justice.

A nice touch in this story is about new friends Littlejohn and Cromwell make and old friends they re-visit. Their human side peeks out but not in a labored way, making them even more sympathetic characters.

Everyone always writes about the characters and the plot and so I'm going to expound on something else.
I'm a modern reader. Translate that as I read fast, and detest endless pages of narrative without dialogue or actio.

Enter George Bellairs. I read every word this man writes. His descriptions of the characters, their looks, their clothes, right up to the tiniest facial features, create a whole living human. Furthermore his narrative, descriptions of scenery, whether city or rural, is so authentic that I catch myself going back and rereading the passage. To make quite sure I have not missed out on anything!

Throw into this mix DCI LIttlejohn and I settle back for hours of enjoyment.

This is a traditional police procedural whodunit, written in the Golden Age puzzle style. Miss Penelope Blow falls to her death from her bedroom window in the family mansion after she returns to the village of Nesper from a short visit to London. She had gone to London at the suggestion of a friend hoping to meet with Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Thomas Littlejohn. Penelope's sister, Honoria, fears that she is being slowly poisoned and asks Penelope to report it to the police. When she goes to the Yard, Littlejohn is away from London at a trial so there is no meeting with him. By the time Littlejohn goes to see Penelope, she is dead. It's an apparent suicide, but Littlejohn is suspicious that there is more to it. With support from the local police detective, Littlejohn (and his sergeant Cromwell) investigate and go up against the eccentric Blow family.

A standout in this Littlejohn mystery is the variety of oddball minor characters he and Cromwell encounter as they investigate. For example, there's a window cleaner -- who is nearly blind without his eyeglasses. Miss Penelope's home town plays its role as a background for the investigation.

This was written in the early 1950's and reflects the England of that time in terms of societal norms. It is also in the Littlejohn novel series and is easily read as a standalone.

It's an entertaining easy read, with plenty of interesting characters involved along the way to a satisfying conclusion typical of a cozy murder mystery.

I requested and received a complementary advance reading copy eBook from Agora Books via Netgalley. The comments about it are my own. I appreciate the opportunity to review the book.

Bellairs has again written an engaging story with a well-constructed mystery for Inspector Littlejohn to solve. There is murder, potential poisoning, possible embezzlement, suspicious wills, and just a little bit of madness. I’ll be the first to admit that Bellairs’ puzzles are usually fairly simple. His murderers don’t jump out at you at first, and I usually always find that the solution comes to me fairly easily. But here he has written a mystery, filled with subplots (see above) and red herrings, that is just intricate enough to keep you guessing—for a bit.

One of Bellairs’ great strengths is his ability to create diverse and well-drawn characters which is on show here. In addition to the quiet and cowed Penelope, we meet a host of unlikable characters in the highly dysfunctional Blow family, including Penelope’s sister, Honoria, her nephews, Ralph and Harold, and Ralph’s wife Leonore. Then there are the servants, Minshull the housekeeper, Frazer the cook, Jelley the footman, and Mrs. Peevey the charwoman, all of whom are happy to assist Littlejohn with his investigation. Oh, and we are even treated to a reunion with the Reverand Claplady and Sergeant Harrywinckle (whom we first met in Death of a Busybody).
And it goes without saying that the dialogue is very well written. Bellairs gives us the usual humor and often snarky wit, as well as sharp comments on class consciousness, and lovely moments regarding opportunities missed.

I can usually always depend on Bellairs for a light-weight mystery that makes for an entertaining and fun read—and this was no exception.

George Bellairs is an old established name in detective fiction. These books are re-releases from his vast collection of works. Bellairs is a master at the mystery. His characters are so real. His detective is Detective Inspector Thomas Littlejohn of Scotland Yard who together with Sergeant Cromwell travel wherever there is a mystery to solve. In this particular tale a woman named Penelope Blow has come to see Littlejohn at Scotland Yard and he is away. After days of waiting for him to return she is compelled to return home and dies the same day from a fall. The local people declare it an unfortunate accident and when Littlejohn returns and gets his messages and tried to contact Miss Blow he hears of the tragedy. The more he tried to discover the move he is obstructed and he finally decides to open a full investigation. The characters are comically like the worst of anyones relation. The story moves well and I always enjoy this character. The more muddled the story becomes the more Littlejohn can deduce. I will read anything by George Bellairs and know I have an enjoyable experience ahead.

The narrative begins with an intriguing premise. Penelope Blow has been trying to meet Inspector Littlejohn, unsuccessfully. She paints a very pitiful picture and definitely evoked my sympathies. The author conveys the sadness around the figure as well as the desperation quite clearly. The reasons for the situation are kept hidden from us for longer than I had the patience for (in these kinds of stories that is a good thing). Penelope comes from an influential family but holds no sway over anything that happens in the house. She meets an untimely death that is quickly brushed aside.
When Littlejohn comes to the scene, he feels responsible for not being available when he was most needed and does not think things are as simple as everyone wants to make them seem.
This begins a very underhanded investigation with side commentary on the people involved. This latter part is what holds the book together. The plot itself has a surprising twist (more than one) which worked well, but the subtle humour in the way an 'ordinary' person is viewed is the highlight. I chuckled aloud to myself a couple of times with some of the character introductions. Overall it is a satisfying read because you feel like you spent your time well. There is good entertainment wrapped around a mystery that you may or may not have solved if you were paying attention.
I would recommend this book to people who like old classic mysteries with a dash of humour.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Another favourite in the series! Along with Littlejohn and Cromwell, we see Rev Claplady and Sergeant Harrywinckle (whom we last met in Death of a Busybody).

I definitely think the mystery is pretty solid. It's not just the red herrings but the weird doings of the Blow family that keeps us guessing until the end. Twists are plenty and it is not good to play detective - please leave it to the experts - Littlejohn is the best!

I enjoyed reading Dead March for Penelope Blow. I recommend this book to all mystery lovers. If you are a Bellairs fan, you would definitely want to read this one.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as other Littlejohn novels. It could just be me, but I felt that this one was solvable VERY early on and it wasn't enjoyable to wait for the characters to catch up. The writing was enjoyable but no so much the story.

George Bellairs rarely disappoints and "Dead March for Penelope Blow" is no exception. Inspector Littlejohn is drawn into the mystery of Miss Penelope Blow's death by the victim herself. There is a house filled with delightfully peculiar and very British characters. Their interactions and conversations underscore the thread of mid 20th century comedy (dry but not too subtle) running throughout the book. This is the kind of read that you just don't want to put down.

Family Tangle Of Epic Proportions....
Hugely enjoyable mystery featuring the ever empathetic Inspector Littlejohn. A family tangle of epic proportions and a death that may not be as accidental as it seems gives Littlejohn cause for consternation. As ever, an enormously likeable protagonist in Littlejohn and a colourful cast of supporting characters. Plot is finely woven and laced with wry humour. An excellent read.