Download or read book The Case of the Demented Spiv written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a petty hoodlum encounters murder most foul, Inspector Littlejohn must uncover the dark secrets of a sleepy English village in this classic mystery. It’s a quiet night at the Oddfellow’s Arms until a stranger walks in. He looks like your average, untrustworthy, street corner spiv. But when he starts ranting to anyone who will listen about a dead body at Fennings’ Mill, he seems more like a raving lunatic. When local police investigate the mad-man’s tale, they find a grimly peculiar corpse: the face is smeared with theatrical makeup and a false mustache is pasted neatly over the lip. Once reporters descend on the tiny village, Scotland Yard sends Inspector Littlejohn to assist the investigation. But he quickly discovers that more than a few residents are telling lies, and the victim’s costume conceals a truly perplexing case.

Download or read book The Case of the Demented Spiv written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller. This book was released on 2023-11-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a petty hoodlum encounters murder most foul, Inspector Littlejohn must uncover the dark secrets of a sleepy English village in this classic mystery. It's a quiet night at the Oddfellow's Arms until a stranger walks in. He looks like your average, untrustworthy, street corner spiv. But when he starts ranting to anyone who will listen about a dead body at Fennings' Mill, he seems more like a raving lunatic. When local police investigate the mad-man's tale, they find a grimly peculiar corpse: the face is smeared with theatrical makeup and a false mustache is pasted neatly over the lip. Once reporters descend on the tiny village, Scotland Yard sends Inspector Littlejohn to assist the investigation. But he quickly discovers that more than a few residents are telling lies, and the victim's costume conceals a truly perplexing case.

Download or read book Twentieth Century Crime Mystery Writers written by NA NA and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-25 with total page 1585 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Corpse at the Carnival written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a seaside festival ends in murder, Superintendent Littlejohn gets caught up in a baffling investigation in this acclaimed British mystery series. It’s holiday time in Douglas and the town is alive with the local carnival. A brass band and bagpipes lead a procession down the promenade, and the cheering onlookers slowly make their way to the pier. But when the crowd thins and the promenade empties, a man is found dead at the center . . . Detective Littlejohn, who happens to be in town visiting a friend, now faces a perplexing case. In a small town that runs on gossip, nobody seems to know the victim. The waitress who identified him knew him only as ‘Uncle Fred.’ Who would want to murder an anonymous man? It soon becomes clear there is more to Uncle Fred than initially thought. As Littlejohn is pulled deeper into the mystery, the layers of Uncle Fred’s secretive life begin to unravel and the superintendent finds himself racing to prevent a second murder . . .

Download or read book The Tormentors written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a young hooligan is accused of murdering a prominent resident on the Isle of Man, Inspector Littlejohn must uncover the truth in this classic mystery. In a small town on the Isle of Man, an elderly gentleman is found violently stabbed in an alley, andhis wallet missing. All fingers point to a suspicious Teddy-Boy visiting from Liverpool. The victim was a well-known member of a distinguished family, and his relatives are eager to see justice served. To avoid an unwarranted arrest, the Manx police call in Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to investigate. While the young man maintains his innocence, Littlejohn’s investigations lead him to the Bishop’s Arm pub. There he meets some of the island’s most dubious characters and begins to uncover surprising secrets about one of the island’s most respected individuals.

Download or read book Dead March for Penelope Blow written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Slow and steady wins the case” as a dedicated London policeman puzzles through a fatal fall, a financial mystery, and an eccentric family’s many secrets (Kirkus Reviews). Miss Penelope Blow’s fatal fall from her bedroom window would seem like a tragic accident, if it weren’t for Penelope’s multiple visits to Scotland Yard before her death, trying to get in touch with Inspector Littlejohn. Now, before he ever had a chance to talk to the woman, he’s driven to look deeper into a case that may very well be murder—with no cooperation from Penelope’s wealthy, secretive, and thoroughly odd family . . . “As is often the case in Bellairs’ novels, his prose is often very wryly amusing. . . . One of his most readable tales, offering an interesting mix of characters and a satisfying puzzle to solve.” —Mysteries Ahoy

Download or read book Toll the Bell for Murder written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspector Littlejohn is once again summoned to the Isle of Man when a local vicar is accused of murder in this long-running British mystery series. As a rule, the towns of the Isle of Man are eerily silent after dark. But that silence is shattered one black night by an explosion followed by the violent ringing of the church bell. The vicar, Sullivan Lee, is discovered praying beside the murdered body of Sir Martin Skollick. Archdeacon Kinrade must summon his old friend, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard, to get to the bottom of another perplexing crime. With the help of Inspector Knell of the Manx C.I.D., Littlejohn sheds light on the victim’s life, uncovering misdeeds and enemies aplenty. A womanizer and a fraud, it’s no wonder someone might want Skollick dead. But the inspectors have much more to unravel before they can clear the vicar’s name.

Download or read book Corpses in Enderby written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A murder in plain sight brings Scotland Yard to investigate family secrets in a sleepy English town in this mystery from the beloved series. In the close-knit community of Enderby, Ned Bunn wasn’t what you’d call popular. In fact, there were some fellow residents who wished him dead. But when Bunn is found dead on the doorstep of his own shop, the town is in shock. As Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard investigates, he finds more than typical small-town animosity in the victim’s past. Surprising revelations about Bunn and his family bring new leads—and new suspects—to this unexpectedly baffling case.

Download or read book Bones in the Wilderness written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The case of a missing antiques dealer brings Scotland Yard to France . . . When Samuel Cheever, a shady dealer, goes to France to buy antiques and never returns, people begin to ask questions, and Superintendent Littlejohn is sent to uncover the mystery. Then, when Cheever’s bones are discovered in the wilderness of the Camargue, Littlejohn finds himself having to navigate the company of the French police. While working the case, Littlejohn and his partner, Sergeant Cromwell, throw themselves into la vie française with gusto: the sunshine, the food and, of course, the wine. But Cheever’s trail leads to many strange places, and even stranger people, from travelers to bullfighters to cowboys—and when one of the cowboys turns up dead and Cheever’s possessions are found in his home, the investigation takes a dark turn . . .

Download or read book Murder Makes Mistakes written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspector Littlejohn faces the most baffling case of his career when a killer in Cheshire strikes close to home in this acclaimed mystery series. It’s a shock what happens to Sergeant Cromwell, faithful friend and assistant to Superintendent Littlejohn. While attending his uncle’s funeral in the pretty village of Rushton Inferior, he is shot in the head. Now, Littlejohn faces a distressing crisis—and a perplexing question: Why was Cromwell shot in Rushton, where he is quite unknown? Littlejohn rushes north to the hospital where his sergeant is lying. There, he learns that the crime was committed with the smallest bullet the surgeon has ever seen. A shot from a pop gun, in fact. As the famous superintendent gets to work, he unravels a series of secrets and incidents that shed new light on Rushton—and his friend.

Download or read book Death Drops the Pilot written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Things get murky when a ferry captain is found dead in the water in this mystery starring Inspector Littlejohn, “the model of a calm, rational policeman” (Publishers Weekly). After a ferry to Falbright carrying forty people runs aground, the skipper is nowhere to be found. When the ferry pilot is discovered under a pier with a knife in his back, Inspector Littlejohn is called in. But he and Sergeant Cromwell are struggling to find clues. Some of the villagers seem to be going out of their way to mislead the police, and there are secrets dating back to the war that need to be unearthed or the entire investigation could be sunk . . . “When you get a George Bellairs story you get something worth reading.” —Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch

Download or read book Death Sends for the Doctor written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a doctor is found murdered in a secret room of his mansion, a Scotland Yard detective uncovers a host of deadly secrets in this classic mystery. As the last stronghold of snobbery in the dying little city of Caldicott, Upper Square is home to the last remnants of old family dynasties. Doctor Beharrell, a prominent physician, is found murdered in a secret room in his home there. And Superintendent Littlejohn is already on the case—because someone warned him of the crime before it was discovered. Before he solves the case, Littlejohn must bring to light the strange history of the upper ten of Caldicott: a twisting tale of repressions, inbreeding, hatred, and madness. Littlejohn, whom David Holloway, of the News Chronicle, called “the most courteous of all fictional detectives,” finds all his good manners are needed to navigate this rarified world of eccentric characters.

Download or read book Crime in Lepers Hollow written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-13 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A relaxing holiday is cut short by murder for the Scotland Yard detective in a mystery by “one of [the genre’s] subtlest and wittiest practitioners” (The New York Times). Set on having a relaxing holiday in Tilsey, Detective Inspector Littlejohn once again finds himself pulled into a baffling investigation. When local judge Nicholas Crake is found dead in his home, Littlejohn and his partner Sergeant Cromwell have the difficult task of sifting out the murderer from a mass of feuding neighbors, friends, and family. Could Crake’s faithless wife have had the means? Or his strange brother-in-law? Or what about the superintendent, who seems to be doing more to impede the case than solve it? Faced with family secrets, old grudges, and more than one dead body, Littlejohn must unravel a web of deceit to get to the bottom of this case.

Download or read book Death in Dark Glasses written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The disappearance of a reclusive widower sends Detective Littlejohn on a far-flung hunt for a killer in this classic British mystery. It was meant to be a fool-proof scheme. The victim was someone who wouldn’t be missed, yet even the most meticulous criminals can make mistakes. When questions about a minor case of fraud lead to a missing persons case, the local bank’s chief inspector calls in Detective Littlejohn to investigate. It seems that a bank customer has disappeared just after withdrawing a large sum of money. The only clue to his whereabouts is a note on his front door saying he’d gone abroad. But when they discover the man’s brother had been murdered, Littlejohn realizes something sinister is afoot.

Download or read book He d Rather Be Dead written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mayor of a seaside town is murdered, and a London police detective must sort through motives both political and personal . . . Thanks to its mayor, Sir Gideon Ware, the quiet harbor town of Westcombe has turned into a crowded and rather garish seaside destination where visitors can come to escape the stress of wartime. When Ware collapses at a lavish luncheon, felled by strychnine, Inspector Littlejohn must travel from London to solve the seemingly inexplicable murder. Ware was surrounded by local bigwigs at his table—but that’s just the beginning of the suspect list, as Littlejohn untangles the rivalries, resentments, and corrupt dealings that permeate this picturesque but troubled community . . . Praise for the Inspector Littlejohn mysteries “Assured prose, well-drawn characters, and the atmosphere of 1940s wartime England . . . well worth the reader’s time.” —Publishers Weekly “Everything is quite comparable in tone to a really good Simenon.” —The New York Times “Dryly ceremonious wit [that] shines from the very first page.” —Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book Death in Desolation written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a remote farm is visited by a killer, Chief Superintendent Littlejohn must uncover the secrets of a tight-lipped clan in this British mystery. When police investigate a fire at Harry Quill’s desolate farm, they find the owner dead and his invalid wife unconscious. Mrs. Quill had apparently started the fire as a call for help. Already investigating a criminal gang raiding isolated farms, Littlejohn and Inspector Cromwell are on the case. But the gang was just arrested in Northern Scotland. Surely, they cannot be involved? The Quill family is old and widespread, a closed shop to all except its own, who keep its many secrets among themselves. They are headed by Aunt Clara, a formidable matron who rules by fear. To get to the truth of who killed Harry, Littlejohn must engage in a battle of wits with Claraand her crafty coven of lawyers.

Download or read book Death of a Tin God written by George Bellairs and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2023-06-27 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this British mystery, a Scotland Yard detective follows a deadly trail from the Isle of Man to the South of France to solve a movie star’s murder. The glamour of Hollywood has descended upon the Isle of Man. But behind this glossy façade, something sinister stirs. Superintendent Littlejohn thought he was in for a few days’ holiday, but when the depraved movie star Hal Vale is found dead in his hotel room, Littlejohn is called to investigate. As motives and rumors abound, this star-studded pursuit reaches from London and Dublin to the French Riviera. With the help of his old friend, Inspector Dorange of the Sûreete ́ at Nice, Littlejohn follows the trail from the sensation headlines to the industry’s shadowy tycoons.