Historical Reminiscing With Marilyn: He'd Rather Be Dead (An Inspector Littlejohn Mystery) By George Bellairs

He'd Rather Be Dead is an excellent Golden Age mystery by George Bellairs, starring his series detective Inspector Littlejohn. It is an atom bomb of emotional destruction. I am used to these figures quickly becoming anonymous once they call in the assistance of Scotland Yard but I was rather pleased to realize that they would actually be given some prominence in the story.

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George Bellairs He'd Rather Be Dead Than Dead

I also liked Bellairs' characters, most of whom seemed pretty recognizable, even decades later – the canon with a slimy "avuncular" manner towards pretty young girls, the dentist who botches a treatment, the offended Catholic priest, the socialist with Labour hopes, the anti-development guy in charge of the small town across the river, etc. Business & Investing Books. I really enjoyed this book, it was brilliant from start to finish regardless of it being book eight or so in the series. The characterisation is superb. George bellairs he'd rather be dead than dead. The way the story unravels after his arrival, along with all the asides that translate into quite a humourous narrative was quite pleasing. In the winter of 1940, the Home Guard unearth a skeleton on the moor above the busy town of Hatterworth.

George Bellairs He'd Rather Be Dead Than Today

I am the last person to complain about an obvious killer but the book isn't set up to read as an inverted story and aside from the rather awkward shift to a first person account right at its end, does little to capture that killer's perspective or voice. Initially it seems that the murder could not have occurred. Available on NetGalley. To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Ware the developer and builder fashioned this fairyland by pushing aside those who wanted to stop him, trampling on those who opposed him, and took advantage of those who actually built the town into Ware's dream. When he collapses during his speech, confirmed to have been poisoned, the Chief Constable, Boumphrey, wishing to avoid having to question the great and the good of the town, calls in Inspector Littlejohn from Scotland Yard. The joy in these books is the wonderful descriptions of the characters, both their physical beings and their characters, and a ringside seat for watching Littlejohn untangling the puzzle. The Crime Classics Box Set. I was surprised when the mystery was looking like it was wrapping up quite early and was wondering whether there was going to be a twist - and then it was the confession/diary. Bev's Books Read in 2022. Deaths = 6 (two poisoned; one drowned; one strangled; one buried by rubble; one stabbed). He was born in Lancashire and married Gladys Mabel Roberts in 1930. The author has a delicious sense of irony and a dry humour that delights. Red queen series order.

George Bellairs He'd Rather Be Dead Than Ever

I especially liked this book because Littlejohn is seen as caring and kind, mindful of the needs and feelings of others but still dedicated to his duty, just as each of us would hope we are. Inquire and Investigate. Several years ago, he settled in Westcombe and as soon as he did he set about turning the little town on its ear. The dialogue, though admittedly a product of its time, is well written and urbane, lightly witty and humorous. Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. Westcombe, like Brighton or Bournemouth, is a holiday fairy land, a place where fun seekers and frolicking families head for a summer outing. Like most of the Bellairs novels I have read the author's greatest interest seems to lie in trying to capture a sense of a place and the people who might reside in it. Mr. Bellairs once again writes a magnificent police procedural, where Littlejohn plods along, uncovering clues, motives, and lies, circling ever closer to his murderer. Pocket Change Collective. Readers learn more about Inspector Littlejohn's method of tracking down a murderer and his gentle persistence as he checks alibi's and past lives. If you're looking for an old fashioned Sherlock Holmes type yarn, then this is the book for you. His settings and dialogue are excellent giving one the feeling of being "right there. George bellairs he'd rather be dead than today. " As usual there is a great cast of characters and many twists and turns as the tale unwinds. He'd Rather Be Dead is still quite readable with some beautifully observed moments but those reading primarily for the puzzle are likely to be a little disappointed by how straightforward the case becomes.

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I liked the irreverent Littlejohn, he was smart and likeable. Inspector Little John is on top form, as usual, and sees below the surface of the petty scheming to outfox him. In this case, the action actually occurs during World War II. I'm really surprised at how much I liked this book and I'm willing to give the whole series a go! Young Adult Nonfiction Books. I love the way Bellairs describes people and the setting with such detail, you feel you can picture it in your mind. Out Now: He'd Rather Be Dead by George Bellairs. I'm already looking forward to my next Littlejohn adventure. In this case, it's the death of the local Mayor, who died at a banquet surrounded by potential enemies made due to his corruption and efforts to revitalise the town in a way the inhabitants see as vulgar. And when they're up, they're up-up-up, And when they're down, they're down, And whe... A darkly comic mystery from one of Britain's best crime writers. Website accessibility. Jennifer Jennifer Armentrout. And, of course, he is and at a banquet in front of dozens of witnesses. I found the author to craft the characters extremely well, they were all very human and even the "baddies" had many layers. However, he was not well-liked, and no-one really grieves his sudden death (aside from his widow who makes a short cameo appearance).

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His appearance and subsequent autopsy points to strychnine poisoning but it is difficult to see how the drug, which should be fast-acting, could have been administered to him when everyone ate from the same communal pots and there is no trace of the poison on any of his dishes. An unusual murder mystery written by the best author of all times. I mean here we have Ware killed off at a dinner where he's surrounded by all sorts of people who have had run-ins of one sort or another with the man and Bellairs immediately narrows the field drastically when he reveals the basic method by which the poison was introduced. The Body in the Dumb River, 1961. Spy school series in order. And so we have Inspector Tom Littlejohn on the job. Research & development. Sir Gideon Ware is, or rather was, a self-made man, and that usually means trampling on a number of people to achieve his goals. George bellairs he'd rather be dead than ever. Chief Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is called to unravel the knots. However, the social-climbing, abrasive Ware is just the sort who makes so many enemies that he's begging to be murdered.

George Bellairs He'd Rather Be Dead Than Woman

He was pretty prolific and I now have over 40 of his books in my collection and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed the vast majority of them. Littlejohn's first impression of the Chief Constable was less than underwhelming. Distance, open & online education. Probably no more than one in thirty or forty books that I read gets 5-stars from me.

Starts with a huge banquet not something you can get in war years. But it is Ware's past which holds the key to his murder, a past which even involves the Chief Constable himself.