The Case of the Demented Spiv

Poŝlibro, 212 paĝoj

Eldonita je 22-a de aŭgusto 2016 de Ipso Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-911295-49-5

(1 recenzo)

A mad man’s outburst about a body in a mill calls Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to a sleepy English village.

It’s a rainy, uneventful evening in the Oddfellows’ Arms until a man bursts into the pub, clearly unstable, and ranting about a body in Fennings’ Mill.

The police investigate and stumble upon a body — the face smeared with theatrical make-up and a false moustache pasted neatly over the lip. Once the national news descends, Inspector Faddiman calls in Inspector Littlejohn to help him uncover the dark, hidden secrets in this quiet, provincial town. Soon it becomes clear that a lot of people can’t, and won’t tell the truth…

About Inspector Littlejohn Inspector Thomas Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is a shrewd yet courteous sleuth who splits his time between quaint English villages, the scenic Isle of Man and French Provinces. With a sharp tongue and a dry sense of …

A mad man’s outburst about a body in a mill calls Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to a sleepy English village.

It’s a rainy, uneventful evening in the Oddfellows’ Arms until a man bursts into the pub, clearly unstable, and ranting about a body in Fennings’ Mill.

The police investigate and stumble upon a body — the face smeared with theatrical make-up and a false moustache pasted neatly over the lip. Once the national news descends, Inspector Faddiman calls in Inspector Littlejohn to help him uncover the dark, hidden secrets in this quiet, provincial town. Soon it becomes clear that a lot of people can’t, and won’t tell the truth…

About Inspector Littlejohn Inspector Thomas Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is a shrewd yet courteous sleuth who splits his time between quaint English villages, the scenic Isle of Man and French Provinces. With a sharp tongue and a dry sense of humour, Littlejohn approaches his work with poise and confidence, shifting through red-herrings and solving even the most perplexing of cases.

1 eldono

Stephanie Jane recenzis The Case of the Demented Spiv de George Bellairs

A great mill town mystery

4 steloj

My second Inspector Littlejohn novel after A Knife For Harry Dodd and folks who only read series in the right order should probably glance away now because A Knife was book 8 and this is book 2. Fortunately my scattergun approach to reading them doesn't seem to matter because we hardly see anything of the recurring characters personal lives so there's no overarching storyline to spoil and each novel has been an entirely self contained story.

I loved this mill town mystery with its class clashes and neighbours twitching their net curtains at every opportunity. The Case Of The Demented Spiv gives us a convincing portrait of post-war England with rationing still in evidence and most people living pretty austere lives. Of course, the time period does bring a few problems with examples of dated attitudes. I was surprised by how modern Bellairs' portrayal of his female characters is - …

My second Inspector Littlejohn novel after A Knife For Harry Dodd and folks who only read series in the right order should probably glance away now because A Knife was book 8 and this is book 2. Fortunately my scattergun approach to reading them doesn't seem to matter because we hardly see anything of the recurring characters personal lives so there's no overarching storyline to spoil and each novel has been an entirely self contained story.

I loved this mill town mystery with its class clashes and neighbours twitching their net curtains at every opportunity. The Case Of The Demented Spiv gives us a convincing portrait of post-war England with rationing still in evidence and most people living pretty austere lives. Of course, the time period does bring a few problems with examples of dated attitudes. I was surprised by how modern Bellairs' portrayal of his female characters is - one is even a dab with a sword! But the mental health representation isn't ideal - you might already have guessed that from the title - and I found examples of casual antisemitism to be offensive. The eponymous Spiv of the early chapters morphs into The Jew later on for no reason I could see other than its derogatory implications.

If you can look past those issues though, I would recommend The Case Of The Demented Spiv as a good period piece. The mystery itself is wonderfully intricate with a good mix of red herrings and genuine clues. The varied cast of characters are great fun and the opening scene in the Oddfellows Arms pub is perfect. If you've never visited a traditional English pub, this is what you're missing! I'm looking forward to reading more Inspector Littlejohn mysteries in due course. I know I've got at least six more to catch up to Harry Dodd and hope they will all be as satisfying as The Demented Spiv.