The Body in the Dumb River: A Yorkshire Mystery

George Bellairs

Dec 2019 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring British classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.

"A decent, hardworking chap, with not an enemy anywhere. People were surprised that anybody should want to kill Jim."

But Jim has been found stabbed in the back near Ely, miles from his Yorkshire home. His body, clearly dumped in the usually silent ('dumb') river, has been discovered before the killer intended?disturbed by a torrential flood in the night.

Roused from a comfortable night's sleep, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is soon at the scene. With any clues to the culprit's identity swept away with the surging water, Bellairs' veteran sleuth boards a train heading north to dredge up the truth of the real Jim Teasdale and to trace the mystery of this unassuming victim's murder to its source.

The Body in the Dumb River, like all of Bellairs' crime books, delves into the complex inner-workings of an insulated country community. With all the wittiness and suspense of classic British mysteries, this is a story that explores the long-buried secrets of a small town?and the disastrous events that take place when they finally come to light.

Also in the British Library Crime Classics:

Smallbone Deceased

Continental Crimes

Blood on the Tracks

Surfeit of Suspects

Death Has Deep Roots

Checkmate to Murder

Ratings and reviews

My Recommendation cosy-mystery, procedural, British-detective, law-enforcement Shall we call the Scotland Yard man Superintendent Plod? Better at due diligence than most in spite of nasty weather and even nastier relatives of the deceased. Everybody who knew the man, except for the family, was flabbergasted that the nice man had been murdered (thought his wife and father in law were more likely prospects). But Littlejohn kept on and kept nudging until the truth came out. I loved the atmosphere, detailed descriptions, and insights into the past. Now I need to read more by the author! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

About the author

GEORGE BELLAIRS was the pseudonym of Harold Blundell (1902–1985), a prominent banker and philanthropist from Manchester who became the author of a popular series of detective stories featuring Thomas Littlejohn, which were published for nearly forty years.