The Case of the Demented Spiv

The Inspector Littlejohn Mysteries, Book 2

By: George Bellairs

Narrated by: Antony Ferguson

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 mustache 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 humor, Littlejohn approaches his work with poise and confidence, shifting through red-herrings and solving even the most perplexing of cases.

©1949 George Bellairs (P)2019 Tantor

Fast-Paced and Satisfying

My first foray into the Bellairs canon was The Case of the Famished Parson, which struck me as too long and overly complex. I may have to go back and try that one again, because this one is everything a detective story should be: carefully drawn characters entangled in a satisfyingly complex mystery.

Throughout, Bellairs blends backstory -- what can slow down other crime tales -- with current action, making for a tightly-woven, economical whodunnit that moves forward effortlessly. Antony Ferguson may not be my dream narrator, but he does seem to fit the tone of Bellairs' prose.

Spiv???

I did not know the meaning of the word Spiv. I had not heard it before.
I am troubled by supporting hate speech.
One of the reasons, I read mysteries is to gain insight into other times and cultures.
Arthur Upfield books come with a warning. I think this book should have something on the page about this

Enjoyed!!

Great plot that went along at at nice clip, that kept me engaged and not wanting to skip ahead. Also great narration. I enjoyed this as a lighted hearted read and Would certainly recommend.

Wonderful George Bellairs! Horrible wokers!

George Bellairs is simply the best of the bunch from the Golden Age! It is so refreshing hearing real un-woked language in its proper sphere, where no hatred but only real-life speech acording to its time exists. Scary book as the madness of James Faddingman draws nearer to the edge of the abyss in the end, but ten times scarier still is the diabolical Woke-reviewers on this page, who transform themselves to false angels of light, as do their spiritual father the devil, and make a song and dance about the title containing the word "Spiv", as George Bellairs uses the term in its neutral form, denoting time and place of the speakers, not hate against the Jewish People

Delightful

Great mystery. Great narrator. The characters are well developed and there is enough human interest to make them relatable with dragging the plot. The plot has complexities that shrouds the conclusion to the end. This is a great book, I highly recommend it.

Dreadful

It was impossible to find a way into this book. Trying to understand this author, I see that he was writing in 1950 - 1970. The disrespectful way in which he writes about ordinary policemen, Jews and women was not just off-putting, it made me sad.

Several observations by, and about characters, were repeated again and again. Bellairs did not have a good editor.

In his time, Bellairs was apparently considered a wit but his way of mocking people has not aged well.

Anthony Ferguson is a fine narrator but, in this book, he was not up to the dialects of the characters..

Title

The derogatory anti-Semitic slang for a man who was innocent and took his life was impossible to move on from - especially because of the title. I had no idea what a “spiv” was.