'I'm a spiv... But whatever I've done, I never killed anybody. I didn't do it... I swear I didn't.' It's a rainy, uneventful evening in the Oddfellows' Arms until a greasy-looking spiv bursts into the pub, clearly unstable, and ranting about a body in Fennings' Mill. The police investigate the mad-man's tale, 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...
Again the author of The Case of the Famished Parson supplies his many fans with all the ingredients for a session of pleasure and puzzlement.
The Case of the Demented Spiv is the second title in Agora's Inspector Littlejohn Mysteries.
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.
Reviews
"Bellairs knew how to write settings that provided such vivid imagery you felt you were walking alongside his characters as you saw the world around them through their eyes." - Tara, NetGalley Reviewer
"A real page turner for me from page one." - Dave, NetGalley Reviewer
"The writing is excellent." - Eric, NetGalley Reviewer
On the simplest level, I felt that this novel does not give itself away as badly as Death of a Busybody and I appreciated that the suspects are interesting. However, the nature of the crime feels a little more drab and commonplace while the origins of the most striking aspect of the death, the greasepaint makeup, are less interesting than you may assume.
Read my full review at Mysteries Ahoy!