He'd Rather Be Dead

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Agora Books for the ARC.
I enjoyed this book. I've not read any previous work by this author (and only just discovered this was originally published in 1945), but for me it was exactly of its time - set in 1942 - with the poetic English and manners of that time. I felt as if I was watching a black and white film.
The scene is set in the opening chapter; a lavish banquet in honour of the Mayor of Westcombe-on-Sea, Sir Gideon Ware. All of Sir Gideon's enemies are there, his only actual friend being his wife.
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.
Just how was the Mayor poisoned when everyone there had the same food and drinks? It's a mystery which Littlejohn, with the help of DI Hazard slowly and methodically unravels.
There are lots of red-herrings and mis-directions along the way within this complex plot.
I liked the writing style and the detailed characterisations, along with the atmosphere of a busy seaside resort away from the ravages of war.

I'd really quite like to read another Littlejohn Mystery.

After reading just over half of the 56 Littlejohn mysteries, I expected this one to have a more typically straightforward plot. Bellairs always spins a good story with enough plot and historical/geographical detail to keep hold my attention, but his clearer focus is on the characters involved seen through Littlejohn's sharp powers of observation. The plot here does follow the broad outlines of other Littlejohn mysteries, at least until the killer is identified; but the story has much more complex character development than I've found in his books to date. And I was surprised how deeply I found myself drawn into the lives and emotions of the characters - much more than in any previous book by Bellairs. The story line is laid out by various reviewers and sites, but the gut punch of the surprise is not the killer but the back story of the motive(s) and the pain involved for all. The character of the victim(s) and killer are much more nuanced and, unlike many of his other books, there is a great deal of sympathy for all involved when the final chapter ends. Highly recommend.

I think this is one of the best Bellairs' book I've read so far.
It's as engrossing and entertaining as usual but there's a lot of character development and plot complexity than usual.
The mystery is full of red herring and twists and turns and the solution comes as a surprise, not for the culprit but for the reason and how the murder took place.
The description of the seaside place and of the people are exception, it was like seeing a historical documentary.
It's a book I loved and I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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. One grows to like him, want to meet him and be friends with him. Oddly, through him one has sympathy for everyone caught up in the murder.

I also like that Bellairs is entirely fair with the reader. We have all the information Littlejohn has. We just need the insight and it will all come together. The painstaking accumulation of a large body of work only for the solution to depend on just a few points is a story within a story that has its own form of satisfaction.

Finally, I like that the death and its aftermath is brought out as a tragedy; not just a peg to hang a story on. One is made to feel sympathy for the victim and the survivors who are also victims in their way. This aspect is so often ignored or glossed over yet it is the very reason murder is so heinous. It is an atom bomb of emotional destruction.

Another great George Bellairs book, this on set in Westcombe and includes a very tricky murder. There are lots of twists and turns and suspect characters and lots of police procedure, not a modern book, as Bellairs started writing in the 1930s, but fabulous and solid read.
There is a twist in the tale/tail which is very satisfying.

He’d Rather Be Dead is an excellent Golden Age mystery by George Bellairs, starring his series detective Inspector Littlejohn.

This was a particular treat for the summer due to the seaside holiday location and was made even more enjoyable by the awfulness of the murder victim, Sir Gideon Ware. The denouement was satisfying, although I didn’t really need the murderer’s diary at the end to tie up the loose ends.

Long Live Littlejohn!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

George Bellairs published,"He'd Rather Be Dead," in 1945. 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. The holiday town holds many, dark secrets and the Residents would rather Littlejohn not know of the graft and politics that endure. Bellairs always has a dab hand in describing the people and the background in his books. It is one of the things that makes reading him so enjoyable.

WWII in Europe is going on when this Mystery is written, so that makes it particularly interesting to me. I love the Carnival atmosphere and the sidekick the Inspector inherits in Inspector Harvester. The social imbalance is of interest because England was definitely based on a class system much sterner and stricter than ours. Bellairs makes great reading if you are interested in building the background, as well as the characters. I am... so, he has become one of my favorite Authors. Murder once started is hard to control though... will there be more?

My thanks to Netgalley and Agora Books

George Bellairs has a wonderful way of portraying the personality traits of his characters - and this book has him at his best. The people in this book are funny, spiteful and vindictive but Mr. Bellairs never goes over the top and always stops short of making them unbelievable. Inspector Little John is on top form, as usual, and sees below the surface of the petty scheming to outfox him. Every George Bellairs book is a gem and I never tire of reading his work. Let's hope that every single one is republished.

Another excellent murder mystery by Mr. Bellairs! As usual there is a great cast of characters and many twists and turns as the tale unwinds. I really enjoy getting to know the different personalities of each section of England where Inspector Littlejohn is called to solve the dastardly crime. Mr. Bellairs is currently my favorite mystery writer and I will be very sad whenever I run out of new ones to read & enjoy!

Posted by MAC on Amazon 6-5-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088P5LWXX?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_dp_jhLsMIC5BWLNy

Maurice Cowden

He'd Rather be Dead is surely one of the best Littlejohn mysteries I have read till date. An unusual murder mystery written by the best author of all times. Murder by Poison is not something I have come across in the Littlejohn books I have read so far. Bellairs usually sticks to death by drowning, shooting, stabbing or conking in the head. The way poison was administered into the victim's bloodstream blows your mind. Hint: It wasn't found in his food, drinks or cigar. It was a fast-acting poison so how was it administered?

It is very rare for Littlejohn to seem a little lost - he doesn't know whom to trust here, the Chief Constable is definitely hiding something.

Well developed characters and a marvellous murder mystery that keeps you guessing till the end. He'd rather be Dead is a must-read murder mystery.

This is Bellairs at his finest. Set in a seaside town, the local mayor dies mysteriously. The local police call in Scotland Yard because of the conflict of interest of the small town political ties. I love the way Bellairs describes people and the setting with such detail, you feel you can picture it in your mind. The final two chapters about the memoirs of the guilty party are what puts the "cherry on top of the whipped cream". Some of Bellars' best prose is in those two chapters.

Littlejohn does it again. George Bellairs is adept at character description that is scathing but not cruel. It makes for a rich and satisfying mystery as you try to decide which one of the flawed characters is capable of murder.
The murder of a prominent but disliked city official happens at a very public banquet. initially it seems that the murder could not have occurred. But it did.
The local police, afraid of offending powerful political people, calls on Scotland Yard to investigate. Littlejohn takes the heat while questioning each person who was in at the kill.
There are lots of satisfying twists and turns, with Littlejohn going down false paths only to return to the truth. This one will keep you guessing.

The Littlejohn books by Bellairs are such classics, and this one did not disappoint. Solid plots, interesting characters, and satisfactory conclusions; great "escape" reading!

Love to Hate Characters? This is the Book!

So, Sir Gideon Ware dies in a very public way, and just about everyone around him had a reason to kill him. How do we untangle this mess? We ask for Scotland Yard, of course. The ONLY likeable characters in this book are Littlejohn (of course, our hero!) and Hazard. The solution is presented abruptly, but you should be able to figure out whodunnit before then. The end is a "Monologue" written by the murderer - and it's VERY well done. I'm glad I read through to the end just for this bit! If you like mysteries, especially ones that seem impossible to solve, you'll like this book. Give it a try!

I'm in love. WIth DI Littlejohn. I love the period that these books are set in. Long before the advent of cell phones and all the other paraphernalia available to the police today. It was good, hard, old-fashioned detective work. George Bellairs's ability to describe a person leaves me green with envy. He makes the character come to life.

I have to confess that as an avid, impatient, and fast reader, I tend to skip long passages of narrative. Not so when Bellairs gets going. I don't miss a word. He paints the scene and draws you in. You become part of the story, detecting along with Littlejohn, feeling his frustration. And always the ending is a surprise.

I can't wait for the next book!

Another intriguing outing for Littlejohn. I have read several in this series now and this latest offering from Agora books doesn't disappoint. We are treated to unlikeable characters, the worst of which, doesn't last long and the usual assortment of red herrings. Definitely worth a read for fans of this genre.

This is an excellent murder mystery by one of my favorite Golden Age authors. It combines a twisty, well plotted mystery, with excellent character development and a good sense of time and place.

The setting is the seaside town of Westcombe. As the story begins, we find ourselves at a lavish banquet for Sir Gideon Ware, the nearly universally despised Mayor of the town. During the banquet, the mayor dies, in full sight of many illustrious guests. Since he ate the same food as everyone else, his death is a puzzle. The towns own police force is reluctant to question all these important people so Scotland Yard is asked for assistance, and Imspector Littlejohn arrives.

Despite a Chief Constable that would like to keep some of the towns secrets to himself, Littlejohn is able to solve the mystery of Ware’s murder. The murderer was extremely clever, but not quite clever enough!

I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to more from Bellairs.

I have just posted a review under my name on Amazon. I cannot c/p on a Kindle.

I love the Littlejohn books, and this early entry in the series is as well done as later books. The writing is brilliant, from descriptions of the noises of the night outside a hotel to the confession by the murderer.

Everything in this seaside resort is a bit of a fun house mirror, creating an illusion of fun on top of a corrupt society.

The details of the how and who and why of the murder are uncovered in a graced up manner.