The Body in the Dumb River - George Bellairs

The Body in the Dumb River: A Yorkshire Mystery by George Bellairs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit that what first drew me towards these British Library Crime Classic books was the covers, what keeps me coming back are the great stories and new authors that I have discovered. I have to admit that I had no idea that there were so many crime authors in what is often called the golden age of crime writing. I foolishly thought that it was just Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and other well-loved authors that I have read over time. With each one of these books that I read, I discover someone new and they all seem to have something different to offer.
The Body in the Dumb River opens more or less with the discovery of the body. In many similar books, we are introduced to a cast of characters and it soon becomes clear that many people might have cause to be the killer once the murder occurs. Not so here, instead, with the exception of one or two people, everyone seems to love the dead man Jim and no one can quite seem to understand who could have done away with him. Of course, as the story unfolds it becomes clear who it was who might have wanted to kill him, even if it's not so obvious how it was done.
Chief inspector Littlejohn is a likeable character and works well as the primary detective in the case. I enjoyed reading his story and as this is number 35 in the series, it's clear that he has plenty of experience. I don't know how easy it would be to find more of the Littlejohn books, but I'd certainly be keen to read more if I came across them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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