“The Murder of a Quack” by George Bellairs

British Library Crime Classics has published both The Dead Shall Be Raised and The Murder of a Quack by George Bellairs in one volume. The books were first published in the 1940s; both mysteries reflect World War II although neither has anything directly to do with the war. Mystery expert Martin Edwards, in the introduction, describes them both as short novels. But both seem longer than what we think of as a short novel and shorter than a full-blown novel. 

In The Murder of a Quack, Inspector Thomas Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is called in to assist with  murder in a small English village. Staged as a suicide by hanging, the crime is determined to be a murder – the victim was almost strangled before he was hung. The victim is what was then known as a “bonesetter,” what medical doctors at the time called a quack and what today we would call a chiropractor. Even the man had been a “quack,” he had been a successful one, effecting cures and diagnosing ailments missed by the medical doctor.

 

George Bellairs

At first, few if any clues can be found. The victim was well-liked, or at least he hadn’t seemed capable of provoking anyone to the act of murder. Some of the village residents resent being interviewed by the police. But slowly Littlejohn begins to piece together what happened, eventually identifying the killer. 

 

One hallmark of both stories is the frequent lapse into humor. Bellairs had an eye for the foibles of village life and human nature, and he uses both in these novels to great effect.

 

George Bellairs is a pseudonym of British author Harold Blundell (1902-1982), who was first a banker and philanthropist before turning his hand to writing mystery stories. He wrote more than 50 Inspector Littlejohn mysteries, and also wrote four other books under the pseudonym of Hilary Langdon. He also wrote comedy for radio and was a newspaper columnist and freelance writer. His Littlejohn mysteries, many set outside London, provide a perceptive look at small towns and minor cities.

 

Related:

 

The Dead Shall Be Raised by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Death in the Fearful Night by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Corpses at Enderby by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Death of a Busybody by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Death in High Provence by George Bellairs.

 

Death of a Tin God by George Bellairs.

Some Thursday Readings

 

Campaign 2024: Not Left Versus Right, But Affluent Versus Everyone Else – Matt Taibbi at Racket News.

 

Trail of Tears – Bradley Birzer at The Imaginative Conservative.

“The Dead Shall Be Raised” by George Bellairs

It’s right before Christmas, 1940. Inspector Thomas Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is on his way to the holiday his wife, whom he had moved to Hattersworth in the Pennines for safety during the blitz and after their London flat had been bombed. It’s a long trip and in the required darkness. He has 10 days of holiday leave, and he’s almost immediately pressed into professional service. 

The skeletal remains of a body have been found on the moor, and they turn out to be those of a man who was thought to have disappeared 20 years before. He was the chief suspect in the murder of his best friend, supposedly a result of a spat over a girl. But now the suspect turns out to have murdered as well.

 

It’s a cold case, but it becomes very hot indeed when another murder happens, and it’s connected to the first two. Littlejohn has to seek the motive in the past, but it’s a motive that is still very much present.

 

The Dead Shall Be Raised is described as a short novel by mystery writer George Bellairs, who’s career stretched from the Golden Age of Mystery (1920s and 1930s) to the late 1970s. British Library Crime Classics has published a new edition of the novel, paired with another short novel by Bellairs, The Murder of a Quack (to be reviewed next week).

 

George Bellairs

George Bellairs is a pseudonym of British author Harold Blundell (1902-1982), who was first a banker and philanthropist before turning his hand to writing mystery stories. He wrote more than 50 Inspector Littlejohn mysteries, and also wrote four other books under the pseudonym of Hilary Langdon. He also wrote comedy for radio and was a newspaper columnist and freelance writer. His Littlejohn mysteries, many set outside London, provide a perceptive look at small towns and minor cities.

 

The Dead Shall be Raised is a deft combination of old and new crime, with something of a Christmas flavor and set against the backdrop of World War II. And it’s rather fun to watch Littlejohn go about his business, doggedly interviewing one and all until he finally solves the crimes. And the excellent introduction by mystery fiction expert Martin Edwards is not to be missed.

 

Related:

 

My review of Death in the Fearful Night by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Corpses at Enderby by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Death of a Busybody by George Bellairs.

 

My review of Death in High Provence by George Bellairs.

 

Death of a Tin God by George Bellairs.

Some Thursday Readings

 

Lyrics to Songs Unwritten – 3 poems by Kerry O’Connor at Skylover.

 

Samuel Johnson as Hero – Jeffrey Hart at The Imaginative Conservative. 

 

White dress –poem and artwork by Sonja Benskin Mesher.