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.

I have only read one other book by this author, and I had not previously stumbled onto the reason why a few of my blogging friends (Rekha @Book Decoder) to be particular were so fond of Bellairs. I think I finally found the attraction. 

I have to begin with the fact that struck me the most, although it has nothing to do with the mystery itself. Almost all the major characters introduced to us, including the victim and the detective have so much about them said to us, that it makes them vividly human. This particular feature is extended to the perpetrator as well. In the regular detective mystery style, there is so much gossip floating around that the victim seems like an irredeemable person and everyone having a motive to commit the crime since they all have secrets. Towards the end of the narrative, however, there was so much included about the leading players that I chastised myself for completely sorting them all out into black or white positions. 

After that extra-long description, I move on to the story. The mayor of a (not so) small seaside town dies abruptly in a party in his honour and dramatically too, considering his last words. The local constabulary decided to bring in outside help because of the nuances of the interpersonal relationships. Then Inspector Littlejohn comes onto the scene. The way the story unravels after his arrival, along with all the asides that translate into quite a humourous narrative was quite pleasing. Finally, I would not have guessed the culprit until the very end solely because we see the clues as and when the Inspector does and not a moment before. Overall this has me interested in tackling more of the author's works soon.

Amazon Customer
“He’d rather be dead“ is another great Inspector Little John mystery.
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020
A dead Mayor and a Chief Constable who keeps personal files on the town’s upper crust lead to a very interesting tale of small town corruption, and murder. Inspector Little John’s wry wit is always entertaining as he weeds through multiple unexpected twists to solve the case. I also liked the character of DI Hazard and his insight on the locals. Enjoyable read for sure!

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

Another excellent Littlejohn mystery, with a fascinating setting of a seaside town in wartime. With all of these mysteries the interest lies in the wartime details, boarding houses, dance halls, local politics and the minutiae of people's lives. The steady investigation into the murders is a great read as motives and murderer are finally revealed.

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.

This is the sixth book I've read in this incredibly long running series and is one of the earlier of them. I liked the mystery and the war time setting - but I thought it was over too soon and wasn't as keen on the section from the murderer's diary. I was surprised when the mystery was looking like it was wrapping up quite early and was wondering whether there was going to be a twist - and then it was the confession/diary. But it was a good read aside from that, although it was one of the easier ones to figure out at least part of what had happened.

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.

The mayor of a seaside town drops dead during his speech in a banquet and Littlejohn is called to find out who poisoned him amidst so many guests. The views of each character are given nicely. The town and it’s transformation in the backdrop of a war and the influence and power the victim holds are well portrayed. There are more than one victim and the conclusion describes it aptly.

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.

He'd Rather Be Dead by George Bellairs is number nine in the Chief Inspector Littlejohn series. I received it for review from George Bellairs Literary Estate via NetGalley.

Sir Gideon Ware - the mayor of Westcombe is murdered during the annual lunch he is holding for Boroug officials. He is a man making enemies everywhere, and no one grieves his death (apart from his wife), when he is murdered during the lunch. He is poisoned, but it seems nobody has been able to administer the poison. Everyone attending the lunch are suspects, and in the beginning it was rather a lot of people to keep track of. As the Chief Constable Mr. Boumphrey is afraid to be unpopular among the distinguished guests at the lunch, he asks for Scotland Yards help, and Littlejohn comes to help. He succeeds in solving Wares murder and yet another one committed during his investigations.
It is a well told story. Bellairs is rather good at describing the various people and the atmosphere in a buzzing seaside town with fairs and nightlife and lots of tourists.
The Murderer has made a record of his life and what led to his crime, and the way he perceives Littlejohn's investigations.
This was yet another pleasant read about Littlejohn.

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.

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.

When the mayor of a seaside resort town falls dead from poison during an after dinner speech, a gathering that saw him surrounded by the leading lights of the town, most of whom were his enemies, the chief constable calls in Scotland Yard, so that he doesn’t have to get on the bad side of such important people. Plenty of secrets and corruption for Inspector Littlejohn to uncover, possibly including those the chief constable himself. Solid police procedural, and rather more detail about and sympathy for the murderer than usual. Enjoyable.

CI Littlejohn does it again. He appears to be very casual, but he gradually learns everything he needs to solve the case. I really enjoy these mysteries which have clever plots and include some humor as well. In this book, Sir Gideon Ware, Mayor of Westcombe, is having a banquet for the important folks in the borough. During his speech, he keels over onto the floor and dies on the way to the hospital in the ambulance with Father Manfred.

Chief Constable Boumphrey doesn't want to stir things up interviewing all the town bigwigs, so he calls Scotland Yard, and Chief Inspector Littlejohn is asked to go to Westcombe. He is met by Inspector Hazard, who take him to the Police Station. Littlejohn is briefed briefly (without all the necessary details), and Hazard is assigned to help. It turns out that Ware had many enemies and had sired an illegitimate son, the local dentist Fenwick (not well known).

When it is found that Ware was killed with strychnine, at first they try to check all the food, but there is no way Ware could have eaten something that someone else hadn't. Soon they knew it was by injection, and the doctor had given him a shot shortly before the luncheon. Later they find Ware had gone to the dentist (Fenwick) after the doctor. Soon there is another death - the doctor's assistant. Meanwhile, Cromwell has been sent out to find out more about the son and dentist Fenwick, and uncovers a lot of background material. The two main suspects are now Fenwick and his friend Dr. Preedy, either of whom could have injected the strychnine. We gradually find out which one, and the end of the book includes full story written by the culprit.

George Bellairs is one of my favorite Golden Age writers re-discovered in recent years. His Inspector Littlejohn detective novels are well-written, well-plotted, and enjoyable, and that's why I've read over 20 of his mysteries.

"He's Rather be Dead" is an early Littlejohn. Set in a seaside vacation town, Bellairs does a great job of evoking the holiday setting and attendant loose behavior of its visitors. The early Littlejohn novels I've read, including this one, I find that Bellairs is a bit acerbic in his description of the characters, perhaps injecting a somewhat social satirical tone. I prefer the later Littlejohn novels where his introductions are a bit more sympathetic, but nonetheless, I enjoyed this solid mystery.

George Bellairs is a talented mystery author and I look forward to reading more Littlejohn novels.

I am a great fan of George Bellairs books and enjoy the social history that can be picked up in his pages. This book didin't disappoint on that count and the story was a good one although the start was a bit draen out and boring. What spoiled the book for me was the penultimate two chapters which I felt were unneccasary and only repeated things we had already learned. So, a good story spoiled by a too high word count. With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review and e_ARC of this title.

My thanks to the publishers for a review copy of this entertaining murder mystery from George Bellairs. This is a fairly typical Bellairs tale about the well merited demise of a nasty property speculator cum petty potentate, prime mover in the monstrous and vulgar development of what had been a quiet seaside resort. Bellairs is as usual acute in his observation of the characters and peccadillos of the minor dignitaries of a small town, all of whom have excellent reasons to wish harm on their newly elected mayor, Gideon Ware. I particularly enjoy the names he dreams up - the greedy gourmand, Cannon Wallopp, the teetotal Rev Titus Gaukroger, Chief Constable Boumfrey, DI Hazard, who introduces Littlejohn to the locality - and, while the characters are over the top at times and it is obvious who dunnit pretty early on, none of them are drawn without sympathy, even the corrupt Chief Constable and the murderer himself. The wartime touches, such as what passes for extravagance and haute cuisine in the menu for the mayor's feast or Sid and the Hot Dogs' swing band at the Wintergardens lend the book a period charm. I also enjoyed the melodrama of the murderer's exit, although I think the inclusion after the event of his autobiographical account of his life and decisions was less successful. Altogether a good escapist read for troubled times!