Village spinster Miss Penelope Blow travels to London to see Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard. Before the Inspector returns, Penelope’s nephew Harold forces her to return home. By the time Littlejohn visits, the town is playing a Dead March for Penelope Blow at her funeral.

Despite Penelope’s death being ruled accidental, Littlejohn investigates. Miss Penelope has fallen to her death from her second floor bedroom while watering her daffodils in a flower box. By all accounts, the flower box was sturdy. Could someone have pushed Penelope to her death?

The eight suspects include Penelope’s sister, Honoria, her nephews, Ralph and Harold, and Ralph’s wife Leonore. The servants also within the house include her confidant, Minshull the housekeeper, Frazer the cook, Jelley the footman, and Mrs. Peevey the charwoman. The Inspector quickly determines that Penelope was trying to ask him to investigate the possible arsenic poisoning of her sister, Honoria. After Penelope’s death, the family doctor reveals that arsenic poisoning truly is the cause of Honoria’s sickness. Earlier, another sister has died in the house of similar symptoms without suspicion. What is going on in the Blow family home? Who is targeting the sisters and why? Inspector Littlejohn is determined to find out!

Dead March for Penelope Blow is a traditional silver-age British police procedural. World War II is thankfully over and people can get back to their usual skullduggery. This is a perfect book for armchair detectives. All the clues are in plain sight though the red herrings are spotlighted more clearly. It is a fun and quick read. 4 stars!

Thanks to Agora Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read and enjoyed a few late Golden-Age mysteries by George Bellairs, featuring Inspector Littlejohn, and so I was happy to be offered an ARC of this title by the publisher, Agora Books, and NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Dead March for Penelope Blow was published in the early 1950s and is about 1/4 of the way through the loooooong Littlejohn series. Since it was published in the 1950s, and we’re now in the 2020s, it reads like a historical mystery, even though it was undoubtedly intended to be contemporaneous when written. Luckily, though, I like historical mysteries!

Littlejohn’s cases often seem to be set in archetypal English countryside villages or towns, and this one is no exception. The Blow family has been “big fish in a small pond” for a long time, although we have early hints of cracks in this status, especially since the cornerstone Blow’s Bank was taken over by another firm. Sadly, as often seems to happen with later generations of “important families”, most of the Blows seem a bit reprehensible, and the one Blow who isn’t, Penelope, dies early on. Since Penelope was a friend-of-a-friend of Littlejohn’s, and had even been trying to meet with Littlejohn just before she dies, he gets involved, and the rest of the book is a thoroughly enjoyable 1950s investigation, looking into both the past and present to figure out whodunnit.

All-in-all, I quite liked this book, since both the characters and the setting rang true. Please note that for me, 4 stars out of 5 is a really good ranking, and means I really do recommend the book. I just try to fight “star-flation” a little bit, so I reserve 5 stars for a very few absolute favorite books that I am going to read and then re-read again. Probably no more than one in thirty or forty books that I read gets 5-stars from me. And my thanks again to Agora and NetGalley!

Excellent, another great novel from the author George Bellairs, he truly was a master. In this novel Inspector Littlejohn investigates the murder of Penelope Blow, she had arrived at Scotland Yard on three separate days enquiring after him whilst he was giving evidence in court elsewhere. Fortunately the policeman on the gate kept a business card she’d left and when he saw her obituary in the newspaper he also kept that to show Inspector Littlejohn on his return. Immediately Littlejohn was suspicious and after making a couple of calls he approached his superior to investigate the crime. My thanks to Crime Classics, Netgalley and Agora Books for allowing me read this and give an honest review.

There’s no marching in this novel, 18th in the lengthy series featuring Chief Inspector Thomas Littlejohn, but there is the dead. Kindly spinster Penelope Blow belongs to a once prominent family of diminished finances. When she tumbles out of a window, the local police initial think it an accident. But the “accident” happens right after Miss Blow traveled to Scotland Yard in an unsuccessful attempt to her banker and Littlejohn. Littlejohn is suspicious, and his suspicions are proved right.

But who would want to kill an inoffensive old lady? Her snobbish nephews, the younger wife of one of the nephews, and Penelope’s self-centered sister — none seem to benefit from Penelope’s death. But clearly somebody did….

Author George Bellairs has penned another great gem in this series. As always, the characters are thoroughly entertaining, and Dead March for Penelope Blow has more twists than usual. In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Agora Books in exchange for an honest review.

George Bellairs never fails to entertain. He is a master at description, atmosphere, and characterization. This book was excellent - the family dynamics were sad and infuriating all at once. There were plenty of twists right up to the end. But, as usual, Littlejohn triumphs. A great read!

A very enjoyable mystery set in rural, post-war England and involving an eccentric family of unlikable characters. The mystery is well-written, full of sly humor and paints a convincing portrait of a small town. The detective and his assistant are very engaging

First 'Inspector Littlejohn' I have read and am now looking forward to working my way through all the rest. A bit 'Maigret' but with less violence. Thanks to Netgalley for this read.

This is another of Bellairs enjoyable book. The gentle woman who starts the story ends up being pushed out a window. The question of accident or murder is the first question.. then when murder is a reality the next is who did it and why? The crazy family has lots of suspects. Good for littlejohn

Two spinster sisters, Penelope and Honoria Blow live with their unpleasant, controlling extended family in the small county town of Nesbury opposite the family owned bank.
Honoria confides in Penelope that she thinks she is being poisoned, but it is Penelope who meets her end falling from her bedroom window on returning from a thwarted mission to London to see the ever dependable Littlejohn of the Yard.

The sympathy in this story is very much with the put upon staff of bank and home who are bullied by the family but are pivotal to the police investigation, with the stubborn head of the household having forbidden entrance to Littlejohn on account of the local force’s verdict of accidental death.
The clever, twisting plot trots along nicely with many a pleasing red herring and a satisfying denouement at the end. I was sure I knew the guilty party but was wrong!

I have yet to read a George Bellairs book I have not enjoyed, and I have read quite a few now.
I would definitely recommend this for new and old fans alike.

This was indeed a twisty tale about a dastardly murder! I was not able to figure out who did what to who until the very end. Inspector Littlejohn was up against all sorts of roadblocks but managed in the end to get the whole truth in this excellent story by one of my favorite authors! Also, as usual it was a treat to visit another fascinating village in the English countryside with many interesting characters. George Bellairs was a master of the English mystery.

A sad story, with an interesting cast of characters.
The title gives away part of the plot: the tragic death of Penelope Blow is at the heart of this Littlejohn mystery.
It is difficult to imagine who could want to kill such a well-meaning, inoffensive person.
The story unfolds slowly but surely, and Littlejohn has to proceed with diplomacy.

‘Is Inspector Littlejohn in, please?’

Miss Penelope Blow has been trying to see Inspector Littlejohn at Scotland Yard. Three times she is called but, unfortunately, he is away at a murder trial. Miss Blow will only see Inspector Littlejohn and, as she is about to return home to Nesbury, reluctantly leaves a complicated message for Inspector Littlejohn to call her (via the housekeeper) when he returns.

Miss Blow returns to the place where she has been staying and is confronted by her relative, Harold, who insists that she return with him to Nesbury. It seems that her family is suspicious of what she might be doing in London.

By the time Inspector Littlejohn receives the message, Miss Blow is dead. An accident, they say. She fell out of her bedroom window while watering plants in a window box. Inspector Littlejohn is concerned: why did Miss Blow want to see him and was her death really an accident?

It seems that the Blow family is full of secrets. Circumstances enable Inspector Littlejohn to investigate (although neither the Blow family nor some of the local police hierarchy see any such need). The staff who work for the Blow family are happy (mostly) to assist. But if Miss Blow was murdered, who murdered her and why?

This delightful mystery was first published in 1951 and reflects a class-conscious period in a small English town. With well-developed characters, touches of humour and more than a couple of possibilities, the novel held my attention from beginning to end. And yes, I did finally work it out … just before the truth was revealed.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

A great book by the brilliant George Bellairs! His insight into human nature and behaviour is here at its best. In his years as a bank manager he must have seen people at their best and worst and have encountered every different type of human folly. His experiences were put to excellent use. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am greedy for more.

I am so glad I stumbled upon George Bellairs who has a writing style which is standing the test of time. This book was originally published in 1951 and ok it is dated in parts with regards to servants and elderly spinsters. But the plot could be just as relevant today - greed, murder and corrupting wealth and position in society.

The Blows are an old English family that ran a bank and still command respect or maybe they are just arrogant. The book begins with an elderly, dowdy woman in London calling to Scotland Yard looking for Inspector Littlejohn. On returning to her lodgings she is confronted by her cousin Harold and forced into a cab and taken back to Nesbury where she lives with her sister Honoria, her cousins Harold and Ralph and Ralph's wife Leonore. Honoria is being poisoned and her doctor (Cross) and a specialist have been called in and recommend she go to hospital. Soon after Penelope falls from her window while watering the daffodils and the winder box falls on top of her. A verdict of accident is brought in and all the Blows think that is that, they can go on with their lives. But there is the small matter of Littlejohn who need to know why Penelope came to him in the first place and when he witnesses the funeral party in the pub his interest is piqued and he starts investigating against serious opposition from the Blow family. At least there are always nosey servants to give away secrets of their employers.

The book ebbs and flows with information. Was it Honoria's poisoning that had Penelope asking her ex flame Reverent Claplady for a recommendation of a policeman to approach? Was there another reason and is the poisioning a red herring? We find out that their father William Blow of Blows Bank was a spiteful, vindictive man that went mad and was locked up but not before making a will leaving most of his fortune to various charities including the Salvation army to build premises with his name all over them. He also left an annual annuity to his 3 daughters whereby as one died her share went to the surviving girls. But secretly he left a small fortune in a London bank in Penelope's name for all his daughters and so we have another motive for murder.

It was confusing at the start as everyone calls Honoria and Penelope the aunts of Harold and Ralph when in actual fact they are first cousins and are just much older than the boys but we don't find out how old exactly. It makes the way the ladies are treated even more condescending in my view. Once you get over that sexist view the book was well written and it was still a bit of a guessing game of who actually pushed Penelope. For me the fact various people that robbed Penelope of her savings got off scot free and did not face criminal justice was a massive bugbear and ruined the ending a little. Otherwise I really enjoyed the dramatic unmasking of the killer in the Blow's sitting room.

Another great Littlejohn adventure for the man from the Yard (Scotland Yard) , with the help of Cromwell his trusted number two.
Penelope Blow not only unfortunate name but also unfortunately killed a lady that could of been married to the Rev Claplady the first big question, would that be worse than Blow. However don't worry about that because the case will distract you and keep your attention with the right amount of humour and intrigue to keep fixated on the story. There are some great twists and a football cup game in the background to add more colour but I think TV was black and white then so the story will be the colour that leads the way!
What I'm trying to say is this is a great book and is more than worthy of five stars in my view i enjoyed it from start to finish, and I didn't want to put it down which is always a good sign the reader loves the book. So I loved it loved the characters with the intricacies and strange characteristics that are missed from real life now as we are too conscious of how we look or appear. No political correctness just plan honest folk well not plan or always honest but plenty of colour and activities a bygone time but brought to life and I hope you love it as much as I have.

I love the title. Everyone should buy this book for that reason alone but there are plenty of other good reasons too! It is such good news that George Bellairs is having a long overdue revival. His novels never disappoint, and I can't help feeling that now 'Poirot', 'Marple', 'Inspector George Gently' and 'Maigret' have all ended their runs that it's about time 'Inspector Littlejohn' filled a very deserving Sunday night slot on TV. There's a wealth of novels to adapt.
Rev Ethelred Claplady (remember him from 'Death of A Busybody'?) has advised the woman he once intended to marry, Miss Penelope Blow, to see his old friend at Scotland Yard, Inspector Littlejohn, but before she can tell him her concerns, she falls to her death from her own bedroom window.
George Bellairs, a bank manager by day, wrote in his spare time. The enjoyment he got from his writing permeates every page with his gentle sense of humour. He outshine most of his contemporary crime writers and his books are still highly readable.

I am really on a Bellairs kick, so this turned up on NetGalley at just the right time for me. I don't always like sweet little old ladies getting murdered stories (I prefer my victims to be horrible people) but this is a nice twisty family and small town drama with plenty of suspects and obstacles. I enjoyed it.

This book. was first published in 1951. It is now being republished by Agora Books and will be released on 13th August. It involves the series character Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard.
An elderly spinster Penelope Blow comes to Scotland Yard , London to seek Inspector Littlejohn, but he is away attending a murder trial. Hence she is unable to meet him and is not ready to tell her concerns to other people in the police station.
After she goes back to her house in Nesbury, she dies in an “accident”---falling out of the window of her room. The other persons living in the house are her sister Honoria Blow, her nephews Ralph and Harold, Ralph’s wife Lenore and the servants.
Littlejohn is not satisfied with the accident verdict and decides to investigate. The family is, however, so hostile to his interference that he investigates on the sly with the help of the servants who dislike their employers.
The investigation is quite complex and it reveals that Penelope was murdered. Littlejohn is able to solve the case with the help of information received from the citizens of the town.
This is an interesting and charming book with an interesting plot and gives a rich flavour of the time and place. The characterisation is superb. But I have one complaint. The author is very verbose in giving unnecessary descriptions which are irrelevant to the plot. This slows down the pace.

Dead March for Penelope Blow by George Bellairs is number 18 in the Chief Inspector Littlejohn series.
A frail old lady (Penelope Blow) comes to Scotland Yard several times to speak to Inspector Littlejohn, but he is away on a murder case. She will not speak to anyone else. When Littlejohn returns he hears that Penelope Blow has died in a fall from an upstairs window. Littlejohn is not convinced it is an accident and begins investigating the matter. That is not an easy task. The Blow family denies him access to the house and he and Cromwell must seek help from the servants. A story of family secrets, madness, hatred and jealousy soon unravels.
As always it has been a joy and pleasure to read a Littlejohn mystery. It is a classic British detective story written with wit and interesting characters and settings. Well worth a read!

I got this book to review because I have joined Crime Classics Advanced Readers Club. Thanks - I enjoyed it very much.

You know you’re in for a good time with George Bellairs’ Littlejohn novels, and this book is no exception.

Miss Penelope Blow, an anxious elderly spinster and daughter of the famous Blow banking family, travels to Scotland Yard to see Littlejohn, but he is out of London. She leaves a message, returns home and promptly dies after falling out of a window, Was it an accident or was she pushed? And can Littlejohn find out what she was so desperate to talk to him about?

This is an enjoyable murder mystery with plenty of amusing characters and many plausible suspects. Highly recommended for Golden Age mystery fans.

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