Surfeit of suspects

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Surfeit of suspects

Title:

Surfeit of suspects

Author:

Bellairs, George, 1902-1985, author.

Edwards, Martin, 1955- writer of introduction.

Series:

Thomas Littlejohn.

British Library crime classics.

Summary:

The offices of the Excelsior Joinery Company have been blown to smithereens and three of the company directors lie dead amongst the rubble. When the presence of dynamite is revealed, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is summoned to the scene. Beneath the sleepy veneer of Evingden lies a hotbed of deep-rooted grievances. The new subject of the town's talk, Littlejohn's investigation is soon confounded by an impressive cast of suspicious persons, each concealing their own axe to grind.

Physical Description:

pages ; cm

Genre:

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Littlejohn, Thomas (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

England -- Fiction.

Author(s):

Edwards, Martin, 1955-

Publisher:

Poisoned Pen Press,

Publication Date:

2019

1964

ISBN:

9781464211737

9780712352383

Publication Information:

Naperville, IL : Poisoned Pen Press, 2019.

Call Number:

BELLAIR

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003416149	Adult Fiction	BELLAIR	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Discover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.

"At 8 o'clock in the evening on the 8th of November, there was a terrific explosion in Green Lane, Evingden."

The offices of the Excelsior Joinery Company have been blown to smithereens; three of the company directors are found dead amongst the rubble, and the peace of a quiet town in Surrey lies in ruins. When the supposed cause of an ignited gas leak is dismissed and the presence of dynamite revealed, Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is summoned to the scene.

But beneath the sleepy veneer of Evingden lies a hotbed of deep-rooted grievances. The new subject of the town's talk, Littlejohn's investigation is soon confounded by an impressive cast of suspicious persons, each concealing their own axe to grind.

First published in 1964, Bellairs' novel hearkens back to the classic British mysteries and crime books. A masterpiece of misdirection, Surfeit of Suspects is a story of small-town grudges with calamitous consequences that revels in the abundant possible solutions to its central, explosive crime.

Other books in the British Library Crime Classics:

Death in Fancy Dress

Smallbone Deceased

It Walks by Night

Measure of Malice

The Body in the Dumb River

Death Has Deep Roots

The Notting Hill Mystery

Author Notes

George Bellairs was the pseudonym of Harold Blundell (1902-1985), a prominent banker and philanthropist from Manchester whose popular detective stories were published for nearly forty years. His mystery novels Death of a Busybody and The Dead Shall Be Raised Murder of a Quack have also been published as British Library Crime Classics.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Originally published in 1964, this unimpressive entry in the British Library Crime Classics series from Bellairs (1902--1982) takes Scotland Yarder Thomas Littlejohn, now a superintendent, to Evingden in Surrey, where an explosion in the building housing the Excelsior Joinery Company has reduced the structure to rubble and killed three of the company's five directors. Once the authorities rule out an accident, Littlejohn begins to explore possible motives for the crime, starting with a look into the company's troubled finances. The two directors left alive are the elderly and infirm chairman, Tom Hoop, and his managing director son, Fred. Fred invites suspicion by refusing to disclose his whereabouts at the time of the deaths before making himself scarce. As the title indicates, Littlejohn has other suspects to pursue, but the dramatic nature of the crime isn't matched by the resolution. Whodunit fans will be disappointed. (July)

Introduction	p. vi
1 Sky High	p. 1
2 Dead Broke	p. 15
3 Legal Advice	p. 25
4 The Gatekeeper	p. 39
5 Dynamite	p. 52
6 Old Tom Hoop	p. 67
7 Overdrafts	p. 81
8 Polydore	p. 96
9 Takeover	p. 116
10 Pook's Retreat	p. 137
11 Bugler Scared	p. 148
12 Surfeit of Suspects	p. 162
13 Dynamite Disappears	p. 172
14 Directors' Meeting	p. 184
15 Account Rendered	p. 196

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

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