Big Books of 2026

Chief Inspector Littlejohn Series

57 primary works • 59 total works
Thomas Littlejohn, a police inspector, later Superintendent, mostly in England:

Book 1

Littlejohn on Leave
by
4.00 · 22 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1941 · 2 editions
242pages. poche. Broché.

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    Book 2

    Four Unfaithful Servants
    by
    4.00     · 1 Ratings · published 1942 · 3 editions

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    Book 3

    Death of a Busybody
    by
    3.88     · 1404 Ratings · 221 Reviews · published 1942 · 17 editions
    The eponymous nosy parker in Death of a Busybody i…

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    Book 4

    Murder Will Speak
    by
    3.52     · 163 Ratings · 45 Reviews · published 1942 · 5 editions

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    Book 5

    The Murder of a Quack
    by
    3.72     · 155 Ratings · 30 Reviews · published 1943 · 9 editions
    Nathaniel Wall, the local quack doctor, is found h…

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    Book 6

    The Case of the Seven Whistlers
    by
    4.06     · 525 Ratings · 48 Reviews · published 1948 · 9 editions
    A body in a trunk draws Thomas Littlejohn of Scotl…

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    Book 7

    Calamity at Harwood
    by
    4.15     · 525 Ratings · 39 Reviews · published 1945 · 7 editions
    To solve a murder case, Thomas Littlejohn contends…

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    Book 8

    Death in the Night Watches
    by
    4.17     · 372 Ratings · 26 Reviews · published 1946 · 7 editions
    At the height of World War II, Thomas Littlejohn i…

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    Book 9

    He'd Rather Be Dead
    by
    3.99     · 354 Ratings · 72 Reviews · published 1945 · 10 editions
    The Mayor of the popular resort of Westcombe, Sir …

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    Book 10

    The Case of the Scared Rabbits
    by
    3.33     · 3 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1946 · 3 editions
    Intrigue and murder surround the county fair at St…

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    Book 11

    The Crime at Halfpenny Bridge
    by
    4.20     · 411 Ratings · 30 Reviews · published 1946 · 8 editions
    Thomas Littlejohn investigates a murder committed …

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    Book 12

    Death on the Last Train
    by
    4.06     · 247 Ratings · 23 Reviews · published 1948 · 13 editions
    First published in 1948, Death on the Last Train i…

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    Book 13

    Outrage on Gallows Hill
    by
    4.17     · 381 Ratings · 22 Reviews · published 1949 · 10 editions
    In Melchester, Thomas Littlejohn hunts the killer …

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    Book 14

    The Case of the Demented Spiv
    by
    3.96     · 447 Ratings · 42 Reviews · published 1949 · 15 editions
    ‘I’m a spiv… But whatever I’ve done, I never kille…

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    Book 15

    The Case of the Famished Parson
    by
    3.73     · 795 Ratings · 96 Reviews · published 1949 · 13 editions
    Dr James Macintosh, the Bishop of Greyle, is a mys…

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    Book 16

    The Case of the Headless Jesuit
    by
    4.25     · 442 Ratings · 31 Reviews · published 1950 · 9 editions
    On New Year’s Eve a string of grisly deaths strike…

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    Book 17

    Crime in Lepers' Hollow
    by
    4.04     · 346 Ratings · 52 Reviews · published 1952 · 10 editions
    “Once I go, I’ll never come back here. I hate t…

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    Book 18

    Dead March for Penelope Blow
    by
    4.23     · 465 Ratings · 78 Reviews · published 1951 · 13 editions
    In the wake of Mr William Blow’s death, his surviv…

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    Book 19

    Death in Dark Glasses
    by
    4.01     · 416 Ratings · 43 Reviews · published 1952 · 20 editions
    It was meant to be a fool-proof scheme. The victim…

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    Book 20

    Half-Mast for the Deemster
    by
    4.13     · 285 Ratings · 35 Reviews · published 1950 · 11 editions
    The Isle’s Deemster, the most senior judge on the …

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    Book 21

    A Knife for Harry Dodd
    by
    4.20     · 440 Ratings · 73 Reviews · published 1953 · 14 editions
    At first, the women hadn’t believed Dodd was dead.…

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    Book 22

    Corpses in Enderby
    by
    3.81     · 398 Ratings · 56 Reviews · published 1954 · 11 editions
    Ned Bunn wasn't a popular member of the community …

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    Book 23

    The Cursing Stones Murder
    by
    4.11     · 412 Ratings · 45 Reviews · published 1954 · 14 editions
    The Manx Shearwater was scallop dredging—but it dr…

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    Book 24

    Death in Room Five
    by
    4.13     · 461 Ratings · 51 Reviews · published 1955 · 14 editions
    The British bulldog does not let go until the m…

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    Book 25

    Death Drops the Pilot
    by
    4.20     · 361 Ratings · 35 Reviews · published 1956 · 13 editions
    Things get murky when a ferry captain is found dea…

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    Book 26

    Death Treads Softly
    by
    4.22     · 240 Ratings · 26 Reviews · published 1956 · 9 editions
    A week after Finlo Crennell, ex-harbourmaster of C…

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    Book 27

    Death in High Provence
    by
    4.12     · 230 Ratings · 28 Reviews · published 1957 · 14 editions
    Against the background of fascinating Provence, a …

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    Book 28

    Death Sends for the Doctor
    by
    4.15     · 267 Ratings · 33 Reviews · published 1957 · 8 editions
    Upper Square is the last stronghold of snobbery in…

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    Book 29

    Corpse at the Carnival
    by
    4.09     · 362 Ratings · 40 Reviews · published 1958 · 15 editions
    The old man on the empty promenade died, without a…

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    Book 30

    Murder Makes Mistakes
    by
    4.23     · 304 Ratings · 29 Reviews · published 1958 · 7 editions
    The many admirers of Sergeant Cromwell, faithful a…

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    Book 31

    Bones in the Wilderness
    by
    3.91     · 214 Ratings · 26 Reviews · published 1959 · 8 editions
    When Samuel Cheever, a shady dealer, goes to Franc…

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    Book 32

    Toll the Bell for Murder
    by
    4.13     · 276 Ratings · 33 Reviews · published 1959 · 8 editions
    The curraghs in the Isle of Man are, as a rule, ee…

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    Book 33

    Death In Despair
    by
    3.50     · 4 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1960 · 2 editions
    The body of a drunken furniture dealer found drown…

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    Book 34

    Death in the Fearful Night
    by
    3.85     · 331 Ratings · 37 Reviews · published 1960 · 11 editions
    ‘Pure British detective story’ – The New York Time…

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    Book 35

    The Body in the Dumb River
    by
    3.86     · 1062 Ratings · 128 Reviews · published 1961 · 12 editions
    With an introduction by Martin Edwards

    ‘A decent,…

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    Book 36

    Death of a Tin God
    by
    4.10     · 217 Ratings · 36 Reviews · published 1961 · 8 editions
    "One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners o…

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    Book 37

    Death Before Breakfast
    by
    4.16     · 213 Ratings · 18 Reviews · published 1962 · 12 editions
    First published in 1962, Death Before Breakfast is…

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    Book 38

    The Tormentors
    by
    4.06     · 222 Ratings · 26 Reviews · published 1962 · 12 editions
    “One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners o…

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    Book 39

    Death in the Wasteland
    by
    4.06     · 201 Ratings · 18 Reviews · published 1963 · 12 editions
    A murder and a missing body interrupt a getaway in…

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    Book 40

    Death of a Shadow
    by
    4.17     · 182 Ratings · 20 Reviews · published 1964 · 8 editions
    “One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners of…

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    Book 41

    Surfeit of Suspects
    by
    3.79     · 854 Ratings · 103 Reviews · published 1964 · 14 editions

    Mystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age…

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    Book 42

    Death Spins the Wheel
    by
    4.20     · 311 Ratings · 58 Reviews · published 1965 · 9 editions
    With one woman murdered and a man on the run, can …

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    Book 43

    Intruder in the Dark
    by
    4.06     · 326 Ratings · 38 Reviews · published 1966 · 8 editions
    A corpse in a country house brings Scotland Yard t…

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    Book 44

    Strangers Among the Dead
    by
    3.33     · 3 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1966 · 5 editions

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    Book 45

    Death in Desolation
    by
    4.24     · 214 Ratings · 21 Reviews · published 1967 · 6 editions
    “One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners of…

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    Book 46

    Single Ticket to Death
    by
    4.00     · 1 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1967 · 3 editions
    During a serious illness in hospital, Sulby Cranfi…

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    Book 47

    Fatal Alibi
    by
    0.00     · published 1968 · 2 editions
    The body of J.J. Ringmole, a representative of a L…

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    Book 48

    Murder Gone Mad
    by
    0.00     · published 1968 · 5 editions
    Benjamin Joliclerc became an estate agent after re…

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    Book 49

    The Night They Killed Joss Varran
    by
    4.03     · 209 Ratings · 18 Reviews · published 1971 · 6 editions
    “One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners of…

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    Book 50

    Tycoon's Death-Bed
    by
    3.00     · 2 Ratings · 2 Reviews · published 1970 · 2 editions
    WHEN Sir Henry Dotrell, an electronics tycoon, was…

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    Book 51

    Pomeroy Deceased
    by
    3.50     · 2 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1971 · 4 editions

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    Book 52

    Murder Adrift
    by
    4.17     · 160 Ratings · 8 Reviews · published 1972 · 9 editions
    The Todd family, governed by their aged mother, ar…

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    Book 53

    Devious Murder
    by
    4.24     · 170 Ratings · 9 Reviews · published 1973 · 10 editions
    Whilst taking the dog out for the last walk of the…

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    Book 54

    Fear Round About
    by
    3.56     · 16 Ratings · 4 Reviews · published 1975 · 7 editions
    Book by Bellairs, George

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    Book 55

    All Roads to Sospel
    by
    3.31     · 13 Ratings · 2 Reviews · published 1977 · 6 editions
    A British travel group is stranded in France when …

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    Book 56

    The Downhill Ride Of Leeman Popple
    by
    2.67     · 3 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1979 · 3 editions
    The body of Leeman Popple was found shot and float…

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    Book 57

    An Old Man Dies
    by
    2.67     · 3 Ratings · 1 Reviews · published 1980 · 1 edition

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    Book 4-5

    The Dead Shall be Raised & Murder of a Quack
    by
    4.05     · 821 Ratings · 117 Reviews · published 1943 · 7 editions
    Two classic cases featuring Detective-Inspector Li…

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    Book 15, 32, 34

    The Essential George Bellairs Box Set
    by
    4.39     · 82 Ratings · 6 Reviews · published 1960 · 1 edition
    “Ah. So you’re the man! I’m glad to meet you, S…

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