In 1946 London, the Bodies in a Bookshop pile up while a would-be Sherlock Holmes tries to find the killer.
Allan Leslie is a bookseller. When he is found murdered in a locked room with another victim, thriller reader and amateur detective Professor Stubbs and his assistant Max Boyle are on the case. Mr. Leslie was into unsavory pursuits like porn and stolen property. Could his sidelines have been the motive for his death? Also, what was the connection between him and the other victim, Cecil Baird?
It is hard not to laugh at the frequent allusions to book buying being as addictive as alcoholism. The book was written in 1946 London and the atmosphere of relief from wartime fears is palpable. Everyone, even Chief Inspector Bishop, is constantly drinking. While the setting is evocative of an earlier time, the mystery itself was extremely easy to solve so only 3 stars from me.
Thanks to Dover Publications and NetGalley for a copy.