A badly beaten and stabbed Body in the Dumb River washes up during a flood in East Anglia. With the local police busy assisting with the flood damage, Scotland Yard Superintendent Littlejohn is asked to solve the crime.
The victim led a double life. On weekends he was James Teagarden, a respectable married traveling salesman with three adult daughters. On weekdays as Jim Lane, he ran the hoop-la game at local fairs. He also lived with his coworker as a married couple. With double the suspects due to the victim’s double life, Littlejohn has a lot of work ahead of him.
The Body in the Dumb River was originally published in 1961. In the book’s introduction by Martin Edwards, he states “Bellairs may not belong in the front rank of crime novelists, but his books offer unpretentious entertainment.” That statement agrees with my feelings about the book precisely. I always love the British Library Crime Classics and this book is no exception. However, it does seem like the mystery was very easy to solve. If you like televised mysteries like Murder She Wrote or Midsomer Murders, you will enjoy this equally well. 3 stars.
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.