Death Spins the Wheel

Death Spins the Wheel
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 219
Release: 2023-06-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504088301

When a lady gambler’s luck runs out, Detective Littlejohn follows a trail of deception and danger across Europe in this classic mystery. When professional gambler Sylvia Garnier arrives at the casino on the Isle of Man, everyone is intrigued to see what drama unfolds. Knowing all the tricks and betting on all the right numbers, she seems to be enjoying a solid winning streak. That is until she’s found dead on the beach. As theories about her murder run wild, Inspector Littlejohn is called in to get to the bottom of her mysterious demise. Dredging through years of family secrets and wartime betrayal, Littlejohn must untangle a conspiracy that takes him to France and Switzerland and leads all the way back to the French Resistance, if he is to solve this perplexing case.

Corpses in Enderby

Corpses in Enderby
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2023-06-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504088433

A murder in plain sight brings Scotland Yard to investigate family secrets in a sleepy English town in this mystery from the beloved series. In the close-knit community of Enderby, Ned Bunn wasn’t what you’d call popular. In fact, there were some fellow residents who wished him dead. But when Bunn is found dead on the doorstep of his own shop, the town is in shock. As Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard investigates, he finds more than typical small-town animosity in the victim’s past. Surprising revelations about Bunn and his family bring new leads—and new suspects—to this unexpectedly baffling case.

The Wheel Spins

The Wheel Spins
Author: Ethel Lina White
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2024-10-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1464216452

First published in 1936 and adapted for the screen as The Lady Vanishes by Alfred Hitchcock in 1938, Ethel Lina White's suspenseful mystery remains her best-known novel, worthy of acknowledgement as a classic of the genre in its own right. Then the rhythm of the train changed, and she seemed to be sliding backwards down a long slope. Click-click-click-click. The wheels rattled over the rails, with a sound of castanets. Iris Carr's holiday in the mountains of a remote corner of Europe has come to an end, and since her friends left two days before, she faces the journey home alone. Stricken by sunstroke at the station, Iris catches the express train to Trieste by the skin of her teeth and finds a companion in Miss Froy, an affable English governess. But when Iris passes out and reawakens, Miss Froy is nowhere to be found. The other passengers deny any knowledge of her existence and as the train speeds across Europe, Iris spirals deeper and deeper into a strange and dangerous conspiracy.

Death in Room Five

Death in Room Five
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2023-10-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504089847

Inspector Littlejohn confronts a challenging case across the Channel in this classic mystery from the “venerable” British author (Kirkus Reviews). When Alderman Dawson is stabbed to death while visiting the Riviera with a group of English tourists, Inspector Littlejohn puts his holiday on hold to assist the French police. But the suspects are plentiful. The culprit could be one of Dawson’s fellow travelers—or perhaps someone who encountered him years ago during World War II. While Littlejohn fends off complaints from the impatient members of the tour group and delves into potential motives, he can only hope that his investigation doesn’t go south along with his much-needed vacation. . . . “One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners of the simon-pure British detective story . . . his adroit ironic Inspector Littlejohn is one of the more popular members of the fictional C.I.D.” —The New York Times “Mr. Bellairs always gives good value.” —The Sunday Times

Dead March for Penelope Blow

Dead March for Penelope Blow
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2023-10-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504089820

“Slow and steady wins the case” as a dedicated London policeman puzzles through a fatal fall, a financial mystery, and an eccentric family’s many secrets (Kirkus Reviews). Miss Penelope Blow’s fatal fall from her bedroom window would seem like a tragic accident, if it weren’t for Penelope’s multiple visits to Scotland Yard before her death, trying to get in touch with Inspector Littlejohn. Now, before he ever had a chance to talk to the woman, he’s driven to look deeper into a case that may very well be murder—with no cooperation from Penelope’s wealthy, secretive, and thoroughly odd family . . . “As is often the case in Bellairs’ novels, his prose is often very wryly amusing. . . . One of his most readable tales, offering an interesting mix of characters and a satisfying puzzle to solve.” —Mysteries Ahoy

Death Stops the Frolic

Death Stops the Frolic
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2023-10-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504089855

A church elder is the life of the party—but not for long—in this English village mystery by the author of the Inspector Littlejohn mysteries. Zion Chapel’s annual anniversary tea party is an opportunity for the typically stuffy and sanctimo-nious Alderman Harbuttle to loosen up, and this year he’s unexpectedly rowdy. After a lot of laughter and loud singing, he starts to lead the parishioners in a conga line through the winding corridors. But the festivities turn fatal, and Superintendent Nankivell of the local police is soon stir-ring up some sinful secrets. . . . Previously published as Turmoil in Zion Praise for George Bellairs’s mysteries “Excellent characterization.” —The New York Times “Wit [that] shines from the very first page.” —Kirkus Reviews “When you get a George Bellairs story you get something worth reading.” —Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch

Spin

Spin
Author: Bill Gruber
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2023-11-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1476651167

Everywhere, things spin--wheels turn, motors hum, tornadoes roar. This book explains the history and basic physics of spinning objects, from yo-yos, drills, propellers, and washing machines, to ballet dancers, dust devils, and bacteria. The book gives instructive, entertaining accounts of everyday sights: Does a curve ball really curve? Why do figure skaters tuck in their arms? Can you make a disposable pen fly? How does a falling cat always land on its feet? Answers to these questions (and many others) tell the amazing story of things that spin.

The Tormentors

The Tormentors
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2023-06-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504088557

When a young hooligan is accused of murdering a prominent resident on the Isle of Man, Inspector Littlejohn must uncover the truth in this classic mystery. In a small town on the Isle of Man, an elderly gentleman is found violently stabbed in an alley, andhis wallet missing. All fingers point to a suspicious Teddy-Boy visiting from Liverpool. The victim was a well-known member of a distinguished family, and his relatives are eager to see justice served. To avoid an unwarranted arrest, the Manx police call in Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard to investigate. While the young man maintains his innocence, Littlejohn’s investigations lead him to the Bishop’s Arm pub. There he meets some of the island’s most dubious characters and begins to uncover surprising secrets about one of the island’s most respected individuals.

Death Drops the Pilot

Death Drops the Pilot
Author: George Bellairs
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2023-10-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504089839

Things get murky when a ferry captain is found dead in the water in this mystery starring Inspector Littlejohn, “the model of a calm, rational policeman” (Publishers Weekly). After a ferry to Falbright carrying forty people runs aground, the skipper is nowhere to be found. When the ferry pilot is discovered under a pier with a knife in his back, Inspector Littlejohn is called in. But he and Sergeant Cromwell are struggling to find clues. Some of the villagers seem to be going out of their way to mislead the police, and there are secrets dating back to the war that need to be unearthed or the entire investigation could be sunk . . . “When you get a George Bellairs story you get something worth reading.” —Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch