Devious Murder

Chief Superintendent Littlejohn and Old English sheepdog Meg are out -- somewhat reluctantly -- in the rain-soaked streets of Hampstead for a last walk before bedtime. It's Meg who first notices the body, leading Littlejohn into the garden of a big dark Victorian house where a man lies crumpled and still. His skull has been fractured, and Littlejohn is somewhat surprised to recognize him as Charles Blunt, a burglar he had arrested a couple of times long ago. Blunt was known then for his gentlemanly appearance and the tidiness of his work habits. Littlejohn had taken an interest in him, as someone with potential for better things, and had discussed his son's mistakes and misfortunes with Blunt's father, whom he found very likeable. As far as Littlejohn knew, Blunt had abandoned crime and made a legitimate career for himself as a whisky salesman for a reputable firm.

Alfred Blunt, now 84 and comfortably ensconced in an old folks' home, is devastated. He tells Littlejohn what a good son Charles was, generous to his father and faithful in his visits. Alfred was relieved when Charles got a proper job, though he never understood why his son moved every six months and kept his address a secret. Later Littlejohn learns that Charles has been questioned more than once about substantial, particularly neatly executed jewel thefts, but no evidence ever linked him to any of them. Still, it was not like him to be murdered, because, it seemed, he always worked carefully, and alone. Though Charles may have been a criminal after all, he was among the very few for whom the police had to admit a certain respect, for his professionalism, civility, and sincere attachment to his father. His murder is taken as seriously as that of any respectable pillar of society.

Alfred has given Littlejohn his son's most recent address (it can't hurt him now), which surprisingly, for a lifelong Londoner, turns out to be a small town in Kent. For the last three months Charles had lived in a rented flat (the owners were out of the country) in a luxury building, with a window overlooking the bijoux residence of a Texas oil millionaire's young wife notorious for her fabulous jewels and libidinous life style. As expected Charles has left no trace of his own interests or activities, with the exception of a pair of powerful binoculars on the sill of that particular window.

The Littlejohn novels make up one of five epic British police series of the Golden Age: Alleyn (Marsh), Appleby (Innes), French (Crofts), Littlejohn (Bellairs), and Owen (Punshon). All these men had long, successful careers at Scotland Yard, and each appears in at least 30 novels, Littlejohn in 57, Owen in 35, Alleyn and Appleby in 32 each, and French in 30 (according to my unofficial calculation). So if you enjoy classic, well-written 20th century British mysteries about policemen, these are probably the first 186 you might want to read. .