Death Of A Busybody (1943) by George Bellairs. 1943 was a time of looming death and/or destruction for the vast majority of England’s population. What better way to divert attention from your own troubles than by publishing this humorous murder mystery. Set in the small Suffolk town of Hilary Magna, lead than two hours drive from London, ‘Busybody’ is aptly named. Miss Tither is the local snoop, holier-than-thou type who’s only passion is to uncover the “dirt” on her neighbors and confront them knowing she could save them if only they would heed her warnings. And if she can’t make then see their sins for what they are, she’ll let the village know all about them.
A most detested nuisance to be sure, but up to now, not worth killing. When her body is found in the cesspit belonging to the Reverend Claplady, the local constable feels it is out of his depth. Scotland Yard, in the form of Inspector Littlejohn, is called in to solve this stinking problem. While there are plenty of suspects, there is very little evidence. The case hinges of who saw whom and when, but the truth is hard to discover.
This is the first in the “Inspector Littlejohn” series and it makes a very good introduction. The Inspector is accustomed to the ways of the country folk and manages to collect evidence without strong-arm tactics. The locals seem to take him in as their new champion of justice, and together they solve the crime.
And there is plenty of fun mixed throughout the story, just what was needed at the time. ( )

Miss Ethel Tither is the kind of unpleasant, prurient busybody that everyone wishes dead—and now she is, left floating in the cesspool at the back of the village vicarage.

Death of a Busybody is a perfectly competent, undemanding Golden Age murder mystery. George Bellairs plays fair by his readers—you're given all the relevant clues, even before Inspector Littlejohn gets them sometimes—so whodunnit and why is actually fairly easy to figure out. Bellairs writes with enough humour and eye for the absurd (the vicar rejoices in the name of Ethelred Claplady, for instance) to make this a quick read, but the overt classism and implied sexism throughout were a bit wearying. The main detective character, Littlejohn, is also a bit of a nonentity. I wouldn't absolutely swear off Bellairs in the future, but I'm not overly minded to seek out more of his work either. ( )

The village busybody and scandalmonger made it her business to spread gossip and rumour about who was up to no good. When Miss Tither was found dead in the vicar's cesspool it appeared that almost everyone had motive but would they have resorted to the ghastly method that was used? This is a classic Golden Age mystery that includes a fair amount of humour to making it even more entertaining.

It's one of the British Library Crime Classics. I’ll be on the lookout for more by Bellairs. ( )

Synopsis: "Miss Tither, the village busybody, is not the best-loved resident of Hilary Magna. She has made many enemies: bombarding the villagers with religious tracts, berating drunkards, and informing the spouses of cheating partners. Her murder, however, is still a huge shock to the Reverend Ethelred Claplady and his parish. Inspector Littlejohn's understanding of country ways makes him Scotland Yard's first choice for the job. Basing himself at the village inn, Littlejohn works with the local police to investigate what lay behind the murder. A second death does little to settle the collective nerves of the village, and as events escalate, a strange tale of hidden identities, repressed resentment, religious fervour and financial scams is uncovered. Life in the picturesque village of Hilary Magna proves to be very far from idyllic."

Review: Death of a Busybody was Bellairs' third novel and appeared in 1942. The author wrote it to help pass the time during blackouts (he served as an air raid warden in the war). Sometimes it's plodding, however, the story is interesting and the outcome is unexpected. ( )

More twists & turns than I expected!

Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through NetGalley and Edelweiss. ( )