Miss Tither knows everything there is to know about the village of Hilary Magna but in this case all her knowledge proves to be dangerous when she is found dead in the Vicar’s cesspool. The Reverend Ethelred Claplady is shocked but somehow not surprised. Miss Tither is noted for tracking down all the sinners in the parish and berating them in an effort to get them to change their ways. She somehow manages to ferret out everyone’s secrets and does not hesitate to tell the partners of cheating spouses what is going on.
Inspector Littlejohn of Scotland Yard is the ideal man to investigate such a quintessentially village crime and he takes up residence at the local inn while he looks into the matter. He is unable to prevent a second death but eventually he does uncover the murderer. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. He writes with humour and in an easy pleasant style which has really stood the test of time extremely well.
I loved the portrait of the village and its occupants especially the Rev Claplady with his hobby of keeping bees. He is a marvellously humane and human character. The other village inhabitants are brought vividly to life as well especially the victim herself even though the reader doesn’t actually see much of her. Inspector Littlejohn is a quiet unassuming individual and I liked his sidekick – Cromwell – who when in doubt thinks ‘What would Oliver Cromwell do?’ Great characters and an interesting plot make this a good read for everyone who loves classic detective stories.
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