Death of a Tin God

Chief Inspector Littlejohn #36

by George Bellairs

"One of the subtlest and wittiest practitioners of the simon-pure British detective story," New York Times The glamour of Hollywood has descended upon the Isle of Man: smiling stars, flashing photographers, adoring fans… But behind this glossy façade, something sinister stirs.

Superintendent Littlejohn thought he was in a for few days’ holiday, but when the handsome Hal Vale, charismatic male-lead and debaucherous divorcee, is found dead in his hotel room, Littlejohn is called back to investigate. Was it murder, suicide or accident?

While motives and rumours abound, this star-studded pursuit reaches far beyond the confines of the Isle of Man. From London and Dublin to the French Riveria, the sprawl of this sensational death extends further than Littlejohn could suspect.

With the help of his old friend, Inspector Dorange of the Surété at Nice, Littlejohn follows the trail to a high-stakes financial game and the ruthless tycoons of the industry. But brought within an inch of death, can the two expose this financial conspiracy and make it out alive?

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Classics

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

AKA Hilary Landon
George Bellairs is the nom de plume of Harold Blundell, a crime writer and bank manager born in Heywood, near Rochdale, Lancashire, who settled in the Isle of Man on retirement. He wrote more than 50 books, most featuring the series' detective Inspector Littlejohn. He also wrote four novels under the alternative pseudonym Hilary Landon.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The eponymous “little tin god” is a reference to film idol Hal Vale, who gets murdered in the first few pages. Poor Superintendent Thomas Littlejohn gets dragged into yet another murder on the Isle of Man. While Littlejohn surely doesn’t savor murder, he does love time on his beloved haven! And so do I! While I enjoy the novels set in England and the French Riviera, it’s the Isle of Man mysteries I love the most.

Littlejohn, with Inspector Reggie Knell as his sidekick instead of the redoubtable Sergeant Cromwell, looks into the alien world of self-absorbed actors and the film industry. This plot unfurls more complicated than most, which makes for a more suspenseful read than usual. Whether a newbie to Littlejohn and author George Bellairs or a longtime fan, readers will enjoy Death of a Tin God.

Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free.

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a very contemporary feel to it, despite the mention of smoking on flights and a few other scattered images. I have read quite a few of the author's works and mostly out of order. I confirmed a small suspicion about familiarity with the sequence of events by looking it up on Goodreads. I have previously read the book that comes just before this, and a small thread of that is carried on here. Except for that factor, this is one that any person new to the series can pick up and dive right in.
The mystery itself took a few more turns than expected, but the cast of characters (not to be confused with the cast of the movie being shot on location) makes the read an interesting one.
Littlejohn is supposed to be on vacation. He shares his arrival flight with a famous movie star in the middle of his third divorce and plans for his next wedding. The demise of this individual happens quite quickly, and the rest of the book is about building the background and what makes their world tick. Money is focused upon and is at the core of every turn the investigation takes. In this book, all the policemen bring something to the table. LittleJohn only has his 'out-of-town' position to thank for that extra information he gathers.
It is a painstakingly thorough investigation among unsavoury people of a different kind. I found it a slower read than usual but did not begrudge the picture it conjured in that time.
The ending was, in one part, expected and in the other, unexpected. This made for a good combination.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Littlejohn wondered where he’d seen the man before.’

Superintendent Littlejohn of Scotland Yard was looking forward to a few days holiday. He’d travelled to Ireland on a missing person case. Clara Tebbs from Shepherd’s Bush had gone missing in Dublin. The Irish police thought they’d found her: an unconscious woman in a city hospital, but she turned out to be someone else. So Littlejohn was pleased to receive a telegram from his old friend the Reverend Caesar Kinrade, Archdeacon of Man, inviting him to drop in for a couple of days on the way back to London. He is on the same plane as Hal Vale the film star, who is on his way to the Isle of Man to make a film with Miss Monique Dol.

When Hal Vale is found dead in his suite at the Carlton Hotel, later that day, local policeman Inspector Knell asks for Superintendent Littlejohn’s assistance. Has Vale taken his own life, was it an accident or has he been murdered? Meanwhile, Ms Dol has fled from the hotel. It seems as though Miss Dol and Mr Vale were about to marry – as soon as his latest divorce was finalised.

In pursuit of Miss Dol, Littlejohn travels via London to Nice where his old friend Inspector Dorange of the Surété assists him. Miss Dol has fled to Nice to see the second of her three husbands: Paul Mauron, a very wealthy and influential man. And then another man is found dead in Miss Dol’s apartment in Nice, just after she left it.

This novel has a quite complicated plot, with several possible suspects and a selection of different motives. I kept reading, keen to find out who murdered Vale and why. There are a couple of twists and a quite dramatic scene near the end which had me wondering whether Littlejohn himself would survive.

I’ve only read a couple of the Inspector Littlejohn novels so far and look forward to reading more.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of over 50 mystery novels written by George Bellairs who also worked as a bank manager all his life. The murder occurs soon in the book but the investigation proceeds slowly. Halfway through the book, Superintendent Littlejohn still hasn’t uncovered any significant clues. In spite of that, the book doesn’t lag. I don’t recall ever seeing a better or more convincing portrait of film stars and the idle rich, the type called the “jet set” at the time the book was written. There are good locations in the Isle of Man and the Riviera. Littlejohn travels back and forth between those two place as well as Dublin and London. There’s a wild finish. I enjoyed the book but it’s not my favorite of the nine Bellairs’ novels I’ve read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just re-read after many years and my original review as below still stands although I have upgraded it to four stars.


Quite typical for Bellairs' hero, Supt. Littlejohn to be in the vicinity of the Isle of Man when a famous film star dies in strange circumstances. The action, in the form of one of the suspects, flees to Provence, France followed by Littlejohn who is held in great esteem there by his French opposite number. Lots of to-ing and fro-ing between Nice, London & Douglas I.O.M. Fairly predictable story of the super rich doing what they like but a quite enjoyable, easy read nevertherless.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hollywood comes to the Isle of Man.

In my last review, I said this author presents a realistic view of police investigations, sans car chases and dramatic show-downs. Damned if this one doesn't end with Superintendent Littlejohn and his friend Inspector Dorange of the French police being held at gunpoint by a desperado who plains to kill them and make his get-away. Naturally, they don't die. It's a series and the main character has to stay alive.

Littlejohn has gone to Ireland to investigate the disappearance of a London shopkeeper and stops on the Isle of Man on his way home for a short visit with his old friend Archdeacon Kinrade. Of course, somebody's murdered and his stay is extended. Mystery writers have to make a living.

A film crew has arrived to make a movie. Hal Vale is a popular actor currently getting a divorce from his third wife so he can marry beautiful actress Monique Dol. Wedding plans are halted when he drops an electric shaver in his bath water and is electrocuted. Or did someone else drop the shaver in the water?

Monique Dol is the last person to see him alive, so the police need to talk to her. She's taken off for the French Riviera, spiritual home of movie stars, millionaires, defunct royals, and their hangers-on. She wants to consult with her former husband Paul Mauron, a Swiss banker with his fingers in a lot of financial pies.

Mauron is a major player, even on the French Riviera, where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a VIP of some sort. He's the kind of man whose quiet word can cause markets to tremble and huge corporations to prosper or implode. He's easily the most powerful man Monique knows so she depends on him for advice when trouble strikes. He advises her to go back to the Isle of Man and face the music, so she does.

The list of murder suspects is long. Vane planned to marry Monique, but she hadn't made up her mind. Maybe they had a lovers' quarrel that ended badly. Vane's lawyer is in love with the wife who's divorcing him. If Vane dies without changing his will, she inherits a fortune.

There's a wealthy businessman who's in love with Monique and bankrolls her movies. Maybe he thinks he'd have a better chance if Vane was out of the way. Heck, maybe it's an actor who lost a big part to Vane. In show business, that's grounds for murder.

As usual, everyone is lying. Littlejohn and Dorange (in France) and Littlejohn and Inspector Knell (on the Isle of Man) must check alibis and track down motives. Meanwhile, one of the suspects is murdered himself. That clears him, but it's a tough way to beat a murder rap.

In the end, the man responsible for both deaths is the unlikliest guy in the book. The French police are amazed, but when a man is getting ready to kill two police officers and make his get-away, that's pretty decisive evidence of wrong-doing. Fortunately, Archdeacon Kinrade (always calm in any emergency) comes to the rescue, along with Inspector Knell, who won the Isle of Man target shooting trophy last year. Nothing like a good sniper in a tough spot.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I have most of the ones in this series. Too much running around frantically instead of staying in one place and attending to business. And my tolerance for neurotic show biz types is very low. I prefer murders among the common folks on the Isle of Man or in the small towns in southern England that Bellairs portrayed so accurately.

It's not a bad book and some of the characters are fun, but it's not my favorite.

[Roisin Shanahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the later Inspector Littlejohn books with glamourous locations and film stars. Hal Vale is the tin god of the title. He is an actor with several ex wives and about to make his current co-star, Monique Dol, wife number 4. However he dies in mysterious circumstances before the marriage can take place.
We first meet Hal Vale as he and Littlejohn are flying from Dublin to the Isle of Man. Littlejohn has been in Dublin to identify a body reportedly that of a missing English woman. That particular mystery is cleared up later but I thought it was a silly, unnecessary side story that really added nothing to the book. Vale is going to a film set and Littlejohn for a holiday to stay with his friend Archdeacon Kinrade.
Vale dies in his bath, his fiance flees to Nice to her ex husband, Paul Mauron, who she calls Uncle and Littlejohn and Kinrade follow her after the local policeman Inspector Knell asks for help. In Nice Littlejohn enlists the help of Inspector Dorange. and they finally track down Monique along the Riviera to ask her questions and send her back to the film set.
Monique is also on hubby No 3, same as Vale. Mauron, a businessman with connections is her second husband but always bails her out and helps finance her movies along with Armstrong who dies in Moniques flat. This sends Littlejohn back to the Isle of Man to continue investigations and discover a lot of coming and going from the back door of the hotel. News of the missing English woman comes through and Littlejohn is soon back to Dublin and then gets a bright idea to discover why Vale had been there and so find a motive for his murder.
I found the pace of the book frenetic, so much flying from one location to another. The glamorous world of filmstars and international financiers a far cry from earlier Littlejohn books I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed the red herring of thinking one person was guilty and then discovering I was wrong and should have guessed the killer from the start. I did not like the last few chapters when Knell and Littlejohn were being held at gunpoint. It seemed farcical, a lot of padding and unrealistic that the killer seemed to think they could get away with everything.
Not the best book from George Bellairs but still enjoyable enough and I would definitely read more from the author.

[Hugh Dunnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the tenth Bellairs novel I have read and although there can be a little variance in quality (of what author of over 50 books can that not be said?) I keep coming back for the same reasons:
1. The writing is light and entertaining and there is always a lot of humour amongst the crime and procedure.
2. No matter how fantastical the setup there is always a logical, discernible motive and solution with no reason to suspend disbelief to get to the conclusion (frequently not the case in crime novels of a similar vintage).
3. Best of all, are the ‘incidental’ characters who are always on hand to direct the action and the plot but more often than not, to provide red herrings! Each of these characters is vividly realised and often walk a fine line between reality and entertainment and also add a touch of humour to proceedings. Bellairs had a wonderful way of dropping these characters into the plot, adding so much more that the small amount of information they are there to provide.

However, it is this final point which in comparison to other Bellairs novels, is a little lacking in Death of a Tin God. All of the main components are present but the humour is a little dialled back. That may suit some readers very well but for me one of the main reasons I read this author is for the ‘comic relief’ lacking in other writers from a similar era. That being said, the rest of the components are there and with a backdrop that takes in locations from Dublin, to the Isle of Man, to Provence. In this relatively short novel, there is little time to get bored!

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superintendent Littlejohn goes to Dublin to ID a missing British woman, finds she isn't there, and then goes to the Isle of Man to visit Reverend Caesar Kinrade. Shortly after he arrives, Inspector Knell of the local police calls for Littlejohn's help as a well known actor has been found electrocuted in his bath at the Hotel which is filled with a lot of theater people. His costar, Monique Dol who was supposedly about to be his fourth wife, has grabbed a small bag and fled to London. They soon find that she has gone on from there in a private plane to Nice to see her second of three husbands, Paul Mauron, a man with lots of money and clout. Littlejohn calls his friend Inspector Dorange, who meets him in Nice.

This book has a complicated plot including lovers quarrels, financial fraud, and good policing. At first there are several possible suspects for the killing. The characters involved range between Dublin, Isle of Man, Nice, and London. Over time, Littlejohn finds out several people were seen coming out of the actor's hotel room shortly before the body is found. Money is definitely one of the possible issues, as Mauron is currently the backer of the movie being made, but there are at least two others talking about taking over the financing. There is also another suitor for the hand of Monique, and the question of who gets all the money the dead man had.

There are amusing scenes, and some very exciting confrontations including the imminent danger of two important policemen being shot. I always enjoy the Littlejohn books.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am finding that some of the Superintendent Littlejohn books from the early nineteen sixties are a bit of a letdown.

The writing strikes me as being rather pedestrian in this one. It is almost as if Bellairs has reacted to the cosmopolitanism and surface glamour of the characters by flattening his prose style.

Given that there are four main locations, Dublin, Douglas, London and the French Riviera, there are surprisingly few of the expected descriptions of landscape and buildings. Given a cast list of international film stars, bankers and financial wheeler-dealers, there are few flashes of satirical wit and humour at their expense.

Littlejohn flies from location to location, while the film crew is stuck on the Isle of Man. There are fleeting appearances by Archdeacon Kinrade, Mrs Littlejohn and Cromwell and more substantial parts for Dorange and Knell.

Briefly the plot encompasses three murders, the first being that of the film actor Hal Vale in his suite at the luxurious Carlton Hotel : the others stem from it. The suspect list is potentially huge as Vale was not popular, and a much-married philanderer, about to marry his co-star, Monique Dol.

Again, painstaking research, determined questioning and a lot of knowledge of human nature lead the Superintendent to the solution.

[Dave Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once more Littlejohn arrives in the Isle of Man for a few days rest with the Arch Bishop and someone gets murdered, so unfair but that's how it is. What follows is a list of possible suspects that take him back to France to work with Inspector Donage where there is another murder. The adventure starts on a plane out of Dublin where Littlejohn has a on going case there of a missing person but still important enough to take up some of his time up whilst looking for a murderer as well. The loyal and dedicated Cromwell still gets a look in although a very brief one but always there for his boss it is a late night call that well you will find out. Without giving anything away this as well has the share of great characters with the usual feast of names and humour also this adventure gives us a colourful and thrilling conclusion. If you love Littlejohn you will love this if it's your first time and you are a Littlejohn virgin then prepare to be hooked you will love him.

[Leila Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais um na lista dos ditos romances policiais da chamada Idade de Ouro do gênero na Grã-Bretanha. Antes Agatha Christie reinava absoluta, agora é rainha entre outros nobres, depois que descobri a coleção patrocinada pela British Library. E como fã do gênero, volta e meia surge uma indicação no Google ou na própria Amazon. Raras são as vezes em que me decepciono. Além de uma investigação à moda antiga, sem o glamour dos aparatos dos já famosos laboratórios criminais (têm seu lugar na ficção, mas me encanto com essa engenhosidade que traz mais à tona a capacidade do investigador. Meu favorito continua sendo Hercule Poirot, mas uma trama bem escrita entretém adequadamente. Há alguns trechos em que a trama se detém além do que eu gostaria em descrições da paisagem. Mas o fio não se perde nessa investigação sobre a morte de um astro do cinema (não é spoiler, o próprio título já entrega), e os diversos caminhos que distraem o superintendente Littlejohn até ele chegar à conclusão correta.

[Voluntarystress · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thanks to Netgalley and Ipsos Books for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I requested the novel because George Bellairs is one of my favourite writers of post-war detective fiction. Agatha Christie gives you a great mystery to solve, but George Bellairs give you that and wonderful descriptive passages of places he obviously knows well and loves. He takes you there. You can feel the climate, smell the aromas, just put yourself in the scenery.

First published in 1961, here we have a piece of the world of glitzy, phoney Hollywood of the late 50s taking place in the author’s beloved South of France. As the name suggests, a movie star who believes his own hype is murdered. Despite living in a very different technological world today, these stories never seem to date. Bellairs books are a last hurrah of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and what a hurrah. Each republication of a Bellairs novel is a must for me.

[Homerun2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Inspector Littlejohn is far away from his usual territory in this 60's era mystery, ranging from the Isle of Man to Dublin to the French Riviera.

He arrives on the Isle of Man after a film star is found murdered while on location. The victim's supposed fiance and co-star has disappeared to take refuge with her ex-husband. Unusually, the local police force is right on top of things and Littlejohn and they work well together.

He doggedly pursues every red herring and is able to trace a path to the killer. I missed his usual interactions with British villagers, but he has plenty of opportunity to question and investigate. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Susan Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Classic British Mystery

Scotland Yard Superintendent Littlejohn is visiting a friend on the Isle of Man. A movie is being shot on the island and popular actor, Hal Vale, has just arrived to the delight of fans. His French co-star, Monique Dols, is rumored to soon become Vale's fourth wife. The same day Vale and Littlejohn arrive, Vale is electrocuted in his bath and Monique hastily flees to the French Riviera. Littlejohn is called in to investigate and follows Monique to the Mediterranean. Soon the movie's financial backer is murdered. There is plenty of action and misdirection for mystery buffs. French Inspector Dorange and Rev. Caesar Kinrade from previous Littlejohn books also are featured. A very enjoyable read.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

On his way home from a case in Dublin, Littlejohn stops by the Isle of Man to visit his old friend and runs smack dab into a murder case. How could that happen?? He hits the jackpot when a suspect runs off to the French Rivera and he is forced to follow. Bellairs hits all his favorite spots for Littlejohn in this one and even the dear old Archbishop goes along for the ride.

With all these wonderful settings involved, how could I help but like it. I would have given it 5 stars this time, but once again he spoils it with a very convoluted ending. He just goes on and on when it should just stop.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is pretty much straight police procedural -which suits me fine. The devices which lead to Littlejohn working on this case are a bit contrived and the ending a bit abrupt, but I very much enjoyed the ride. The action moves from Dublin to the Isle of Mann and to France.

I like following the data gathering techniques - without the aid of electronic surveillance but setting the logic and methodology that underpin modern policing (and criminal activity!). The prose is lucid, a bit laconic, evoking the essence to people, places and relationships.

A good story, empathetic characters and a win for the white hats.
That makes a winner in my book.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written just as he was preparing for retirement from his day job as a Manchester bank manager and move to the Isle of Man this is George Bellairs at his best.
The author knew the Isle of Man, the French Riviera and Dublin well and used them as backdrops to several of his novels. This time the plot involves film actors, dodgy financiers and an even dodgier bank owner (perhaps a little bit of humourous self-parody?) and respected policemen from forces in the Isle of Man, France and Dublin, but it is of course Superintendent Littlejohn who is centre stage.
A beautifully written mystery which can be read again and again with continual pleasure.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, fast paced and gripping novel that I read in one sitting.
It starts as classic whodunnit but it's also full of irony about the show-biz and a certain type of high class.
Plenty of suspects and possible culprits, I wasn't able to guess who-did-it and why.
I don't want to spoil anything but some of the topics are quite modern and they seem to anticipate more modern mysteries.
The last part was breathtaking and I couldn't guess the last twists.
I had a lot of fun and highly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited | I wish the author had loved Provence and the Isle of Man a little less | Bellairs was obviously capable of writing a good mystery, but often when he set his books in his favourite places he forgot what he was supposed to be doing. If I read the words "holiday feeling" one more time, I may scream. If the unnecessary travelling from one place to another was edited out, this would be a 75 page book.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

The leading man of a film being shot in Isle of Man starts off this complicated murder mystery. Hal Vale, the movie star, dies early on, electrocuted in the bath tub. But who did it and who wanted him dead—Monique Dol, his leading lady whom he’s about to marry, one of his ex-wives, a financier in love with the leading lady, his lawyer whose in love with one of his ex-wives, the ex-husband of Monique who is incredibly rich and powerful? Great ending!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Littlejohn has gone to the Isle of Mann. But there is no quiet. Movie stars have come to town to make a film. When Hal Vale, movie star, is found dead in his hotel room, the investigation takes Littlejohn to Dublin and the Riviera where he gets help from his old friend, Inspector Durange. Can they figure out the real murderer?

Interesting mystery.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to reduce to 3 1/2

This one had a suspenseful scene at the end. More violence than any other I think. Perhaps the public was demanding it by the time he wrote this one. A good story, Isle of Man plus Dorange and France. And the Archdeacon not laying true to form. Very good.

[Verity W · Rating 4 out of 5]

*******Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****

This instalment in the Littlejohn series sees the inspector flying back and forth between London, the Isle of Man, Dublin and the south of France as he tries to solve the murder of a film actor, just arrived on location on the island. The denouement is very tense. I liked it a lot.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A film star murdered, his glamorous co-star absconded, and a shadowy French power broker. A complicated murder case where a lot of people have motives and solving it depends on the time line of who was where and when. As always, Bellairs is an excellent satirist but this one breaks down at the end. 2.5 stars.

[Lilly Hi Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Your Usual Bellairs Mystery

George Bellairs outdid himself with this mystery in which a famous actor is murdered and the suspects are other famous actors, producers, and financiers. You'll enjoy it.

[PeggySue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an introduction to a new author for me. I very much enjoyed Liittlejohn and the French police with their very laid back method of catching a killer while enjoying fine dining and hobnobbing with the film industry. Very Golden Age of Mystery ambience. I am pleased to learn this is a very long series and I look forward to reading more with pleasure.

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books in the latter half of the series. More action than usual especially at the ending. Littlejohn does a lot of travelling between the Isle of Man, England, France and Dublin on a moment's notice with no indication of how it's being paid for and by who!

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dour, this one, with a not just slightly unbelievable, kitchen sink ending. OTOH it's Bellairs.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Littlejohn, Knell, and the parson were all great, as usual. I just couldn't care about the spoiled celebrities involved in this case.