{"product_id":"hed-rather-be-dead-9781504092692","title":"He'd Rather Be Dead","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe mayor of a seaside town is murdered, and a London police detective must sort through motives both political and personal . . .\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Thanks to its mayor, Sir Gideon Ware, the quiet harbor town of Westcombe has turned into a crowded and rather garish seaside destination where visitors can come to escape the stress of wartime. When Ware collapses at a lavish luncheon, felled by strychnine, Inspector Littlejohn must travel from London to solve the seemingly inexplicable murder. Ware was surrounded by local bigwigs at his table--but that's just the beginning of the suspect list, as Littlejohn untangles the rivalries, resentments, and corrupt dealings that permeate this picturesque but troubled community . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for the Inspector Littlejohn mysteries\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Assured prose, well-drawn characters, and the atmosphere of 1940s wartime England . . . well worth the reader's time.\" --\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Everything is quite comparable in tone to a really good Simenon.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Dryly ceremonious wit [that] shines from the very first page.\" --\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Open Road Media Mystery \u0026amp; Thri\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/14\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781504092692\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.68lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.55d","brand":"George Bellairs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43471163850933,"sku":"9781504092692","price":17.84,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_9f471964-20c3-4072-9f02-81ae6e61637e.jpg?v=1704823359","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/hed-rather-be-dead-9781504092692","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}