have read this before - no idea when ( )

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

Unremarkable but a pleasant way to pass the time. ( )

While staying overnight in east Anglia Superintendent Tom Littlejoihn is called out in the middle of the night to a crime scene. A body has been discovered in the River Dumb, stabbed not drowned. A man who seems to have two identities. Is his lifestyle the clue to the motive but who would want to kill such an inoffensive man.
Quite a basic plot but still an enjoyable well-written read.
Originally published in 1961
A NetGalley Book ( )

The Dumb River, so named because it usually flows silently, is in full flood, bursting its banks after torrential rains. But water’s not the only thing in it—the flood relief crews have discovered a body. Jim Teasdale has been stabbed but didn’t seem to have an enemy in the world. Who could have killed him and why?

This was an OK mystery. I had to really kick myself to get past the first chapter, but once I was settled in, I was in for the long haul. I’m not sure how much solving Littlejohn actually did; most of his role was to be in the right place at the right time and coax people to confess. That said, this might be the first Bellairs book I’ve actually finished, so perhaps that’s an endorsement? ( )