What do you think?
Rate this book
Chief Inspector Littlejohn #13
Outrage on Gallows Hill
The war is over and blackouts are a thing of the past, except in the village of Melchester, where the local council has refused to sully its streets with unsightly lamps. The night is pitch black, but hardly quiet. Young lovers are rendezvousing, a police constable is helping himself to a few of his neighbor’s partridges, and a poet is going to visit his beloved, a new verse on his lips. She will never hear it, sadly, for the young man is stopped along his way—stopped forever, by the tight grip of the garrote.
The local constabulary wastes no time reaching out to Scotland Yard, which sends its best man: the easygoing detective-inspector Littlejohn. In Melchester he will find unspeakable secrets—and one citizen whose soul is as dark as the village night.
The local constabulary wastes no time reaching out to Scotland Yard, which sends its best man: the easygoing detective-inspector Littlejohn. In Melchester he will find unspeakable secrets—and one citizen whose soul is as dark as the village night.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1949
214 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
George Bellairs
82Ìýbooks95ÌýfollowersAKA 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 4, 2018
Don’t let the title confuse you: Gallows Hill isn’t an execution spot, but a secluded area.
In the 13th novel in George Bellairs� long-running series featuring Detective-Inspector Thomas Littlejohn, Ronald Free � a fresh Melchester University graduate in English and French with a new job at a minor public school in the village of Ravelstone � becomes engaged and gets murdered in the same night.
Who would want to kill this harmless young man? Littlejohn, assisted by his trusty if lugubrious Sergeant Robert Cromwell, examine Free’s fiancée and her family, the fiancée’s many discarded boyfriends and others in the village in a case that proves difficult to crack. While amongst Bellairs� finest (a high bar, indeed), Outrage on Gallows Hill was a good enough read that I neglected way too many chores in order to finish it.
In the 13th novel in George Bellairs� long-running series featuring Detective-Inspector Thomas Littlejohn, Ronald Free � a fresh Melchester University graduate in English and French with a new job at a minor public school in the village of Ravelstone � becomes engaged and gets murdered in the same night.
Who would want to kill this harmless young man? Littlejohn, assisted by his trusty if lugubrious Sergeant Robert Cromwell, examine Free’s fiancée and her family, the fiancée’s many discarded boyfriends and others in the village in a case that proves difficult to crack. While amongst Bellairs� finest (a high bar, indeed), Outrage on Gallows Hill was a good enough read that I neglected way too many chores in order to finish it.
March 5, 2023
This could've been a plot on Midsomer Murders (and may very well have been, considering I only watched six series of it). A young romantic-minded poet has just become engaged to the woman he loves, only to make it about halfway down the sidewalk before he's killed via garrotte. The lady in question is one of them femme fatales who has all the men in the village panting after her, young and old alike, so there's no shortage of possible murderers amongst the jealous crew.
There's also a side plot of a local rivalry between two local constables, Butt and Costain. First of all, having one of them named "Butt" is amusing enough, but his kooky eighty-four-year-old father is referred to as "Old Butt" and, well, you can't help but laugh out loud at their antics. Poor (young) Butt was also strangled with the garrotte, but considering he is much heavier than the murder victim and knows a few wrestling moves, he was able to live to tell the tale. His professional rivalry with Costain knows no bounds however, which makes for an amusing coda at the end.
The whodunit becomes clear about the same time as the motive, and it's really just another gross idea of an entire family protecting their claim in the most violent way possible. I had no sympathy for any of them, and felt every iota of Littlejohn's impatience when dealing with shallow-minded jerks. Mercifully, Cromwell does play a short but important role in the story, so Littlejohn wasn't suffering on his own.
Final verdict: worth a read, especially if you can find it in the library as I did.
There's also a side plot of a local rivalry between two local constables, Butt and Costain. First of all, having one of them named "Butt" is amusing enough, but his kooky eighty-four-year-old father is referred to as "Old Butt" and, well, you can't help but laugh out loud at their antics. Poor (young) Butt was also strangled with the garrotte, but considering he is much heavier than the murder victim and knows a few wrestling moves, he was able to live to tell the tale. His professional rivalry with Costain knows no bounds however, which makes for an amusing coda at the end.
The whodunit becomes clear about the same time as the motive, and it's really just another gross idea of an entire family protecting their claim in the most violent way possible. I had no sympathy for any of them, and felt every iota of Littlejohn's impatience when dealing with shallow-minded jerks. Mercifully, Cromwell does play a short but important role in the story, so Littlejohn wasn't suffering on his own.
Final verdict: worth a read, especially if you can find it in the library as I did.
October 2, 2023
Since I had not read an Inspector Littlejohn for some time , I decided to check back, and, astonishingly this is my 41st in the 58 book series.
As a detective novel, “Outrage on Gallows Hill� does not rank among Bellairs� best, overwhelmed as it is by the author’s delight in creating memorable characters with outlandish names and behaviours. There is really only one clue as to the murderer’s identity and the motivation is obvious, despite a tardy attempt at a red herring. Littlejohn seems rather underpowered here and ultimately it is Sergeant Cromwell’s late appearance which brings matters to a slightly melodramatic head.
However there is a lot of interest to be had from the depiction of rural/ small town life in late 1940s England, with the vagaries of rationing and life under a Labour government. There is a lot of fun too in the contrasting careers and family lives of the local constables and in the antics of various rural worthies, authors and academics.
Easy to read and mildly entertaining but providing little over which to puzzle.
3.5 stars.
As a detective novel, “Outrage on Gallows Hill� does not rank among Bellairs� best, overwhelmed as it is by the author’s delight in creating memorable characters with outlandish names and behaviours. There is really only one clue as to the murderer’s identity and the motivation is obvious, despite a tardy attempt at a red herring. Littlejohn seems rather underpowered here and ultimately it is Sergeant Cromwell’s late appearance which brings matters to a slightly melodramatic head.
However there is a lot of interest to be had from the depiction of rural/ small town life in late 1940s England, with the vagaries of rationing and life under a Labour government. There is a lot of fun too in the contrasting careers and family lives of the local constables and in the antics of various rural worthies, authors and academics.
Easy to read and mildly entertaining but providing little over which to puzzle.
3.5 stars.
May 11, 2021
Very good rural mystery with loads of gossiping villagers
I really enjoy George Bellairs mystery novels. Littlejohn is sent to a pair of villages to solve a strangulation murder in the local Lovers' Lane. First he is saddled with local Inspector Stanley as guide who is useless. Finally he gets to work with local PC Costain. However, they are burdened with endless gossip, lies, and refusals to answer questions from everyone they interview. In the middle, there is a clue, one clue. After that Littlejohn has Cromwell off doing research for him and Littlejohn starts getting pieces of information that helps him ask the right people the right questions. A lot of digging but eventually, he reaches the truth.
I really enjoy George Bellairs mystery novels. Littlejohn is sent to a pair of villages to solve a strangulation murder in the local Lovers' Lane. First he is saddled with local Inspector Stanley as guide who is useless. Finally he gets to work with local PC Costain. However, they are burdened with endless gossip, lies, and refusals to answer questions from everyone they interview. In the middle, there is a clue, one clue. After that Littlejohn has Cromwell off doing research for him and Littlejohn starts getting pieces of information that helps him ask the right people the right questions. A lot of digging but eventually, he reaches the truth.
November 27, 2018
Early Bird Book Deal | One of the better I've read in the series so far, even though the murderer's mistake was obvious right away | I think the reason I liked this as much as I did was that the pacing was better than some classic mysteries I've read recently. There certainly was a lot of dull, plodding gossip chasing in the middle, but we still got to the end with a minimum of melodrama. Some people didn't get what was coming to them, but I can be happy for Costain.
December 22, 2020
Excellent As Expected from Bellairs
This is another exceptionally good mystery from George Bellairs who had already written many mysteries before this one but wasn't tired out at all. This has the classic Bellairs formula, a small eccentric village with odd and diverse residents and an unusual death. I can recommend it and any other Bellairs mystery.
This is another exceptionally good mystery from George Bellairs who had already written many mysteries before this one but wasn't tired out at all. This has the classic Bellairs formula, a small eccentric village with odd and diverse residents and an unusual death. I can recommend it and any other Bellairs mystery.
March 2, 2018
Another interesting murder!
I was a bit sad at who the murderer was but alls well because Little John got his man! A sort of love triangle that seemed more of a star there were so many suitors for the fair Laura! Good book for anyone loving these mysteries.
I was a bit sad at who the murderer was but alls well because Little John got his man! A sort of love triangle that seemed more of a star there were so many suitors for the fair Laura! Good book for anyone loving these mysteries.
June 8, 2018
Enjoyed finding and reading this earlier volume in Littlejohn's history. The war was just over in this one and Thomas is still just a detective but it is Bellairs writing at his best. See the first mention of the Isle of Man and the next book in line will take him there.
June 17, 2020
Good one.
I Ike this series. No big violence. The police officers generally get along together. No suspense. So not for those who like a different sort but they suit me. The ending was perfect.
I Ike this series. No big violence. The police officers generally get along together. No suspense. So not for those who like a different sort but they suit me. The ending was perfect.
May 14, 2025
This is, I think, Bellairs at his best. A good plot with plenty of detection and lots of red herrings. All this along with the wonderfully witty descriptions of the characters and situations that I really enjoy.
Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
Four and a half stars.
Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
Four and a half stars.
November 7, 2017
Littlejohn is fantastic!
June 25, 2018
I love the Inspector Littlejohn books.
I love his characterizations, his portrayal of village life and his humorous style. This one was just a little more predictable.
I love his characterizations, his portrayal of village life and his humorous style. This one was just a little more predictable.
February 5, 2019
Excellent .
February 22, 2019
I enjoyed it but I liked the ones that take place on the Isle of Man more. There were definitely some humorous incidents and characters.
April 20, 2020
Nice procedural with a realistic flavour of 40-50's Britain. The ending wasn't telegraphed and the solution was not pulled out of thin air.
Good read and suggest looking for more from this series
Good read and suggest looking for more from this series
September 25, 2021
In the village of Melchester, the night is pitch black and a poet is strangled. Scotland Yard is called in. Can Inspector Littlejohn figure it out?
Great classic mystery.
Great classic mystery.
Read
May 3, 20222.5 I really enjoyed the first half with the world building of this messy village. The mystery itself, not so much, by the end, it just kind of dragged.
July 12, 2022
Excellent.
My only complaint is the reference to "the n***er in the woodpile" which could have been edited as I've just done.
My only complaint is the reference to "the n***er in the woodpile" which could have been edited as I've just done.
May 1, 2023
3.5 stars. Murder in a village and a lot of small town talk. A good series with a lot of rustic comedy/satire in this one; the Lady of the Manor is especially good.
July 3, 2024
A lost treasure revived by e-publishing.
We assume that outstanding books "last" while those of lower quality fade into oblivion, but it's not that simple. "George Bellairs" was a Manchester banker who started writing mysteries during WWII when he spent long nights as a volunteer air raid warden.
A lousy businessman, he never made enough from writing to quit his day job, but he produced a substantial series featuring London Metropolitan CID Inspector Littlejohn. Did his penny-pinching publisher skimp on advertising or was Bellairs lost in the tidal wave of female mystery writers of the day - Christie, Allingham, Sayers, Marsh, Mitchell, et al?
I never heard of Bellairs until Kindle editions of his books started appearing. Martin Edwards (canny editor of the BLCC series) is a great Bellairs fan. This book isn't including in that series, but I think it's one of his best.
Bellairs specialized in village mysteries with quirky characters. I suppose his career in banking helped him understand people from all social and economic classes. Or maybe he was just an observant, curious man. He certainly had a wicked sense of humor and a love of eccentrics and the bizarre situations their obsessions lead to.
Inspector Littlejohn may be the most likable detective ever created - intelligent, unpretentious, and good-natured. Thoroughly professional, he solves crimes the old-fashioned way, by patient questioning and following up any leads that fall his way.
A young man is found strangled one night on Gallows Hill, the local Lovers' Lane of Ravelstone. The village has the usual inhabitants - farmers, small tradesmen, the squire, the vicar, etc - but some wildcards, too. Maybe because it's close to the town of Melchester, there are writers, as well as professors from Melchester University.
Ronald Free is the only child of a family of modest means, but he has a university degree and the promise of a job teaching. He's just gotten engaged to the village beauty, Laura Cruft. Laura is also the only child of a wealthy farmer. Her father died and her mother remarried, but she should come in for a hefty dowry and a substantial inheritance. Unless, of course, her step-father has siphoned off the money.
A self-absorbed flirt, Laura has encouraged numerous young men and some older ones, too. So was Ronald knocked off by one of Laura's jealous exes or does her shifty stepfather have his own reasons for not wanting her to acquire a husband?
There are two Police Constables who patrol Ravelstone and a nearby village, but it's PC Costain who finds the body. That gives him the privilege of working with a CID detective and (possibly) getting his sargeant stripes. His colleague PC Butts is furious and sets out to solve the crime himself, determined to pin the murder on Costain if at all possible.
Instead, Butts' angry, public boasts put himself in danger. A murderer threatened with exposure is a deadly animal and an unarmed PC patrolling a dark area by himself is an easy victim. Typically, the locals are outraged by the attack, in spite of Butts' unpopularity. If someone dares attack a copper, who's safe?
What sets this book apart is the wonderful characters and the loving details Bellairs provides about their lives. Few of them are admirable, but all are interesting. Bellairs recognized a fundamental fact of human nature - we all love to gossip.
Then there's the humor. The fierce rivalry between the two villages (centuries old, but still liable to flare up any time), the wily wife of the local squire/Conservative MP, the dead man's cynical Uncle Jonas and his BBF, and (most of all) PC Butts' angry, ancient father all add to the fun. Many Big City coppers would throw up their hands in despair, but Littlejohn is a countryman himself. He knows these perpetual sources of entertainment are vital in a rural community and he works with them.
In addition to being a humorist, Bellairs was also a romantic and a firm believer that a happy marriage is the secret to a good life. PC Costain is a sad figure, having foolishly allowed himself to be lured from his beloved Isle of Manx by a pretty face who turned into a scolding, discontented wife. But people can change (or at least Bellairs wanted to think so) and the "outrage" on Gallows Hill has a strange effect on the bad-tempered Mrs Costain. Maybe her husband means more to her than she realized?
This book was published in 1949, but many wartime conditions are still in evidence. There are "landgirls" working on the Cruft farm and Littlejohn's train is crowded with returning soldiers. The London government was still imposing rationing and the Black Market is flourishing. "Poaching" (taking game birds owned by the local squire) is a time-honored rural tradition, but still illegal. Would a poacher resort to murder?
I've enjoyed all the books in this series, but I think this is one of the best. For my tastes, Bellairs hits all the marks. If you haven't tried him, you should.
We assume that outstanding books "last" while those of lower quality fade into oblivion, but it's not that simple. "George Bellairs" was a Manchester banker who started writing mysteries during WWII when he spent long nights as a volunteer air raid warden.
A lousy businessman, he never made enough from writing to quit his day job, but he produced a substantial series featuring London Metropolitan CID Inspector Littlejohn. Did his penny-pinching publisher skimp on advertising or was Bellairs lost in the tidal wave of female mystery writers of the day - Christie, Allingham, Sayers, Marsh, Mitchell, et al?
I never heard of Bellairs until Kindle editions of his books started appearing. Martin Edwards (canny editor of the BLCC series) is a great Bellairs fan. This book isn't including in that series, but I think it's one of his best.
Bellairs specialized in village mysteries with quirky characters. I suppose his career in banking helped him understand people from all social and economic classes. Or maybe he was just an observant, curious man. He certainly had a wicked sense of humor and a love of eccentrics and the bizarre situations their obsessions lead to.
Inspector Littlejohn may be the most likable detective ever created - intelligent, unpretentious, and good-natured. Thoroughly professional, he solves crimes the old-fashioned way, by patient questioning and following up any leads that fall his way.
A young man is found strangled one night on Gallows Hill, the local Lovers' Lane of Ravelstone. The village has the usual inhabitants - farmers, small tradesmen, the squire, the vicar, etc - but some wildcards, too. Maybe because it's close to the town of Melchester, there are writers, as well as professors from Melchester University.
Ronald Free is the only child of a family of modest means, but he has a university degree and the promise of a job teaching. He's just gotten engaged to the village beauty, Laura Cruft. Laura is also the only child of a wealthy farmer. Her father died and her mother remarried, but she should come in for a hefty dowry and a substantial inheritance. Unless, of course, her step-father has siphoned off the money.
A self-absorbed flirt, Laura has encouraged numerous young men and some older ones, too. So was Ronald knocked off by one of Laura's jealous exes or does her shifty stepfather have his own reasons for not wanting her to acquire a husband?
There are two Police Constables who patrol Ravelstone and a nearby village, but it's PC Costain who finds the body. That gives him the privilege of working with a CID detective and (possibly) getting his sargeant stripes. His colleague PC Butts is furious and sets out to solve the crime himself, determined to pin the murder on Costain if at all possible.
Instead, Butts' angry, public boasts put himself in danger. A murderer threatened with exposure is a deadly animal and an unarmed PC patrolling a dark area by himself is an easy victim. Typically, the locals are outraged by the attack, in spite of Butts' unpopularity. If someone dares attack a copper, who's safe?
What sets this book apart is the wonderful characters and the loving details Bellairs provides about their lives. Few of them are admirable, but all are interesting. Bellairs recognized a fundamental fact of human nature - we all love to gossip.
Then there's the humor. The fierce rivalry between the two villages (centuries old, but still liable to flare up any time), the wily wife of the local squire/Conservative MP, the dead man's cynical Uncle Jonas and his BBF, and (most of all) PC Butts' angry, ancient father all add to the fun. Many Big City coppers would throw up their hands in despair, but Littlejohn is a countryman himself. He knows these perpetual sources of entertainment are vital in a rural community and he works with them.
In addition to being a humorist, Bellairs was also a romantic and a firm believer that a happy marriage is the secret to a good life. PC Costain is a sad figure, having foolishly allowed himself to be lured from his beloved Isle of Manx by a pretty face who turned into a scolding, discontented wife. But people can change (or at least Bellairs wanted to think so) and the "outrage" on Gallows Hill has a strange effect on the bad-tempered Mrs Costain. Maybe her husband means more to her than she realized?
This book was published in 1949, but many wartime conditions are still in evidence. There are "landgirls" working on the Cruft farm and Littlejohn's train is crowded with returning soldiers. The London government was still imposing rationing and the Black Market is flourishing. "Poaching" (taking game birds owned by the local squire) is a time-honored rural tradition, but still illegal. Would a poacher resort to murder?
I've enjoyed all the books in this series, but I think this is one of the best. For my tastes, Bellairs hits all the marks. If you haven't tried him, you should.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.