Death Is No Sportsman

Death is No Sportsman (1938) was the second crime novel by ''Cyril Hare'', nom de plume of Alfred Gordon Clark and one of the best-loved names in English ''Golden Age'' crime writing.

The banks of the river Didder in the summertime appear idyllic: the sun is shining, the trout rising. But when the body of a local landowner is discovered, the peace of the countryside is shattered. It soon becomes apparent that quite a few local people disliked the deceased. Inspector Mallett is brought in from Scotland Yard to find the killer; and, though quick to disentangle the complex relationships linking suspects and victim, Mallett must master the subtleties of fly-fishing in order to uncover the incriminating evidence he seeks.

''A "fair play" thriller with no outrageously red herrings drawn across the trail.'' Daily Mirror

''More than well worth reading.'' Observer