Books like The Cursing Stones Murder by George Bellairs

While fishing off the Isle of Man, the Manx Shearwater uncovers a mortally wounded body tied to the ship's keel, suggesting foul play far from the usual waters of maritime death. The medical report details a brutal assault, leaving investigators to question the victim’s identity and motives. The case takes a twisted turn when the body’s name echoes that of the mysterious Cedric Levis, a local known for his questionable affairs. Letters addressed to Levis in a San Reno hotel have not been delivered, and a billing record—yet no room was occupied—leaves a breadcrumb trail of suspicion. Chief Inspector Littlejohn is enlisted by his friend Archbishop Kinrade to investigate unofficially, following a verdict that the accused is innocent. Entrapped by local lore about the Cursing Stones, Littlejohn must untangle rumours from evidence, determine whether Levis’s hotel room was ever used, and expose the true murderer before the island’s myths claim another victim.

First publish date: 1954