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Bill Slider #17
Star Fall
Who would kill a charming antiques expert Rowland Egerton, the darling of daytime TV? Bill Slider and his team are on the case . . ."
It s quiet out there, says DS Atherton, at Bill Slider s office window. Too quiet. Right on cue, the phone rings. Now look what you ve done, says Slider. It s a homicide. The post-Christmas lull is officially over. The deceased is antiques expert Rowland Egerton, the darling of daytime TV, stabbed to death in his luxurious West London home. The press are going to be all over this one like a nasty rash: the pressure s on Slider for a result, and soon. Egerton s partner, the bulky, granite-faced John Lavender, found the body; did he also do the deed? Or was it a burglary gone wrong? A missing Faberge box and Impressionist painting point that way. But as Slider and his team investigate, none of the facts seem to fit. And it soon becomes clear that the much-loved, charming Mr Egerton wasn t as universally loved, or perhaps as charming, as Slider was first led to believe . . .
It s quiet out there, says DS Atherton, at Bill Slider s office window. Too quiet. Right on cue, the phone rings. Now look what you ve done, says Slider. It s a homicide. The post-Christmas lull is officially over. The deceased is antiques expert Rowland Egerton, the darling of daytime TV, stabbed to death in his luxurious West London home. The press are going to be all over this one like a nasty rash: the pressure s on Slider for a result, and soon. Egerton s partner, the bulky, granite-faced John Lavender, found the body; did he also do the deed? Or was it a burglary gone wrong? A missing Faberge box and Impressionist painting point that way. But as Slider and his team investigate, none of the facts seem to fit. And it soon becomes clear that the much-loved, charming Mr Egerton wasn t as universally loved, or perhaps as charming, as Slider was first led to believe . . .
250 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2015
18 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
166 books479 followersCynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.
She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.
In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.
She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.
She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.
In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 14, 2022
I binge read this series up to book #16 a few years ago and then got the arc for book #23. With a bit of time on my hands I decided to catch up with the intervening books. I won’t review them in excruciating detail as I’ve got to crack on reading them!
At the time I wasn’t really aware of the term but I now realise these books would be considered cosies. On the other hand there is a pleasing lack of child abduction, sexual abuse and torture deaths which is just what I need right now.
DI Bill Slider and his bagman DS Jim Atherton and the rest of the team are investigating the death of Rowland Edgerton, an antique/ arts “expert” from the Antiques Galore! show who was stabbed in the neck at his home. There was no sign of a break in but two items appear to be missing - a Fabergé malachite snuff box and a painting by a second string impressionist painter. A motive for murder - perhaps not but both items are significant. There is very little to go on but as the investigation progresses they learn that Mr Edgerton was not a very nice man. He enjoyed having “dirt” on a number of people and not averse to a little blackmail so the list of suspects starts to grow.
There is also further character development. Slider’s wife, Joanna, a classical violinist is about to return to work after suffering a miscarriage and the other team members love lives are given plenty of air time. There are also moments of humour, particularly in the way their Superintendent mashes up his malapropisms.
3.5 stars rounded up for this one and I’m on to the next!
At the time I wasn’t really aware of the term but I now realise these books would be considered cosies. On the other hand there is a pleasing lack of child abduction, sexual abuse and torture deaths which is just what I need right now.
DI Bill Slider and his bagman DS Jim Atherton and the rest of the team are investigating the death of Rowland Edgerton, an antique/ arts “expert” from the Antiques Galore! show who was stabbed in the neck at his home. There was no sign of a break in but two items appear to be missing - a Fabergé malachite snuff box and a painting by a second string impressionist painter. A motive for murder - perhaps not but both items are significant. There is very little to go on but as the investigation progresses they learn that Mr Edgerton was not a very nice man. He enjoyed having “dirt” on a number of people and not averse to a little blackmail so the list of suspects starts to grow.
There is also further character development. Slider’s wife, Joanna, a classical violinist is about to return to work after suffering a miscarriage and the other team members love lives are given plenty of air time. There are also moments of humour, particularly in the way their Superintendent mashes up his malapropisms.
3.5 stars rounded up for this one and I’m on to the next!
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May 3, 2023
4-Stars - "I Really Liked It"
Star Fall (Bill Slider, #17) by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Audiobook 09:35 Hours - Narrator: Terry Wales
I had read/heard books #1 to #15 in the delightful DI Bill Slider series, but I only recently returned to listen to #16, "Hard Going" in February, and now #17, "Star Fall"in April. There were no artistic surprises in #17 and the mystery is resolved in the properly consistent, 'police procedural' fashion, of Bill Slider and his team.
These are not "cozy" mysteries, but well-developed, elegantly presented crime stories written by a very experienced and highly competent author. Fortunately Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is still going strong and there are, so far, six more titles in this series that will no doubt continue to put a smile on my face🤩.
"Star Fall" was beautifully narrated by Terry Wale, well-known British actor, writer and narrator, who sadly died in December 2021, aged 83. Following Wales's death, later productions in the DCI Bill Slider series are read by actor and experienced narrator, Mark Meadows.
Star Fall (Bill Slider, #17) by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Audiobook 09:35 Hours - Narrator: Terry Wales
I had read/heard books #1 to #15 in the delightful DI Bill Slider series, but I only recently returned to listen to #16, "Hard Going" in February, and now #17, "Star Fall"in April. There were no artistic surprises in #17 and the mystery is resolved in the properly consistent, 'police procedural' fashion, of Bill Slider and his team.
These are not "cozy" mysteries, but well-developed, elegantly presented crime stories written by a very experienced and highly competent author. Fortunately Cynthia Harrod-Eagles is still going strong and there are, so far, six more titles in this series that will no doubt continue to put a smile on my face🤩.
"Star Fall" was beautifully narrated by Terry Wale, well-known British actor, writer and narrator, who sadly died in December 2021, aged 83. Following Wales's death, later productions in the DCI Bill Slider series are read by actor and experienced narrator, Mark Meadows.
April 24, 2019
I was going to state a falsehood - that I had never read this author before. Then I looked at her long list of published books and found that I did read one of these Bill Slider books back in January of this year. Furthermore, I said nothing about it here on Goodreads. In attempt to correct this situation I will note my feelings about this Bill Slider, book 17 of the series.
It is not necessarily the kind of police procedural I get excited about, but it is a comfortable kind of slow telling-unwinding of criminal investigation couched within so much "chatting up" one can lose sight of the fact that someone was murdered. On the plus side it is in London.
The murder victim in this case was a famous television personality heading up something very like Antiques Roadshow from BBC. The long list of people who are interviewed plus the friendly chatter between the colleagues is fatiguing for me. For truly sociable people it should fill the bill.
I will try to remember this author for the next sleepless night with my kindle by my side. I did like some of the descriptions of locations and people.
It is not necessarily the kind of police procedural I get excited about, but it is a comfortable kind of slow telling-unwinding of criminal investigation couched within so much "chatting up" one can lose sight of the fact that someone was murdered. On the plus side it is in London.
The murder victim in this case was a famous television personality heading up something very like Antiques Roadshow from BBC. The long list of people who are interviewed plus the friendly chatter between the colleagues is fatiguing for me. For truly sociable people it should fill the bill.
I will try to remember this author for the next sleepless night with my kindle by my side. I did like some of the descriptions of locations and people.
November 15, 2016
This is an excellent mystery. H-E's characters are well-drawn and often lovable and Bill Slider is emerging, in No 17 of the series, as a bit of a superman (lower case initial) crossed with a Lone Ranger on a quest for justice. Her secondary characters are also a pleasure and her light touch of wry English humour is delightful. The only exceptions are Slider's children who barely get sketched in, never mind given any colour. This series is far and away better than her long-running HF family saga.
And this story is one of the best in this series.
And this story is one of the best in this series.
July 3, 2018
Not the best in the series--this light-hearted police procedural involves the murder of an antiques expert on a popular TV program much like Antiques Roadshow. Maybe I'm just feeling grouchy these days, but the humor seemed perfunctory and the puns not as funny as they have been in earlier books. I will admit that 90% of the way through I had no idea whatever who the murderer was; but then neither did the police team. It required the uncovering of that one last clue.
November 23, 2016
The man’s body is lying in a pool of blood in his own study and there’s a nasty hole straight through his windpipe. The man’s throat is otherwise intact and the murder weapon is lying on a shelf, wiped-clean. Rings and watch, cash and credit cards are all where they should be. A green malachite box with unpolished diamond trim is missing as well as a minor Impressionist painting. And there’s no sign of forcible entry.
While not exactly a locked-room mystery, Detective Inspector Bill Slider knows from the first moments that this case will be difficult. Not difficult in terms of identifying the murderer necessarily, but difficult from a public standpoint as the body is that of Rowland Egerton, a well-known, highly popular and highly respected celebrity host of the “Antiques Galore!” television show. Thus, the media and his superiors will be all over this, watching every move and pushing for a quick resolution.
However, we, the readers, know there will be no quick resolution since there are still several hundred pages left in the book. And Bill Slider figures that part out just as quickly when he learns that the only people who respected Egerton were his viewing audience and his clients. Not one single co-worker, with the exception of his 20-years-plus business partner, could stand the man. And Slider cannot find even one single non-coworker who will admit to anything more than a bare toleration of the man.
Thus the murder of a "public personality" whose occupation put him into the intimate areas of the houses of many celebrities, aristocrats and government officials is going to create a media firestorm at the very least. And there will be a political minefield to navigate if the evidence begins to point toward someone involved with the BBC or the government. So when a gag order is laid down before his first team can even arrive at the murder scene, Slider knows his job and the jobs of his detectives are on the line.
“Star Fall” is a bit of a departure from the way Cynthia Harrod-Eagles writes a typical Slider novel. There is no car chase, no foot chase and no “shoot out at the OK Corral.” If you need an adrenaline rush to accompany your murder mysteries, this entry in the series may bore you senseless.
However, if you enjoy watching a CID team bandy about theories and actually use their brains rather than their hormones to ferret out clues to support those theories, you should enjoy this work. If you like to read detailed, emotional interviews and interrogations to see if you can spot the clues before Slider or a team member does, then you should enjoy this work.
If you appreciate Slider’s knowledge of his team members’ skills and his ability to utilize those skills – without favoritism and without rancor for any weaknesses – you should enjoy this book. And if you enjoy watching a team work as a team rather than for personal gain or individual glory, you will definitely appreciate this entry.
While not exactly a locked-room mystery, Detective Inspector Bill Slider knows from the first moments that this case will be difficult. Not difficult in terms of identifying the murderer necessarily, but difficult from a public standpoint as the body is that of Rowland Egerton, a well-known, highly popular and highly respected celebrity host of the “Antiques Galore!” television show. Thus, the media and his superiors will be all over this, watching every move and pushing for a quick resolution.
However, we, the readers, know there will be no quick resolution since there are still several hundred pages left in the book. And Bill Slider figures that part out just as quickly when he learns that the only people who respected Egerton were his viewing audience and his clients. Not one single co-worker, with the exception of his 20-years-plus business partner, could stand the man. And Slider cannot find even one single non-coworker who will admit to anything more than a bare toleration of the man.
Thus the murder of a "public personality" whose occupation put him into the intimate areas of the houses of many celebrities, aristocrats and government officials is going to create a media firestorm at the very least. And there will be a political minefield to navigate if the evidence begins to point toward someone involved with the BBC or the government. So when a gag order is laid down before his first team can even arrive at the murder scene, Slider knows his job and the jobs of his detectives are on the line.
“Star Fall” is a bit of a departure from the way Cynthia Harrod-Eagles writes a typical Slider novel. There is no car chase, no foot chase and no “shoot out at the OK Corral.” If you need an adrenaline rush to accompany your murder mysteries, this entry in the series may bore you senseless.
However, if you enjoy watching a CID team bandy about theories and actually use their brains rather than their hormones to ferret out clues to support those theories, you should enjoy this work. If you like to read detailed, emotional interviews and interrogations to see if you can spot the clues before Slider or a team member does, then you should enjoy this work.
If you appreciate Slider’s knowledge of his team members’ skills and his ability to utilize those skills – without favoritism and without rancor for any weaknesses – you should enjoy this book. And if you enjoy watching a team work as a team rather than for personal gain or individual glory, you will definitely appreciate this entry.
April 16, 2022
Another very readable mystery. The murderer became obvious after a certain point, but not so early that it ruined the mystery.
December 4, 2014
First Sentence: Slider went back to the bedroom to say goodbye to Joanna.
The murder of television antiques expert Rowland Egerton brings out Bill Slider and his team. Egerton’s business partner and friend are found over the body, but is he the killer? A Faberge box and Impressionist painting are missing. Was it an interrupted burglary?
From the very beginning, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (CHE) takes us into the world of her characters. She is a wonderfully literate author whose words paint pictures and engages our senses; “What Slider noticed more of all was the look of lightless patience in her face, s though she had long ago accepted that the brightly colored, more pleasant things in life were not meant for her.”
The characters of Slider and Atherton, his friend and bagman, are quickly established, along with the other members of Slider’s team. It is particularly enjoyable and realistic, to have an ensemble cast; a team that works together, including their boss Porson, who excels at malapropos. It’s a team that truly investigates. They follow the clues and the evidence, rather than start with a conclusion and work backward.
The balance of Slider the cop, and Slider the man and husband is perfect. It is so refreshing to have a protagonist with a normal home life. It’s not always perfect; but it is normal.
“Star Fall” is a very good police procedural with excellent characters, a good red herring and a very satisfying ending.
STAR FALL (Pol Proc-Bill Slider-England-Contemp) – VG+
Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia – 17th in series
Severn Books, 2014
The murder of television antiques expert Rowland Egerton brings out Bill Slider and his team. Egerton’s business partner and friend are found over the body, but is he the killer? A Faberge box and Impressionist painting are missing. Was it an interrupted burglary?
From the very beginning, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (CHE) takes us into the world of her characters. She is a wonderfully literate author whose words paint pictures and engages our senses; “What Slider noticed more of all was the look of lightless patience in her face, s though she had long ago accepted that the brightly colored, more pleasant things in life were not meant for her.”
The characters of Slider and Atherton, his friend and bagman, are quickly established, along with the other members of Slider’s team. It is particularly enjoyable and realistic, to have an ensemble cast; a team that works together, including their boss Porson, who excels at malapropos. It’s a team that truly investigates. They follow the clues and the evidence, rather than start with a conclusion and work backward.
The balance of Slider the cop, and Slider the man and husband is perfect. It is so refreshing to have a protagonist with a normal home life. It’s not always perfect; but it is normal.
“Star Fall” is a very good police procedural with excellent characters, a good red herring and a very satisfying ending.
STAR FALL (Pol Proc-Bill Slider-England-Contemp) – VG+
Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia – 17th in series
Severn Books, 2014
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January 24, 2018Bill Slider is worried about his wife Joanna who has recently had a miscarriage. She has recovered physically but she seems to be still grieving and he is concerned that she will never get back to her normal self. Fortunately he has an engrossing and frustrating new murder case to take his mind off his home life. Roland Egerton, TV antiques expert, is found murdered by his long time friend John Lavender. Naturally Lavender is prime suspect but his story seems to hold up on first examination and Slider and the team start to look further afield for their murderer.
This is a well plotted crime story with some interesting characters and plenty of clues and red herrings to lead both the reader and the detectives astray. I have read many of this series and they all make excellent reading. Slider and his sergeant, Atherton, make a good team and all the police characters seem to get on with one another.
There are plenty of touches of humour in the book with some marvellous descriptions and sparkling dialogue. I also like the chapter headings too. If you like your crime novels well plotted with plenty of interesting and likeable characters then this may be one for you. The series can be read in any order. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
This is a well plotted crime story with some interesting characters and plenty of clues and red herrings to lead both the reader and the detectives astray. I have read many of this series and they all make excellent reading. Slider and his sergeant, Atherton, make a good team and all the police characters seem to get on with one another.
There are plenty of touches of humour in the book with some marvellous descriptions and sparkling dialogue. I also like the chapter headings too. If you like your crime novels well plotted with plenty of interesting and likeable characters then this may be one for you. The series can be read in any order. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
December 23, 2014
As soon as you begin reading this novel it is obvious there have been previous books. Regardless of that, this novel can definitely be read as a stand-alone book. Sometimes an author doesn’t do a very good job of giving new readers enough information to make them comfortable with character run-over from previous books but that definitely was not the case for me with this story. In fact, one of the first things I became comfortable with was how well established the relationships are with all the policemen working in the Shepherd’s Bush station. Detective Inspector Bill Slider interacts with his superior officer and the members of his investigation team as if they are a well-oiled working team, taking advantage of the strength and being aware of the weakness of each member. Now they have been handed a murder investigation which involves the death of a popular television personality. The Beebs will not be pleased to have any negative publicity tarnishing its image with this real life drama. The team needs to solve this murder soon, if not sooner. As Superintendent Porson so succinctly puts it, “The early bird gathers no moss. Get on with it.”
Not only was this a good reading experience for me from the standpoint of the development of the mystery and everything involved in solving it, it was also quite interesting to discover this team of investigators and to get to know them as individual people. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I have already put “Hard Going” on my Kindle and am considering ordering the print omnibus of the first three novels in the series. I like the low key humor in the novel and the way Porson mangles the sayings he’s always throwing around in his conversations. The chapter titles are interesting, but something that can be easily ignored if you think they are too cutesy. I find myself having to go back after I finish reading the chapter to look up what the title was in order to figure out what it means. Often I am not interested enough to bother. So, humor to be taken as far as you personally want to take it or left alone if it doesn’t interest you. At least the humor isn’t allowed to interfere with the actual police investigation work. In my opinion, that’s a good decision by the author.
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
Not only was this a good reading experience for me from the standpoint of the development of the mystery and everything involved in solving it, it was also quite interesting to discover this team of investigators and to get to know them as individual people. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I have already put “Hard Going” on my Kindle and am considering ordering the print omnibus of the first three novels in the series. I like the low key humor in the novel and the way Porson mangles the sayings he’s always throwing around in his conversations. The chapter titles are interesting, but something that can be easily ignored if you think they are too cutesy. I find myself having to go back after I finish reading the chapter to look up what the title was in order to figure out what it means. Often I am not interested enough to bother. So, humor to be taken as far as you personally want to take it or left alone if it doesn’t interest you. At least the humor isn’t allowed to interfere with the actual police investigation work. In my opinion, that’s a good decision by the author.
I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
May 30, 2021
Detective Inspector Bill Slider finds himself hunting down a killer in Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ compelling crime novel, “Star Fall.”
Slider is called to a scene where daytime TV star Rowland Egerton is stabbed to death in his West London home. Upon closer inspection, the flat looks vandalized, and a Faberge box and an Impressionist painting are missing.
The main suspect is Rowland’s business partner, John Lavender, who discovered the body. Slider finds out why Lavender was in the deceased man’s home and learns of the off-camera relationship he had with the victim. As Slider digs into Lavender’s motivations for being at Egerton’s residence, he learns of the man’s mysterious background and peculiar behavior. As Slider and his tenacious team of detectives investigate the crime scene further, none of the facts seem to fit.
While looking into the adored TV personality’s past, it becomes clear to Slider that everybody didn’t love the man. Talking with the victim’s co-workers and close friends, Slider learns that the daytime darling has a buried supply of skeletons in his closet, some facts that Egerton didn’t want anyone to know.
“Star Fall” is another winning read with a diverse group of well-drawn, familiar characters. Harrod-Eagle makes the police procedure look easy, but beneath the surface of the well-plotted story is a complex, diverting puzzle readers will relish.
Slider is called to a scene where daytime TV star Rowland Egerton is stabbed to death in his West London home. Upon closer inspection, the flat looks vandalized, and a Faberge box and an Impressionist painting are missing.
The main suspect is Rowland’s business partner, John Lavender, who discovered the body. Slider finds out why Lavender was in the deceased man’s home and learns of the off-camera relationship he had with the victim. As Slider digs into Lavender’s motivations for being at Egerton’s residence, he learns of the man’s mysterious background and peculiar behavior. As Slider and his tenacious team of detectives investigate the crime scene further, none of the facts seem to fit.
While looking into the adored TV personality’s past, it becomes clear to Slider that everybody didn’t love the man. Talking with the victim’s co-workers and close friends, Slider learns that the daytime darling has a buried supply of skeletons in his closet, some facts that Egerton didn’t want anyone to know.
“Star Fall” is another winning read with a diverse group of well-drawn, familiar characters. Harrod-Eagle makes the police procedure look easy, but beneath the surface of the well-plotted story is a complex, diverting puzzle readers will relish.
February 4, 2021
This was my first Bill Slider police detective novel and it won’t be my last. It’s like a lighter and shorter version of Elizabeth George, whose police books set in the UK always entertain me, but, darn!, I’ve read them all. Harrod-Eagles likewise has written this Slider series about a London- based police detective but she manages to wedge in a few little jokes, puns, and a boss given to malapropisms that ups the entertainment value of a good police detective mystery. She’s turned out an astonishing number of books in multiple series (the Slider series comprises 21 books on its own). I might get sick of these as a steady diet but it’s so reassuring to know that when I need another, I’ll be able to get it for a long time.
May 5, 2022
This is my first mystery by this author, which was selected for my book club for a British mystery theme. Despite this book being #17 in the Bill Slider mystery series, there was no confusion around the recurring characters or setting. It was thoroughly enjoyable, flowed smoothly, with humorous dialogue laced with local slang, and sprinkled with literary references. Even the chapter names were mostly puns! Also, no one guessed who the killer was - it was a complete surprise!
I hesitate to call this a "cozy mystery" lest this carry a negative connotation (which it should not), but the content is not violent or profane, and perfectly appropriate for sensitive readers like myself.
I will be sure to read the rest of this delightful series.
Thank you Cynthia!
I hesitate to call this a "cozy mystery" lest this carry a negative connotation (which it should not), but the content is not violent or profane, and perfectly appropriate for sensitive readers like myself.
I will be sure to read the rest of this delightful series.
Thank you Cynthia!
May 7, 2024
Bill Slider #17. Many series fall away with age, but this one has developed like a fine wine. The characters are well rounded and believable, and there's the thread of wit and humour to balance the serious crimes. It's maybe a touch unbelievable that some of the more junior police officers haven't got promotion after such a long time. Slider gets his promotion to DCI in this story, but it won't do him much good, as he is seriously out of favour with some very senior people.
Any of these can be read as stand-alones, by necessity, as it's not easy to find any earlier titles in the library. The usual amusing chapter titles are still there, generally on point. I'll continue to look for more titles in this series. Nothing to dislike, so rating 4.6.
Any of these can be read as stand-alones, by necessity, as it's not easy to find any earlier titles in the library. The usual amusing chapter titles are still there, generally on point. I'll continue to look for more titles in this series. Nothing to dislike, so rating 4.6.
June 5, 2018
Another installment in a fine series. I really like Harrod-Eagles's style: She propels her narrative along while throwing in some really funny bits. Porson, in particular, is a hoot--he mangles language wonderfully. And her chapter titles are also very clever and funny.
I like that H-E creates multi-dimensional characters--even the victim, who is a bad guy, is not totally unsympathetic. And her continuing characters continue to develop. I want to know from one book to the next how her characters respond to their life challenges.
Well done, yet again.
I like that H-E creates multi-dimensional characters--even the victim, who is a bad guy, is not totally unsympathetic. And her continuing characters continue to develop. I want to know from one book to the next how her characters respond to their life challenges.
Well done, yet again.
May 28, 2017
Should probably be 3 1/2. Unlike most series, I enjoy the police work more than the family life of this officer. At least in this one.
Nasty TV presenter gets murdered,and there's no obvious murderer, but the course of the investigation brings lots of potentials to light.
Meanwhile, Joanna and Bill struggle to communicate about emotions and whether or not she should go back to work. That was definitely meh.
Nasty TV presenter gets murdered,and there's no obvious murderer, but the course of the investigation brings lots of potentials to light.
Meanwhile, Joanna and Bill struggle to communicate about emotions and whether or not she should go back to work. That was definitely meh.
February 28, 2018
I've enjoyed all entries in this series and this one doesn't disappoint. Harrod-Eagles writes a quintessential British police procedural that never bores and has just enough description of the members of the murder squad without going overboard. The murder is the focal point and finding out who dunnit takes center stage.
July 23, 2017
I recently discovered this series of modern police procedurals. I really enjoy the shorter format that is currently popular among many British mystery writers. This whodunnits was satisfyingly complex & the characters are engaging. I'll read more from this series for sure!
September 30, 2017
Another great British detective story. This one pertains to the antique business. There is a lot of plodding detective work in solving a murder but one gets to know the characters and their human side, which is what makes the story interesting and this author is good at that. A great read.
September 11, 2019
This was an interesting story. I feared the decision made after the arrest and charge was going to make me cross, but in the end this was resolved very entertainingly.
I feel the end is in sight for me as far as this series is concerned!
I feel the end is in sight for me as far as this series is concerned!
May 6, 2022
There's an adage in writing, 'show don't tell', and while it's not one to follow off a cliff, it's one that could have been considered a lot more in the writing here. DNF after the first couple of clunky paragraphs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2017
A quick read with plenty of humor and a good whodunit.
July 13, 2017
Great read. Good plot that doesn't drag and I liked the zippy, funny dialogue. The characters are all interesting and well drawn.
September 17, 2017
Another great Slider tale. So much fun and so diverting. I'm only sad that I'm catching up with C H-E and will run out of stories soon.
May 30, 2019
Another in the dependable Bill Slider police procedural series.
August 7, 2019
I love the humor in these books. They are a strong inspiration in my own writing. And they hold me until the end.
May 31, 2020
Particularly satisfying, that one.
April 12, 2024
Good read
April 24, 2024
Either the series is running out of gas or I am. Let's hope for the author's sake it's me.
July 7, 2020
Reads well even though 16 novels preceded it. Slider isn’t Vera, but what I sense as a lack of complexity for this protagonist might well be added into the previous case files. Porson, the boss, is a jewel in his own right....he would,of course, say RITES. Chapter titles elicit a giggle while pointing to the ensuing narrative.
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