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The Stately Home Murder (Inspector Sloan, #3)

Catherine Aird

Start date: August 15, 2022

Finish date: September 9, 2022

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Next in this popular series.
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What Members Thought

Mar 06, 2011 Bev rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: police-procedural, mystery, silver-age-mystery, mount-tbr-2018

From when I first logged the book:
First Aird book I read. I now own it...that is the true sign of a good book for me--if I read it from the library (or wherever) and then just have to buy it when I have the opportunity."

Review from first reading of the owned book (2/16/18):

“There’ll have been a reason,” murmured Sloan.
That was one thing experience had taught him. There was a reason behind most human actions. Not necessarily sound, of course, but a reason all the same. (47)

Third in Catherine Ai From when I first logged the book:
First Aird book I read. I now own it...that is the true sign of a good book for me--if I read it from the library (or wherever) and then just have to buy it when I have the opportunity."

Review from first reading of the owned book (2/16/18):

“There’ll have been a reason,” murmured Sloan.
That was one thing experience had taught him. There was a reason behind most human actions. Not necessarily sound, of course, but a reason all the same. (47)

Third in Catherine Aird's series starring Inspector C. D. Sloan, The Stately Home Murder (aka The True Steel;1969) was the first of her police procedurals that I ever read. Like many of those early mystery discoveries, I brought this one home from my public library. I'm sure I discovered her name in the back of some other book or the title just leapt off the shelf at me...because, of course, there was no internet or book-blogging world available to this preteen back in the dark ages of the late 70s and early 80s. At that time, I was simply looking for a good mystery to feed my crime fiction habit and I don't remember noticing the humor so much. But Inspector Sloan has a dry, subtle wit that definitely appeals to me now.

The stately home of the title is one Ornum House. Due to ghastly taxes, the current Earl of Ornum has been forced to open the house to the public every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday as well as Bank Holidays (except Good Friday--the Earl draws the line there: "Religious holiday. Not a civil one. No beanfests in my house on Good Friday."). On this particular Sunday in June, the usual crowd of folks on holiday and the curious have come to Ornum House...some with children in tow. Mrs. Pearl Fisher had had what seemed at the time the good idea to take her children on an outing. She should have known that Michael wouldn't be able to stay out of trouble. Of course, she would never have expected him to discover a dead body in a suit of armor, but, then, neither did their guide.

The body belongs to Osbourne Meredith, who has been working in the library and muniments (documents) room--sorting out the history of the Ornum estate and earldom. When Sloane and his dubiously helpful constable arrive, the discover that Meredith had made some interesting discoveries among the papers, some of which may affect the noble lineage. Did someone kill to keep the status quo? Or did Meredith make an even more dangerous discovery?

Aird has given us a mystery novel that is firmly rooted in the vintage works of the Golden Age. Though her book is set in the late 1960s, the detective work could have been done by Inspector Alleyn in 30s. The style of investigation is very much of an earlier era and she has made a definite effort display her clues in a nod to the "fair play" school. That alone makes this an excellent novel, but she also entertains us by making fun of the very tropes she emulates. She plays on standard motifs and plot devices and serves up a denouement that should make classic crime buffs howl in dismay--but, it fits with the atmosphere she has skillfully employed. ★★★★★ then and ★★★★★ now. [I love it when I still enjoy books that I loved when I was younger.]

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Jul 19, 2022 Jan C rated it really liked it

Shelves: england, mystery, 2022

I was mystified but I suppose it made sense, in the end.

She definitely should have had better covers. I turned my nose up at Aird for years because of the flowery covers I saw on her books. Had no idea what was inside. This is my third and I enjoyed it immensely. As I did the previous two.

An earl (I think, or is it a lord?) has to open his house in order to keep it. Allows tours x number of days a week, selling merch. Of course, there are a number of relatives living there - providing some servi ...more

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Aug 08, 2022 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-with-gr-groups

4.5 stars, as I love this series, reading as a Buddy Read with the Reading the Detectives group. The author had a long series with Detective Inspector C.D. Sloan in the mythical county of Calleshire, starting in the 1960s, but very much in the traditional British police procedural mode of the Golden Age mysteries I love.

There is a great deal of dry humor, as the low-key Sloan investigates with young Sgt. Crosby, frequently reporting in to the snarky, temperamental, rather overbearing Supt. Leeye 4.5 stars, as I love this series, reading as a Buddy Read with the Reading the Detectives group. The author had a long series with Detective Inspector C.D. Sloan in the mythical county of Calleshire, starting in the 1960s, but very much in the traditional British police procedural mode of the Golden Age mysteries I love.

There is a great deal of dry humor, as the low-key Sloan investigates with young Sgt. Crosby, frequently reporting in to the snarky, temperamental, rather overbearing Supt. Leeyes. This one is set in the early 1970s, at an aristocrat’s county seat open to the public.

The setting gives Aird the opportunity to have readers see the ornate rooms bung-full of art, china and ornaments through the eyes of a working class lady on a bus tour with her 13-year-old twins, boy and girl.

The boy has escaped the group, bored and is off exploring, but all mum wants is to slip off her too-tight shoes and sit for awhile. Where has Michael got to? She just hopes he doesn’t break anything; she gets through the tour with her daughter, all the while reflecting internally on the differences between the Earl of Ornum’s living quarters and her own. Finally, the mother finds her wandering boy in the dungeon bristling with ancient weapons of war, where he’s examining suits of armor - he forces open a visor and finds himself face to face with a dead man.

Sloan and Crosby are called in, and we tag along as the pathologist and forensics team get to work, the body is divested of the armor (quite involved, and unique for pathologist and police alike), and the family members present and staff are interviewed. This one had all the great tropes - ancient, titled old ladies, a flighty countess, hyper-efficient steward pining after the young lady of the house, a profligate, sponging cousin who’s mother ran away with a groom and was forever known by the sobriquet “Bad Betty”, even a ghost known as The Judge! When he walked, it meant someone in the family was going to die, delicious foreshadowing!

Aird moves the pacing along briskly, there is another death, and when Sloan reaches a conclusion and makes an arrest, it makes sense, fair play, and well done, with a dramatic gathering of the family and the killer. I really enjoy this series, and look forward to reading on! I also used a credit for the Audible, the narrator is fabulous and entertaining, adds a lot to the story. ...more

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Jan 22, 2009 Nancy Oakes rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction-uk, crime-fiction

The beginning of this mystery is classic. A very rambunctious boy who came with his mom on a tour of Ornum House gets split from the group. The group goes down into the armoury, where there is a display of several suits of armor. The boy is there, playing around with the armor, and as he opens the visor on one of them, what's there to meet him but the face of a dead man. So...in comes Inspector Sloan, but solving the crime isn't going to be easy with a list of suspects and motives for the murder ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 08, 2024 Lillian rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-vintage-golden-age, read-in-2024

A bit slow. Not the kind of character development I go for.

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 04, 2015 Jenn Estepp rated it liked it

Shelves: sleuths-and-gumshoes, kindling

A bunch of these are on sale for Kindle this month and I decided to pick up the ones that sound interesting, as I'd read a handful in the series and liked them well enough. This isn't my favorite - I think it could've used one of those little Cast of Character directories that you sometimes get at the beginning of books - but it was solid and I liked the occasional cheeky bits. ...more

1 like · Like · see review