London policeman 'Bill Slider' takes on another crime in the latest of this elegant modern series. CID is unaccustomedly quiet in the post-Christmas lull, so Slider is able to catch up on paperwork. Then the inevitable murder call arrives, and the lull has ended. Slider's team swings straight to work in STAR FALL.
The deceased, Rowland Egerton, was a presenter of antiques programmes and fittingly lived in a restored Georgian period townhouse in West London. The body was found by his business partner, John Lavender. As the house contained antiques, the supposition is that the deceased interrupted a burglary and was stabbed. The media are quickly at the scene, while police grumble and freeze in the dark street. In a charming touch, the elderly cleaning lady turns out to be the expert on the contents of the house, because she's been dusting the items and putting them back in the correct spots for twenty years.
The attention to crime scene detail is first-rate, with computers and fan mail routinely brought to the station; if only Slider's senior officer was as careful, since he mangles sayings. Who knew about the petty jealousies and spite behind the scenes of an antiques show? Clearly author Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has enjoyed herself writing this one, portraying media darlings, politicians and stately home owners with her typical รฉlan, while the down-to-earth coppers make the quips and remarks that keep the mood relatively light. Slider's personal life is a gentle background, with his partner Joanna, a violinist, still insecure over his ex-wife and recovering from a loss. She is resigned to his job coming first.
Gradually the reader learns that the deceased was a charming, forceful but ultimately shallow person, a social climber addicted to his newfound fame. There are plenty of petty jealousies, instead of real motives, yet with no evidence of a break-in, a murderer will have to be found. The puzzle is hugely enjoyable and so are the cast. Hardworking officer McLaren and cheery Dublin-born detective Connolly are like old friends by now, not to mention that the Assistant Commissioner's wife is an ardent fan of the antiques show. STAR FALL is a true star from accomplished author Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, with a tastefully-arranged ending to leave us cheering and calling for more.
‘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 Fabergé 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 . . .
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