Severn House Publishers
Featuring: Joanna; John Lavender; Bill Slider
221 pages ISBN: 0727884603 EAN: 9780727884602 Kindle: B00SHUMNF0 e-Book Add to Wish List
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 élan, 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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