Synopsis
Inspector Bill Slider struggles to find clues and a motive to the murder of a quiet violinist, while his home life runs amuck as he tries to choose between his wife and an exciting new love
Reviews
A beleaguered British detective struggles to solve a series of sinister murders in this masterful debut. When a woman is found naked and dead in a vacant apartment in West London, the letter "T" carved into one foot, a callus on her neck leads Inspector Bill Slider to identify the victim as a violinist, one Anne-Marie Austen. Although the antipathetic Austen seemed to have no life outside her modest orchestra job, a visit to her dingy bedsit turns up a Stradivarius worth at least a million pounds; other clues lead to a second residence, a luxury penthouse, as well as the extravagant habit of driving to Birmingham just to buy a certain olive oil. As Slider learns that Austen had been pressuring a fellow musician to continue an affair, he himself is drawn to Austen's playing partner, and muddies his marriage and the investigation by beginning a romance with her. Like the other developments here, including more killings, the new relationship rings resoundingly true. And although Harrod-Eagles unabashedly hints at a clue that might settle everything, no one bit of information answers every question. A sophisticated ending whets readers' interest in the further adventures of these strong players.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
A plethora of suspects, a reserved, mild-mannered hero, and the understatement so typical of the traditional British procedural mark the mystery debut of longtime English novelist Harrod-Eagles (Anna, p. 954), who, here, animates her routine plotting with the love-life of her unhappily married, middle-aged Detective Inspector Bill Slider, now trying to identify the naked young woman's body found in an abandoned London flat. Clues lead Slider and his partner, young Lothario Atherton, to the Philharmonic and the corpse's seatmate in the string section, Joanna Marsh, with whom Slider falls passionately in tryst, maybe even in love, to the worry of his mother-henning partner. The victim, violinist Anne- Marie Austen, is barely missed by her cold aunt, who stands to inherit her fortune, but is sentimentally mourned by local vet Hildyard. Moreover, tins of exotic olive oil and a secret Stradivarius indicate that Anne-Marie had international mob connections--which brings in the Special Branch and shunts Slider off the case. But determined to catch the killer, Slider persists- -and narrowly escapes conflagration before resolving matters to his own satisfaction. First in a projected series and more notable for its romantic shenanigans than its mayhem. Still: an acceptable addition to the cozy British genre. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
This British author's first mystery introduces Detective Inspector Bill Slider, taken advantage of at work and pummeled verbally at home by his incompatible spouse. His own dissatisfaction leads Slider to become immersed in solving the murder of a beautiful young violin player. With the help of best friend Sergeant Atherton and the sympathetic ear of newfound true love Joanna, Slider uncovers a far-flung conspiracy. Nicely detailed prose, approachable characters with very human problems, and comforting police procedure quicken the plot and open the door for a sequel. An excellent choice.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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