Review:
An enjoyable, witty mystery
Catherine Aird’s Sloan and Crosby mysteries have been a joyous discovery for me. They are clever, witty and a pleasure to read.
This, the third in the series from 1970, is set in a Stately Home, where Aird produces an enjoyable version of the Golden Age Country House Mystery, while also mildly but wittily parodying the genre. A body is discovered hidden in a suit of armour, and the long-suffering Inspector Sloan and the bemused Constable Crosby investigate. Possible irregularities in the Earl’s inheritance, elderly and eccentric aunts and a wayward family member are among the immensely enjoyable ingredients of an entertaining plot, but what makes this so enjoyable is Aird’s style, which is quietly erudite, with excellent, readable prose and a vein of dry wit.
I found it a pleasure from beginning to end. I can recommend it warmly and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
This, the third in the series from 1970, is set in a Stately Home, where Aird produces an enjoyable version of the Golden Age Country House Mystery, while also mildly but wittily parodying the genre. A body is discovered hidden in a suit of armour, and the long-suffering Inspector Sloan and the bemused Constable Crosby investigate. Possible irregularities in the Earl’s inheritance, elderly and eccentric aunts and a wayward family member are among the immensely enjoyable ingredients of an entertaining plot, but what makes this so enjoyable is Aird’s style, which is quietly erudite, with excellent, readable prose and a vein of dry wit.
I found it a pleasure from beginning to end. I can recommend it warmly and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
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