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bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second in the Inspector C. D. Sloan police procedural series and, as with the first--The Religious Body, Sloan finds himself looking to the past to find answers to some very present murders. He and DC Crosby are called to investigate a traffic fatality. What looked at first to be a simple hit-and-run, soon gives evidence of having been a carefully planned murder. But who would want to kill Grace Jenkins, a widow who has always kept herself to herself and had no real friends--let alone enemies. But there are even greater questions ahead. When Grace's daughter Henrietta comes home from university to identify the body, she finds that someone has broken into her mother's desk...but apparently they had a key to the cottage because there's no sign of forced entry.
The next shock in store is when the pathologist discovers that the woman Henrietta has identified as her mother had never borne a child and most likely was never married at all. If Henriett isn't Grace Jenkins's daughter, then who is she? Further investigation by Sloan reveals oddities about the man whose picture has held pride of place in the cottage. A picture of a man whom Grace claimed as her husband--killed in the war and decorated for service. But the medals on the man in the picture and the medals kept in a drawer don't match. Henrietta begins to wonder if anything she she's believed about herself is really true.
The hunt for a murderer by motor vehicle soon turns into a hunt for identity as well--Grace's, Henrietta's, and the man in the photo. If they can just find some proof indicating who any one of these really is, then they'll have something to work with and perhaps be able to find the motive. The man in the photo is eventually traced, but he's killed before Sloan can question him. It isn't until Sloan and Crosby tap into the correct memories from twenty years ago that they find the clue to the modern mysteries.
Sloan is a very low-key detective--no great flights of inspiration, no colorful habits or peculiarities. He just does the day-to-day work of a Detective Inspector (and delegates the more tedious tasks to Crosby--such as searching through the records of past cases and hunting up all the Holly Tree Farms in the area). He has a wry, not quite sarcastic wit that shows itself particularly in interactions with Crosby and his superior, Superintendent Leeyes, but is very humane when dealing with Henrietta, showing great concern for the girl's plight.
The mystery itself is a very interesting one with both victim and murderer as unknown quantities--and even the relations of the victim having their identities questioned. It's rare to not only have a "whodunnit" but a "who had it done to them" as well. It seems for a while that the identity question has taken over the book, but the reader should never lose sight of the fact that once the identities are sorted, the motive for the murder and the identity of the murderer will become clear. Overall, a highly enjoyable mystery.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
The next shock in store is when the pathologist discovers that the woman Henrietta has identified as her mother had never borne a child and most likely was never married at all. If Henriett isn't Grace Jenkins's daughter, then who is she? Further investigation by Sloan reveals oddities about the man whose picture has held pride of place in the cottage. A picture of a man whom Grace claimed as her husband--killed in the war and decorated for service. But the medals on the man in the picture and the medals kept in a drawer don't match. Henrietta begins to wonder if anything she she's believed about herself is really true.
The hunt for a murderer by motor vehicle soon turns into a hunt for identity as well--Grace's, Henrietta's, and the man in the photo. If they can just find some proof indicating who any one of these really is, then they'll have something to work with and perhaps be able to find the motive. The man in the photo is eventually traced, but he's killed before Sloan can question him. It isn't until Sloan and Crosby tap into the correct memories from twenty years ago that they find the clue to the modern mysteries.
Sloan is a very low-key detective--no great flights of inspiration, no colorful habits or peculiarities. He just does the day-to-day work of a Detective Inspector (and delegates the more tedious tasks to Crosby--such as searching through the records of past cases and hunting up all the Holly Tree Farms in the area). He has a wry, not quite sarcastic wit that shows itself particularly in interactions with Crosby and his superior, Superintendent Leeyes, but is very humane when dealing with Henrietta, showing great concern for the girl's plight.
The mystery itself is a very interesting one with both victim and murderer as unknown quantities--and even the relations of the victim having their identities questioned. It's rare to not only have a "whodunnit" but a "who had it done to them" as well. It seems for a while that the identity question has taken over the book, but the reader should never lose sight of the fact that once the identities are sorted, the motive for the murder and the identity of the murderer will become clear. Overall, a highly enjoyable mystery.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
tlsouthard's review against another edition
3.0
Decent British village mystery. A widow is killed in what looks like a hit and run accident. But then we find out that her daughter, Henrietta, is not really her daughter. So who IS she? And why did someone kill Grace Jenkins?
ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
A woman gets run over by a car. An unfortunate accident to be sure. But she leaves behind a daughter, Henrietta. But as it turns out, the truth of Henrietta's past may be a little bit more complicated than it first appears. And when someone breaks into her mother's house, the mystery only heats up.
A lot of this story revolves around Henrietta rather than Inspector Sloan which is pretty interesting. I generally enjoyed the story but, it is a product of its time, with a lot of story development but not necessarily a lot of action.
A lot of this story revolves around Henrietta rather than Inspector Sloan which is pretty interesting. I generally enjoyed the story but, it is a product of its time, with a lot of story development but not necessarily a lot of action.
em_beddedinbooks's review against another edition
3.0
A reasonably decent cozy mystery, moderately paced.
A widow dies by hit and run under questionable circumstances, and after autopsy her 20 year old daughter finds out that she's not her biological mother. Search for her lineage starts, and a few secrets emerge.
A widow dies by hit and run under questionable circumstances, and after autopsy her 20 year old daughter finds out that she's not her biological mother. Search for her lineage starts, and a few secrets emerge.
lorihenrich2021's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in the Inspector Sloan series. Even though this story is on the older side it didn't feel like that. I kind of had an idea of who the suspect was, but the story was so good it didn't matter. It wasn't obvious and the story really flowed well.
Sloan is asked to look into the what was assumed to be a hit and run accident. It was determined that the woman was murdered. Who would want to murder a woman who kept mostly to herself raising her daughter Henrietta alone. The questions that arise lead to more questions and the answers are not so easy to come by.
Looking forward to reading the next one.
Sloan is asked to look into the what was assumed to be a hit and run accident. It was determined that the woman was murdered. Who would want to murder a woman who kept mostly to herself raising her daughter Henrietta alone. The questions that arise lead to more questions and the answers are not so easy to come by.
Looking forward to reading the next one.
nichola's review against another edition
4.0
This was fun! Definitely better than the first one! And once you get into her style of writing the characters really do come to life.
monkreads's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
smarkies's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
annabelpitt's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
kwil's review
3.0
This is a quickly read mystery, perhaps due to the hefty amount of dialogue moving the plot forward. Much of the novel is, in fact, dialogue between characters. There is little character development and any scenery is only succinctly noted. Yet this light little mystery packs a punch in the plot department. Motive can be guessed fairly early in the story; the who and the how are what pull the reader to the end. This reissue of the second book in the Detective Inspector C.D. Sloan series, which began in the late 1960s, is refreshingly free of modern day trappings. Nothing but good ol’ fashioned detective work on these pages. Overall, this fun whodunit is perfect for a lazy afternoon’s entertainment.